Middle-earth Envisioned: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: On Screen, On Stage, and Beyond

by Brian J. Robb, Paul Simpson

The painstakingly crafted world that J.R.R. Tolkien created for The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion is so vivid that it’s easy to briefly imagine Middle-earth as a real place—even Tolkien himself had said it existed somewhere on Earth. From the languages spoken and the creatures that peopled it to the wars and cosmology, the richly imagined Middle-earth has left many artists and fans worldwide imagining what it would look and feel like to inhabit such a wildly inspired world. Tolkien left out no details in his picture so it is no surprise that Middle-earth has inspired such inventiveness in turn.  Middle-earth Envisioned is the first book to explore the artistic legacy left by Tolkien’s world. Paintings, drawings, theatrical performances, radio serials, and films inspired by The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are all discussed in a manner that further illuminates the brilliance of Tolkien’s creation. Readers will discover details surrounding an attempted Beatles live-action version (with Paul McCartney as Frodo Baggins), a nearly four-hour Canadian musical, the West End stage production of Lord of the Rings , and of course, the Peter Jackson films—including the Hobbit trilogy—and much more. In this beautifully illustrated gift book, discover the richness of Middle-earth anew, through the works of the artists inspired by it. From NYT bestselling author Brian J. Robb and Paul Simpson, TV guide writer/reporter and the former editor of the Star Trek magazine.

Genres: Fantasy, Art

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Brian J. Robb is the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling biographer of Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt. He has also written books on silent cinema, the films of Philip K. Dick, Wes Craven, and Laurel and Hardy, the Star Wars movies, Superheroes, Gangsters, and Walt Disney, as well as science fiction television series Doctor Who and Star Trek. His illustrated books include an Illustrated History of Steampunk and a guide to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth (Winner, Best Book, Tolkien Society Awards). He writes and edits the Chaplin: Film by Film centenary blog site and is co-editor of the Sci-Fi Bulletin website. He lives in Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best Tolkien books I now own, what a find! The quality of the book is outstanding with the most wonderful artwork and illustrations many of which I've never seen before. The text is an easy read with lots of interesting facts and snippets about both Tolkien and the various interpretations of his work across a wide variety of media: tv, film, radio and stage. I would recommend this as a must have for die-hard fans and a wonderful present for someone who is interested in Tolkien and would like to find out more.

[robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is a beautiful book, a really thorough collection of Tolkien adaptations down the years, beginning with plays and spanning all manner of media (other than books, and that would be tough, although I would love to see, even, just all the many editions of the original books, let alone all the commentaries and scholarly works), down to computer and video games. And worth every penny JUST for the charming, charming picture of JRR and Edith; the way he's looking at her, the two of them stood on their front step, both of them elderly, and so much pride and love in his eyes - I can well believe she was his Luthien.

At any rate, it's beautiful to look at, and an interesting resource. The one topic on which Robb loses all objectivity is Jackson's adaptations. It's just obvious from the way he references fannish detractors, that he's dismissing them. And I totally disagree there - sending elves to Helm's Deep is not a mere nothing. But setting that small point aside, this is a really neat book.

[Ben Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good coffee table book, not much in here we don’t already know although it did get me interested in the BBC radio adaptation with Ian Holm (god rest his soul) as well as the Nicol Williamson recording.

[Simon Yoong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read on the history of the Hobbit and LOTR on other media since the books were published.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved all the history showcased within this book. And it made so many things clear that were confusing even after all these years

[Tiff Fouks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being that I am a Tolkien fan I thought that this book would be fun to review as I love seeing all the different ways things have been done with stories such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I remember the first time I was introduced to The Hobbit, I was just a child - probably no more than nine or ten years old - and I was fascinated by the story played out in front of me on the TV screen as a cartoon movie. That is specifically when I think I really fell in love with Tolkien's works.

This book is something that will touch not only the most avid fans of Tolkien's works but those who know very little of him too. Explaining how these stories came about, how they were adapted not only to stage but movie and radio, and even going into Peter Jackson's versions that are now what we think of when we hear The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. The nice thing with Middle Earth Envisioned is that it doesn't just stop with the previously mentioned adaptations. It covers games, Legos, and even fan work! I found it amazing that the fan work was recognized as a lot of times it goes unnoticed or at least unpublished.

The book is the size of a coffee table book and has beautiful pictures and illustrations. It's a beautiful book that I will be leaving out on an end table for my guests and children to peruse. This is definitely something I would highly recommend for the Tolkien fan in your life! Rated at 5 stars!

[Tammy Raue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so pleased to win this book as a Goodreads First Read! When it arrived, I was shocked by its size and beauty. It is an absolutely beautiful book with heavy quality pages and gorgeous illustrations. I am a fan of Peter Jackson's movies, but had not read the original stories. I am definitely going to do that now...as well as go back and watch the movies again. I was astonished at how many times J.R.R. Tolkien's stories of Middle-Earth have been adapted. Paul Simpson and Brian J. Robb give in-depth information about all of these works--audio, television, stage, comics, games, movies--even Lego got in on the act! It is a must read for fans of Middle-Earth who want a behind the scenes look at the vast legacy of Tolkein's work.

[CleverBaggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely beautiful book about Tolkien, his works and works inspired by his world. It full of details about audio plays tv shows and movies I'd never heard of and look forward to hunting down. I really look forward to being able to afford to buy this book and add it to my ever increasing Tolkien shelf.If you like to hunt down all things Tolkien I'd definitely recommend this book!

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are delightful, especially the ones that were new to me. There was too much enthusiasm for the Peter Jackson films to suit me. I get that people like them, but they totally make my knickers bunch up.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting though most things I knew before. The art that accompanied the text made the buying of this book worth it.