pWith his richly detailed world of Middle Earth and the epic tales he told around it, J.R.R. Tolkien invented the modern fantasy novel. For readers and students getting to grips with this world for the first time, iJ.R.R. Tolkien A Guide for the Perplexedi is an essential guide to the author's life and work. pThe book helps readers explore p- Tolkien's life and timesbr- Tolkien's mythical worldbr- The languages of Middle Earthbr- The major works - iThe Hobbit iand iThe Lord of the Ringsibr- Posthumously published writings - from iThe Silmarillion ito the recently discovered iThe Fall of Gondolini pWith reference to adaptations of Tolkien's work including the Peter Jackson films, notes on Tolkien's sources and surveys of key scholarly and critical writings, this is an accessible and authoritative guide to one of the 20th century's greatest and most popular writers.p