Tolkien's Ring

I think what a lot of reviewers here miss is that it's a book about ring stories. If you like reading up on old stories and connecting themes, this is a good book. If you want a Tolkien rimjob, you're not going to find it here. I personally found it very intriguing to see the similarities between old stories that came from different areas. The book doesn't put it in that order, but you can see how one ring story influences... Read Full Review

David Day's book is an excellent compilation of almost every imaginable legend, myth, or folk tale that relates in some way to Tolkien and his writings. While the central task of the book is to relate past legends to Tolkien, Day also makes a point to briefly summarize some of the more important tales before making the Tolkien connection, so in this way the book can also be viewed as a source for Anglo-saxon, Celtic, Scandinavian,... Read Full Review

I thought this was a really nice little book, easy to read, and full of information on various mythologies and how they may have influenced Tolkien. Tolkien once said that he wanted to develop a mythology for Britain, and his background work in northern European mythology was well-suited. Readers looking for exact, specific references may be disappointed. Christians who want to lay claim to Tolkien's work as a "Christian... Read Full Review

Alan Lee illustrates Tolkien Ring, with black and white and some color drawings accompanying a literary investigation of Tolkien's inspirations and stories. Suitable for a gift, yet affordable enough for personal enjoyment.

This book is a piece of "literary detective work"; it seeks to find the myths and stories that inspired Tolkien in his creation of his three great works: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion. The author states something of a disclaimer at the beginning though:"In Tolkien's Ring, we will survey a vast body of myth and legend in search of Tolkien's sources. We will look at other rings and ring quests, and we... Read Full Review