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mark12_30 · 01-06-2004, 11:53 AM

Title:Tolkien's Ring
Author:by David Day, Alan Lee (Illustrator)
Edition : First. Apparently out of print?
Summary description of the book's main themes
What the book provides is a general roadmap of mythologies that a fantasy writer would or should be familiar with. Odds are Tolkien was familiar with most of what is presented in this book, whether he intentionally used it or purposely ignored it.
In this book David Day takes a broad overview of northern mythology and compares/ contrasts it with Tolkien's trilogy. He looks at rings (everywhere he can find them) and at wizards and old men in pointed hats (Odin, for one) and dragons here and there, enchanted weapons, heroes, and villians. He digs up a lot of myths that may or may not have been in Tolkien's mind when he wrote the trilogy. The myths he peruses run the gamut of being apparently related to Tolkien, to being somewhat similar, to being connected only remotely or not at all.
Strengths and weaknesses of the book
Although it's fashionable in Tolkien circles to dislike David Day, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I liked this book. It provided me with an easy introduction to mythologies that I never investigated (Greek mythology bored and irritated me, so I never went beyond it, and had no concept of what was out there). This book was a fair introduction, simple (some might say simple-minded, and I won't argue). Since I am no expert, I can't vouch for its accuracies. What this book gave me was something to browse and ponder, and decide what mythologies to buy first, and which i could put off for a while.
Alan Lee's illustrations are wonderful.
Whether you generally recommend this book and why
If you already know your northern mythology, no. But if you're as clueless about the various myths as I was, it doesn't seem like a bad place to start. Nice illustrations...
Whether you specifically recommend it for novices and why.
I would recommend it as a simple, visually-oriented springboard into What's Out There. However-- you'll have to pick it up secondhand or from the library, since it's out of print (I guess not many other people liked it as much as I did!)

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 12:54 PM January 06, 2004: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

01-06-2004, 11:53 AM	#11
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Title:Tolkien's Ring Author:by David Day, Alan Lee (Illustrator) Date of Copyright: 2002 Edition : First. Apparently out of print? Summary description of the book's main themes What the book provides is a general roadmap of mythologies that a fantasy writer would or should be familiar with. Odds are Tolkien was familiar with most of what is presented in this book, whether he intentionally used it or purposely ignored it. In this book David Day takes a broad overview of northern mythology and compares/ contrasts it with Tolkien's trilogy. He looks at rings (everywhere he can find them) and at wizards and old men in pointed hats (Odin, for one) and dragons here and there, enchanted weapons, heroes, and villians. He digs up a lot of myths that may or may not have been in Tolkien's mind when he wrote the trilogy. The myths he peruses run the gamut of being apparently related to Tolkien, to being somewhat similar, to being connected only remotely or not at all. Strengths and weaknesses of the book Although it's fashionable in Tolkien circles to dislike David Day, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I liked this book. It provided me with an easy introduction to mythologies that I never investigated (Greek mythology bored and irritated me, so I never went beyond it, and had no concept of what was out there). This book was a fair introduction, simple (some might say simple-minded, and I won't argue). Since I am no expert, I can't vouch for its accuracies. What this book gave me was something to browse and ponder, and decide what mythologies to buy first, and which i could put off for a while. Alan Lee's illustrations are wonderful. Whether you generally recommend this book and why If you already know your northern mythology, no. But if you're as clueless about the various myths as I was, it doesn't seem like a bad place to start. Nice illustrations... Whether you specifically recommend it for novices and why. I would recommend it as a simple, visually-oriented springboard into What's Out There. However-- you'll have to pick it up secondhand or from the library, since it's out of print (I guess not many other people liked it as much as I did!) <font size=1 color=339966>[ 12:54 PM January 06, 2004: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.