Just finished reading the Newsweek Tolkein edition, and have to make a brief review:
The issue has some nice photography of the characters in Tolkein's two primary works - the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but spends a good deal of time going into the phases of Tolkein's life and his relationships. As a biography, it is incomplete, and I would recommend the more detailed explanation in Wikipedia. The rest of the magazine talks about Tolkein's influence on other fantasy authors, radio, television and film. An interesting overview of the timeline of the creation of Tolkein's fantasy universe is presented, and it seems complicated. The full story is revealed in the Simarillion, one of his major novels. This issue is worth reading, but there are other books, films, etc. out there that give more detail about Tolkein, particularly those written by his son Christopher.
Thanks, @mfresa. I wondered about the quality of the content. I’m a big Tolkien fan and assumed I wouldn’t learn much from it but still good to hear so I won’t be as tempted to rush out and find a copy. As a pipe smoker and Tolkien fan I may still have to pick one up.
@mfresa Thanks for the review. I have a similar magazine about Sherlock Holmes that came out last year. I'd expect for it to not necessarily be an in depth look into Tolkien, but more of a broader approach, with tons of photos and art. I haven't been able to find the issue yet, but I'll pick it up as soon as I see it.
@mfresa Wanted to say thanks for the short review as I would have felt left out if there was something new, pretty much been a fan since 1974. that said if there are fans among this community who have not read Tolkien's Unfinished Tales. I highly recommend you seek out the book.
Some of the stories rival his more well known works.
@mapletop I bought that book for my dad for Christmas one year while in college. My dad has been a Tolkien fan for as long as I can remember, and thought he would enjoy it. He gave it right back to me and said to return it. He didn't even open the book, as he wasn't interested. I did as he asked, but in retrospect, I wish I had kept it, as I hadn't read the series at that point. It was annoying at the time, but now I laugh at it now that I have a better understanding of how my dad thinks.
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