Name: The Art of the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
ISBN: 9780544636347

J.R.R. Tolkien

Tolkien's complete artwork for "The Lord of the Rings," presented for the first time in celebration of its 60th anniversary, includes more than 180 sketches, drawings, paintings, maps, and plans, more than half of which have not been previously published.

The Art of the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Had this on my radar for a while and managed to grab one on a nice sale. The hardcover size is typically for art books, and I thought the quality was good.

Can I start by just saying 5*, 10 out of 10, 100% just based off the Tolkien art alone? To be such a visionary, such a creative mind, and to also be an artist is just so crazy to me.  Now a lot of these are pencil sketches, and some are even a stretch to call them that, but there are also full color drawings and designs that were eventually used in the books. Even saying that, it’s crazy just to see how his mind was at work creating and then editing these descriptions with actual drawing.

The book itself is organized pretty well. The only mix up is there are several parts where the writing goes on long past mentioning the referenced art, sometimes multiple references. So you’re either flipping back and forth over and over or not sure what they’re talking about. With that being said, I’ve had the same problem with some other art books, and I can’t really think of a fix, unless you really segment the writing to input the art.

A particular favorite of mine was seeing all the iterations of the cover artworks Tolkien worked on and submitted. It feels like a different world where the author has so much control in their own process. They must have really trusted him, and clearly it worked! It’s also nice to see that someone regarded as great by so many people also didn’t always know the answer. He worked and worked and sometimes it seems he even fumbled his way there, and Middle-earth fans are luckier for it.

C. J. Daley 

Had this on my radar for a while and managed to grab one on a nice sale. The hardcover size is typically for art books, and I thought the quality was good.

Can I start by just saying 5*, 10 out of 10, 100% just based off the Tolkien art alone? To be such a visionary, such a creative mind, and to also be an artist is just so crazy to me.  Now a lot of these are pencil sketches, and some are even a stretch to call them that, but there are also full color drawings and designs that were eventually used in the books. Even saying that, it’s crazy just to see how his mind was at work creating and then editing these descriptions with actual drawing.

The book itself is organized pretty well. The only mix up is there are several parts where the writing goes on long past mentioning the referenced art, sometimes multiple references. So you’re either flipping back and forth over and over or not sure what they’re talking about. With that being said, I’ve had the same problem with some other art books, and I can’t really think of a fix, unless you really segment the writing to input the art.

A particular favorite of mine was seeing all the iterations of the cover artworks Tolkien worked on and submitted. It feels like a different world where the author has so much control in their own process. They must have really trusted him, and clearly it worked! It’s also nice to see that someone regarded as great by so many people also didn’t always know the answer. He worked and worked and sometimes it seems he even fumbled his way there, and Middle-earth fans are luckier for it.

Robert Mack

This is perhaps the most beautiful book looking at Tolkien’s artwork I’ve ever seen. Everything was presented in a very visually captivating way and to anyone who likes Tolkien and his artwork I would 100% recommend it!

Jeni Enjaian

I. Absolutely. Loved. This. Book.
First, I am obsessed with anything Lord of the Rings related. It is hands-down, no questions asked, my favorite book ever. 
Second, in all that I have read about both Tolkein and all things Middle-earth related, I have not been able to figure out why I love this mythology so much. Then I picked up this book. Reading about the effort that Tolkein put into his book helped me understand how it is so much more than a book; it is a work of history, only slightly fictionalized.
Third, this book helped me understand why I reacted so viscerally to many of Peter Jackson's "artistic liberties" with both Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. (Especially the Hobbit, my loathing of Peter Jackson's manipulation of Middle Earth to fit his whims reached new heights with the second and third installments.) Tolkein invested his heart and - if possible - his soul into creating this magnificent mythology. He put all the work into finding The Story. I liken it to a miner finding a vein of gold. Tolkein found and traced out the entire vein. Jackson plunged willy nilly into the tunnel causing the whole thing to implode.
In case my opening sentence was not quite emphatic enough, I LOVED THIS BOOK!

The Art of the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

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