One of the most important roots of modern fantasy literature is folklore, especially folk narrative. That alone would make fantasy literature of interest to folklorists, but equally intriguing are the constructed mythologies of the fantasists; using traditional materials, these writers engage in elaborate world-building, or, as J. R. R. Tolkien called it, sub-creation. Tolkien’s own works are some of the most elaborate examples of the fantasist’s skill at creating new worlds, complete with their own folklore and mythology. A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien offers an introduction and guide to Tolkien and his sources.

The book has five parts. Part I, “Life,” consists of s single biographical essay by John Garth describing Tolkien’s life. Part II, “The Academic,” has three essays on Tolkien’s academic work; in the first, Thomas Honnegger offers a survey of Tolkien’s academic writings; in the second, Tom Shippey looks at Tolkien as an editor of medieval texts; and in the final essay Stuart Lee looks at Tolkien’s relationships to manuscripts in his academic life and his fiction (manuscripts and maps have important roles in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings), and then the manuscripts of Tolkien’s own works.

Part III examines the various parts of Tolkien’s Legendarium (as Tolkien scholars call it). The section starts with two general essays, Carl Phelpstead’s “Mythmaking and Sub-creation” and Leslie A. Donovan’s “Middle Earth Mythology.” These general surveys are followed by chapters devoted to specific works in the Legendarium—for example, The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings—as well as to Tolkien’s non-Legendarium poetry and fiction. Part III concludes with a survey of Tolkien’s invented languages.

Part IV, “Context,” looks at the sources of, and influences on, Tolkien’s fiction. The chapters in this part cover Old English, Middle English, Old Norse, Finnish, and Celtic influences, as well as the modern works and authors that influenced Tolkien, such as Lord Dunsany and William Morris. The last three chapters in the fourth part then examine Tolkien’s contemporaries, including the Inklings; Tolkien’s influence on later fantasy writers; and the difficulty of contextualizing Tolkien—is he a “modern” writer or not?

Part V, “Critical Approaches,” is a series of chapters on specific topics in Tolkien’s work, such as The Hero’s Journey, Evil, and Women.

A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien is a good book, with essays that are generally of a high quality, though there is some unevenness. Some essays, like Tom Shippey’s on Tolkien as an editor, are excellent, while others have problems of both presentation and fact. The essays occasionally seem to be trying to do too much in too small a space, and thus seem superficial and likely confusing to a beginner in Tolkien studies. And at times there are errors of fact: for example, Anna Caughey comments in her essay that “the concept of the Hero’s Journey” was identified by Joseph Campbell. But, while Campbell’s Jungian-influenced interpretation of hero’s journey has been influential in the late-twentieth-century, he did not invent or identify the concept. Caughey’s mistake is, in fact, a good example of the lack of familiarity with folklore scholarship that is too often seen in these essays. Indeed, given Tolkien’s interest in folktales, it is surprising that there is no essay in the book dedicated to folklore or folktales.

The end result is a book that, both as a Tolkien scholar and folklorist, I would be cautious in recommending to complete beginners in Tolkien studies, but it will prove to be a very useful book for those already involved with the study of J. R. R. Tolkien’s fictions and invented mythologies.

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[Review length: 601 words • Review posted on January 28, 2015]