Comprehensive, detailed and perfectly readable account of Tolkien’s life and work, but a somewhat flawed one, not least in the sometimes clunky syntax and frankly incorrect vocabulary. Where was the editor? People don’t decline into their “adage” and nor did Tolkien. His dotage, maybe. This sort of thing is irritating and makes the reader (well, this reader) doubt the authenticity of other passages. However, as an introduction to the life and work, it’s perfectly adequate, and I quite enjoyed it overall. But a certain amount of caution is needed with some of the author’s conclusions.

Nice read for all Tolkien fans out there.

As suggested by the title, 'The Real JRR Tolkien' provides an insightful view into the life of the man who created The Shire, Mirkwood and much more fascinating places.

This is a very interesting read for anyone who counts themselves a "fan" of JRR Tolkein.

The book covers his life very well - I had no idea of his early life story previously, and it clearly must have had an effect on him in later years.

I enjoyed this on the whole, but found it annoying that the author felt it necessary to apologise for Tolkein's attitudes, faith and beliefs, attempting to retrofit modern views and attitudes onto his life and works. This is not acceptable in my opinion - life, public opinion, attitudes, and indeed the whole way of life was different then - it cannot be rewritten, and authors should credit their readers with the common sense to realise this for themselves!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

This was the first biography I have read of one of my literary heroes, J.R.R. Tolkien. I have not read Humphrey Carpenter's more famous bio. It certainly left me with a more well-rounded view of the man as more than just the author of Lord of the Rings.

The books explore his family and early influences, devoting perhaps more time to them than his later career, although that does not prove to be a bad thing. The trauma which Tolkien experienced later in his life, and probable PTSD which developed as a result of his wartime experiences had a profound effect not just on his life, but some of his later work. I've suspected Tolkien had PTSD for a long time, it’s just the way he wrote about certain characters. This makes me feel vindicated. Although I think he may have been dyslexic too.
One takeaway from this book was that we should nether put Tolkien on a pedestal, nor vilify him for not being quite modern enough. He was, like everyone, imperfect. He could be quite the jerk at times, even to his wife and he was a bit of a snob. The author made some good points about his attitude to women, suggesting that he held saw them as models of “exalted suffering”, heroic martyrs or exalted beings who existed to lift others from grief and despair, but there never quite characters in their own right.

Not sure I entirely agree with this opinion, but it’s an interesting one. One cannot really expect an author who wrote most of his material before the 1950s to have composed something which fits modern expectations of how female characters should be written. Don’t “judge the past by modern standards” as the historian in me would say.
What I also really appreciated was that this was almost a dual biography. A lot of attention was devoted to Tolkien’s wife, Edith Pratt. She deserves it. They say behind every great man is a great woman, and Edith was no exception. A skilled musician in her own right, Edith was also a political activist in her youth, although she struggled to fit in with the male dominated society at Oxford in the couple’s later years.

It finally charts his writings and struggles to get published as well as his response to the fame which he achieved in later life through his fantasy writings. The author posits that without the circle of friends he formed at Oxford, and some fortunate contacts, Tolkien’s work might not have become nearly as well known and loved. I have read about the influence of C.S. Lewis in the publication and early reception of Tolkien’s work, and I think he was invaluable. We might not have Lord of the Rings without “Jack” Lewis.

Jesse Xander has done an excellent job writing the life story of the man affectionately known to many as “The Professor” and showing us the real human behind the beloved books. Do I still consider Tolkien as a personal hero after reading this? Yes, but he is more relatable. Like the flawed men and women of his Legendarium.

Thanks to Pen and Sword for approving my request for this title. This did not influence my review which is entirely my own opinion.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A very interesting read about the famous author. If you are a fan of his work you might enjoy this read.

This was a very interesting biography of J. R.R. Tolkien. I found it interesting how his writings were inspired by some parts of his life! I recommend this Tolkien fans!

It's funny I've never really thought of Tolkien as a real person, he always just felt like the mythical characters he wrote about. I really didn't know much about him in real life so when this book became available I went for it. I'm glad I did because this was a really well done book about the man.

An interesting read into the life of Tolkien, and how it influenced the fantasy world he created. Well-written, fast paced and very engaging.

Considering Tolkien's characters and the places and people in his life who may have influenced them.

A biography into the life of the famous writer Tolkien, starting from his parents, boyhood through to adulthood. It looks not only at the man but at his stories too and their adaptations whether that be film or video game. Included too are photographs of the author, his books and manuscript.

Well worth a read.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

It's interesting and well researched but I don't always agree with some of the author assumptions about Tolkien ideas.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Real JRR Tolkien by Jesse Xander – Biased Eisegeses of JRR Tolkien’s Work


Since I loved JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy books and movie adaptations I was excited to read a new biography The Real JRR Tolkien – The Man Who Created Middle Earth by Jesse Xander. This author’s work is new to me but I was eager to learn more about the life of JRR Tolkien.

At first, I found the details of Tolkien’s life interesting. He lived in a different day and age and in many respects, he and his brother Hilary had a hard life, in part, because they were orphaned when they were quite young. Because of family dynamics and strong beliefs, the boys were not raised by family but were handed over to others to raise. The author details a lot about their youth and JRR’s adulthood and how his experiences and the people he knew were reflected in Tolkien’s writings.

Sounds good and much of the reading was fascinating. Then I started seeing things in the book that were off. Something I’ve never seen in a biography before is an author essentially apologizing for things in the subject’s life or religion or work that they felt might cause an offense to today’s readers. Xander saw fit to read into Tolkien’s writing and assume bigotry, oppression, and criticism about his Catholic faith.

Instead of exegeting Tolkien’s work, Jesse Xander eisegeses or reads into his work and assigns motives based on today’s political and moral environment. He attributes to Tolkien prejudice, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, neglect of his wife, and an imbalance of power in their marriage.

It seems as though Xander failed to understand and appreciate JRR Tolkien in the time and era that he grew up and he lived in. He is judging him by today’s standard of “moral superiority”. In a way, Xander seems to have an appreciation for Tolkien and has a lot of knowledge about his work. In other respects, it’s like he has a love-hate relationship with Tolkien. He spends most of the book talking about Tolkien’s life and at other times tearing him down and attributing ugly motives to him.

Because of Xander’s eisegeses of Tolkien’s life and apologies for it (instead of simply telling about his life) I find suspect his interpretation because it was biased or influenced by his imposing today’s standards on this man who lived in a different day and age.

Because of the flawed way Jesse Xander wrote this biography, The Real JRR Tolkien, I would not recommend it. If he had been upfront and said he was writing a criticism of JRR Tolkien’s life that would have been more honest and upfront and given readers a more accurate way to decide if they want to read his book.

I would like to thank Pen & Sword Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of The Real JRR Tolkien. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

My review of appeared on Ricochet.com on May 16, 2021. It can be seen at https://ricochet.com/958790/a-fresh-look-at-tolkien/

While very well written I found it hard to connect with the premise of the book. This would be great for someone who is interested in this genre.

The Real JRR Tolkien by Jesse Xander is a readable account of the famous author's life and works. The reader is given fascinating insights into Tolkien as a husband, father, linguist, Oxford don, and illustrious author of epic fantasy tales.

Tolkien’s famous works such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are given extensive coverage by the author primarily to show how Tolkien’s life experiences are reflected in these epic tales. But these frequent digressions into Tolkien's imagined worlds of the hobbits and Middle Earth marred my enjoyment of the book considerably. Struggling to read these parts wore me out - even to the point of giving up - as I couldn't make any sense of them. I guess the author presupposes that the reader must have read The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings, which in truth I haven't though I've watched the movies.

I was given a review copy (ebook) by the publisher through NetGalley and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

This book delves deep into the life of Tolkien and gives us a fascinating glimpse into what shaped him into the beloved author.
The analogy between the different characters that appear in his work and his real life experiences have been presented very well and it felt like I could almost see him growing up and forming in front of me.
This was an easy, fast and engaging read and I would definitely recommend it to all who want a deeper dive into the legend's life.

The Real J.R.R. Tolkien
The Man Who Created Middle-Earth
by Jesse Xander
Pen & Sword
White Owl
Biographies & Memoirs | History | Nonfiction (Adult)
Pub Date 28 Feb 2021


I am reviewing a copy of The Real J.R.R Tolkien through Pen &Sword/White Owl and Netgalley:


The Real J.R.R Tolkien The Man Who Created Middle Earth is a comprehensive biography of the linguist and writer that takes the reader from J.R.R Tolkien’s formative years of Homeschooling through the spires of Oxford, as well as the romance with his wife to be along with life on brink of war, and onwards into his phenomenal academic success and his creation of the seminal high fantasy world of Middle Earth.




This biography delves into the influences of J.R.R Tolkien, from the places he visited as well as lived friendships, triumphs and tragedies, with particular emphasis on how his remarkable life and loves forged the worlds of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.


The Real J.R.R Tolkien uses contemporary sources and comprehensive research, to offer a unique insight into the life and times of one of Britain's greatest authors, from cradle to grave to legacy.



I give The Real J.R.R Tolkien five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Wow! What a wonderful glimpse into the life of J.R.R Tolkien. The author has done a fabulous job of opening the door to Tolkein and bringing to life his past. It was an intriguing story and I'm glad to know more about the man behind so many favourite books.

This is an easily read and well informed look at the life of a literary titan. Jesse Xander, the youthful author looks closely at the man himself, following him from the early years of poverty after the death of his father, through schooldays and university, two world wars, and eventually literary fame. Jesse explores the close friends, the tragedies, and the influences that helped inspire his genius, and clearly has a very intimate knowledge of all Tolkien's writing. This is a labour of love, but also an essential text, for anyone who wants to learn the origins of Middle-Earth.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time ever reading a J.R.R. Tolkien biography other than the small factual information I have read online. The author Jesse Xander gives an insightful journey about Tolkien's life, career, and texts. As a Tolkien fan, this was a such a joyful read to discover where his inspirations came from. I had some sort of idea before reading since we had talked about in my Medieval classes as his usage of laments in Lord of the Rings.

Xander gives a detailed account of Tolkien's childhood at the start of the book and how his family lived to start Tolkien's journey. It continues with his adolescence and his career as a Professor of Anglo-Saxon. I adored how his characters were discussed in the book and that his life inspired most of the LotR characters and events such as his years at war. Tolkien's most important influence in literature is the way he used Anglo-Saxon characteristics in his texts to indirectly mirror the troubles he faced in real life.