This is a detailed and meticulously researched look at the life of J.R.R. Tolkien, from his difficult childhood to his marriage, children, and Oxford career. Every facet of Tolkien's life is compared to his writings and how different characters mirror his life experiences.

I enjoyed the description of Tolkien's friendship with C.S. Lewis. I had known they were friends, but did not know that Tolkien was instrumental in Lewis's conversion to Christianity. I was also fascinated by the descriptions of Tolkien's relationship with his wife, Edith.

My only criticism would be that the author attempted towards the end of the book to apply 21st century politics to analysis of Tolkien's works and even Tolkien himself, and I disagreed with the results of that attempt. I dislike any attempt to analyze early to mid 20th century novels and novelists politically and make assumptions using 21st Century perceptions.

I received a advance copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

I received this and as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for giving me access.

While I really wanted to enjoy this biography, I actually had to put it down and DNF it. And that is saying something because I RARELY DNF a book, let alone one that is about Tolkien! If I wanted to read a great high school/simple college English essay, this would be it. It, actually it perfect for something like that....But because it reads as such, there is just something missing to the pages of this novel.

Does the world need yet another Tolkien biography?

There is already the excellent and ancient 1977 “J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography”, and the newer 2012 “J. R. R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend” by Colin Duriez. Other biographies focus on special topics, like two excellent books by John Garth: “Tolkien at Exeter College” from 2014, and the better known “Tolkien and the Great War” from 2002. Adding to that a huge number of articles in publications by several Tolkien societies and in the academia (just search at researchgate).

Enter the author, Jesse Xander, an unknown face in the area of Tolkien research, obviously a huge fan of Tolkien’s work, and a studied biological anthropologist. A first-time biographer who wants to add valuable insights from the point of view of an anthropologist. Like taking a fresh, new look at gender and racism topics and class it to the context of British first half of the 20th century.

That seems to be Xander’s mission. He brought forward his view by interpreting the females in the work mostly derived from Tolkien’s mother and his wife. Adding to that the implicit racism with Dwarves taking the roles of Jews in Middle-Earth. Both topics are highly disputable, and the author failed by providing only one view to the discussion, just like an essay would do.

Here is the most important error with this book: it is just too short and shies away everywhere where it could provide valid insights, because the author is just too lazy to bring own material or dig deeper than just scratching on the surface. Nearly all of his citations are based on Carpenter’s and Duriez’s former biographies plus the Tolkien Letters. I can’t see where he added additional, new contributions to the field.

Rewriting and shortening two existing biographies could be fun, but the author failed utterly in that regard. The outcome is a dry course through Tolkien’s life, failing to link to his works at essential milestones. Can you rely on a Tolkien biography which mentions The Inklings only once?

If Carpenter’s biography is too old, Duriez’s 230 pages still too long, and you see this very short and totally new book in the shelves, then do yourself a favor and just read through the wikipedia entry. Because the world needs a new view on the famous author, but not this one.
1.5 stars, rounded up.

‘Over the twelve years Tolkien dedicated to writing The Lord of the Rings, so many influences came and went, and although revisions were made, the whole remained largely intact.’

Being a huge fan of Tolkien’s work, I had never really delved into much about the man himself. For a short book, it sure packed a punch in terms of detail and research. It was so enlightening to learn about the man who created such iconic works as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

‘There is much about The Lord of the Rings which speaks to the truly gargantuan task Tolkien imposed on himself in discovering this part of his world’s history. Not only the sweeping explorations of danger, grief and hope, but also in the minutiae. At one point he did a series of rewrites to make sure he had accurately charted the phases of the moon for the whole journey.’

This book covers from his birth until his death with some of the key influences in his life and ultimately his writing. The author is obviously a fan of Tolkien and that was evident through the passionate prose. At times, however, it read more like an academic essay as opposed to a biography and this made some sections rather heavy going. Still, I learnt a great deal about his life and I acknowledge the author’s unbiased approach in delivering details that would appear unseemly eg. Tolkien’s probable racist views.

‘Tolkien not only wrote imperfect characters, but he wrote from their imperfect perspective, reflecting the complexities of both our world and theirs.’

If you are a fan of Middle Earth and wish to learn more about the man behind the words, then you cannot go past Jesse Xander’s book. It is sure to provide fresh insights into the places, people and events that shaped the man that made the legend.

‘Middle-Earth … what a spectacular legacy to leave. Not just a book, or a series of books, but a whole world, which has delighted people in the decades.’

Thank you, Jesse Xander, NetGalley, and White Owl Publishers for the opportunity to read this book!

I am getting ready to tackle the Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien so I figured I would read a few biographies of Tolkien to get into the head of the man who created Middle-Earth. I finished Humphrey Carpenter’s biography last week. This week I read The Real JRR Tolkien: The Man Who Created Middle-Earth by Jesse Xander. This book begins with Tolkien’s parents, Tolkien’s beginnings and history, all the way to his death. Xander goes through every major moment of Tolkien’s life and compares it to moments of Tolkien’s works. It has always been a wonder how one man created a world, multiple races with their own languages. He gathers information on his scholarly work and those he loved the most throughout his life to try to understand this fascinating man.

“I desired dragons with a profound desire…”

JRR TOLKIEN
There is no doubt that Xander did so much research. The book is merely 136 pages but tries to dissect Tolkien’s entire life. Unfortunately, this is not enough time. There could be volumes of Tolkien’s life and it would barely scratch the surface. I love how he utilizes his letters and journals to really get to know Tolkien. I find reading Tolkien’s letters a comfort. It gives a realistic portrait of Tolkien. However, Xander’s portrait feels unrealistic. Yes, he has the facts and quotes. But every single fact is compared to Tolkien’s works. He is consumed with trying to find parallels with every moment in Tolkien’s life. While a few examples were fascinating. It did slow the pace of the biography down. When I read Humphrey Carpenter’s biography, I was glued to each page. But Carpenter had also had the opportunity to get to know Tolkien and his biography was authorized by the Tolkien Estate.

Another issue I had is the title of this biography. It is presumptuous to say the “real” Tolkien–especially when the book does not offer anything new that hasn’t already been written in another biography or online. I do really love his passion for Tolkien and his works, I can definitely relate! But…it is just the same information. While I love the topic, the book fell a little short for me. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic biography! I knew a little of Tolkien prior- Lord of the Rings, Oxford, etc. However, this compact but thorough biography looks at Tolkien's entire life. I appreciated that it didn't gloss over the darker moments/periods in his life, as many shorter biographies tend to do. There is more of an academic tone to this book, but as someone who prefers an academic tone, it was perfect for me!

An incredibly well researched, well-written and well-balanced biography!
Highly recommended for all who love Tolkien's books - one totally sees how it was all but inevitable for him to create a whole world and languages in the books!

This made me extremely happy to read. I really enjoyed Jesse Xander’s unfiltered take on Tolkien and their ability to be unbiased when it came to discussing Tolkien’s more problematic views. I really enjoyed the writing style and the “plot” or the way the story of Tolkien’s life was pieced together. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC copy*

If you read a really good biography, you realise how little you knew about the person concerned. "The Real J.R.R. Tolkien" by Jesse Xander packs in a whole heap of information that was new to me - a surprising amount considering the length of the book. Part story, part essay, this is a fascinating and really easy to read. I'll be reading Tolkien's work with a new perspective in the future.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

I was incredibly excited to read this as I am a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and it certainly did not disappoint. There was so much information packed into this relatively short book. At times the pacing was a little slow and the overall tone of the book was rather academic. Xander does a great job at presenting Tolkien’s life and inspiration for his works. I loved the photos at the end, but I think they would have been better if they had been placed throughout the book rather than hidden at the end.

Reading author biographies is one of the things I like to do and especially if they are about an author I like. That is the case with this book. Jesse Xander has done an incredible research about J.R.R. Tolkien and that shows in his writing.
I learned many things about Tolkien regarding his family and career that shaped him and his work. I liked that the author didn't show us only the good things in Tolkien's life but also the darker part of it. That way we learned more about his personality and his relationship with his wife and his friends.

Highly recommend it to any Tolkien and Middle - Earth fan.

Fantastic biography of J.R.R. Tolkien that did not shy away from the darker side of Tolkien's personality. This short read is recommended for any Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit fan who wants to know more about Middle Earth's creator.

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

The Real J.R.R. Tolkien is a must read for every Tolkien fan. It's very detailed and it goes from his youth to his adulthood. We know more about Tolkien's character and personality, we can see his relationship with Edith, and with other writers and academics. This biography will give you a new insight into his incredible life.

Author Jesse Xander wrote an interesting biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. Those moments when he likens Tolkien’s life to his books aren’t on the surface level or obvious - they’re in depth but easy to understand, so I love that.

I appreciate how Xander doesn’t shy away from difficult topics of machismo, racism and prejudice. Xander makes a point of saying that biographies can often gloss over the faults of a person, but this one will not, in the interest of showing the subject as a whole.

This is why I was thrown off by the appendix at the end of the book. So as not to give spoilers here, per Netgalley's tips. I won't discuss the content of the appendix in specifics. I will say that it discusses trauma.

I’m confused as to why the book ended on that note. I wonder why it wasn’t incorporated into the main text of the book, like the commentary on prejudice was.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, with the exception of the placement of the content in the appendix. I appreciate the way the author shares analysis on Tolkien’s childhood and experiences, and how that may have filtered into his character creation and writing. Even when the topics may not have painted Tolkien in a favorable light, Xander treated the topic and the people in a respectful way.

I would recommend this book to Tolkien fans. I would mention the appendix beforehand, so it’s addition at the end is not a shock.

Four stars. The list of books and articles used to research the book is a nice bonus, for anyone who wants to read more on Tolkien and the research done for the book.

Thank you, Netgalley.

I am a huge fan of both The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy so The Real J.R.R. Tolkien was right up my alley. I really enjoyed the biography, it is truly a great in-depth look at J.R.R. Tolkien’s life. It was a bit slow at times, but I find that is true with many biographies. I found this to be a wonderful read and would recommend it to any Tolkien fans.

Fascinating man. I never grow tired of reading his works and have been enthralled with his life and career for decades. His world building is genius, as was his master of linguistics. This is a wonderful and concise biography that I believe his fans will enjoy. Well researched and well written, it is a joy to read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Who does not want to know who was behind the most popular books/movies of fantasy? J.R.R. Tolkien was the man who made a lot of kids, teenagers and adults dream about living in a Hobbit hole, fight the orcs, fell in love with the beauty of the elves or just follow Gandalf for any adventures he might suggest. I'm one of those people who watch the trilogy every year, who follows geeks who talk about Middle earth on Youtube, who speaks and make jokes using the movies' dialogues "You shall not pass!". I have watched most of the documentaries made about the life of Tolkien and his works, even with his son Christopher speaking about his father and so on. Also, I've started Carpenter's biography but not finished it yet. I've just bought Beren and Luthien book that I'm eager to read. I just love Tolkien's works either in fantasy or in philology because he IS a great linguist. He created the greatest escapism world for us, a world of magic, friendship, courage and evil. He had the best recipe and the result was phenomenal.

When I've found this book on Netgalley, you can't imagine my joy. I loved it and unlike Carpenter's bio, this book was short but so full of details that are what I really want to know about my favorite author. I loved that the author through his writing got back to the books and showed us how this event or that event in Tolkien's life was used in his books, that made it more interesting and less dull.

After reading this book, I feel that I know more about Tolkien's character and personality. His relation with his wife Edith, the loss of so many people in his life, people that he loved and were taken from him made him who he was as a writer. Also the author did a wonderful job when he underlined how women are portrayed in Tolkien's books in their presence or absence. Also, his pointing out Tolkien's neglect or lack of interest in other or different ethnie might made him look as a racist.
But what shocked me was the last note that I had no idea about! It wasn't pleasant to read such a thing at the end of a book that you are happy and enjoying while finishing it, then you read something like that. Big Nope!

All in all, I enjoyed this book and I like it. I loved the author's writing style and I thank him for this great job.

This autobiographical account of Tolkien's life packs a lot in even though its not a long book but it is detailed and keeps the reader informed and interested throughout and adds greatly to the books already written by Tolkien

The Real J. R. R. Tolkien: The Man Who Created Middle Earth by Jesse Xander is a comprehensive biography, offering unique insight into Tolkien’s life and legacy. While this book was obviously very well-researched and Xander’s love for Tolkien’s work is quite obvious, I’m sad to say I didn’t love this book.

I’m just going to be honest: it bored me. It isn’t so much the contents of the book as much as it is the writing style. The book itself is relatively short - 136 pages - but it doesn’t skimp on detail and the pacing is a bit slow. To pack so much information into so few pages made it almost taxing to read, and I found myself skimming early on so I could just get to the point. Many chapters were structured in similar or the exact same ways -- especially the beginning chapters -- and most of the time it felt as though I was reading an essay rather than the life story of one of the most interesting and influential writers of the 20th century.

Skimming aside, one thing I really did enjoy was the comparison between Tolkien’s fictional world and his reality and how the latter might have influenced the former, particularly in his formative years. While most biographies tend to talk more about Tolkien himself and merely gloss over his work, this book weaves the two together and it really is quite interesting.

While this biography didn’t really tell me much about Tolkien or his life that I didn’t already know, I would recommend it for those who are new to his work and are interested in learning more about the man who made modern fantasy what it is today.

Thank you to White Owl and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for review! This book releases on April 28, 2021.

When we were in Oxford a few years back, I made it a point to visit the pub where JRR Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to hang out. I am more familiar with the life of CS Lewis and so thought it was high time I know a bit more about Tolkien with this book.

You know how sometimes a biography can become a bore and a chore to read because the narrative just doesn't flow well and there's nothing but quotes. Well, I was so happy to discover that Jesse Xander is a good biography writer. I enjoyed reading about Tolkien's life from birth to death.

What I did not particularly enjoy was the frequent linking of details in his life to his famous books. Fans of his books will no doubt love reading about that though.

So, overall, I would recommend this title for fans of Tolkien's books.