An exploration of the myths that J. R. R. Tolkien created around himself, examining the social and political worlds that surrounded the creator of Middle-Earth.
Very likable ... It’s one thing for a biographer to override his subject’s objections, another to deny him any authority as a reader of his own work. Tolkien, Taylor claims, 'is the worst person in the world to tell us what his books are about.' This needs some pulling back ... This isn’t the only occasion when a valid argument is undermined by overstatement.
If there were to be a new biography of Tolkien, DJ Taylor would be an excellent candidate to write it. An award-winning biographer of George Orwell, he also has impeccable nerd credentials ... reed from the obligations of biography, Taylor offers instead a wittier, shorter and more irreverent book that traces Tolkien’s life, while grappling with the mysteries and contradictions of his personality and his achievements ... Thorough, insightful and deeply researched, The King Under The Mountain manages to smile at Tolkien’s quirks and absurdities while paying tribute to his mysterious and undoubted gift.
