Twenty-First Century Tolkien

“We should treat adaptations of Tolkien in the same way that we would of a production of a Shakespeare play[...] all of these adaptations are simply ‘versions,'” has been a near constant refrain of mine for years!

A good read regarding Tolkien's writings, his process and his continued influence on our culture in a post-pandemic world. Nick Groom covers Tolkien's life as well as adaptations of his works both contemporary to him and those that are more modern, exploring music, radio and film. A generous section is devoted to Peter Jackson's movies, though a walkthrough of the infamous 1970 John Boorman script is also provided which is very entertaining. Nothing is given to stage productions, though the 1980s BBC radio play is discussed which is a favourite of mine. I would love for more interest in video game adaptations, as I believe The Lord of the Rings Online is ridiculously underrated. Groom remains very much aware of the fact he cannot talk about everything, however, and what he does choose to delve into is well researched and well presented (though, again, perhaps the Jackson sections are overlong).

Overall this is a worthwhile read!