October 14, 2015
Charting Middle Earth
I just picked up a copy of The Art of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien after reading about it in Wired, and I can honestly say, this is the kind of book that I couldn't love more. Many of these maps and illustrations were never published before. Included is the first comprehensive map of Middle Earth.
As a map enthusiast and LOTR fan, its very interesting to look through the hand drawn maps and illustrations Tolkien created as guides as he wrote the trilogy. You get a glimpse of what Tolkein was thinking when he plotted the course of Frodo and Sam, and Aragorn Legolas and Gimli.
When you consider that many of these maps, though beautiful, were drawn on graph paper, you can appreciate that their purpose was the guide the author as he imagined the world of LOTR. The drawings provide a unique insight into Tolkein's creative process.
