Twenty-First-Century Tolkien

Fascinating.... Wonderfully exhilarating.Mail on Sunday


Finalist for The Tolkien Society Best Book Award

An engaging, original and radical reassessment of J.R.R. Tolkien, revealing how his visionary creation of Middle-Earth is more relevant now than ever before.


What is it about Middle-Earth and its inhabitants that has captured the imagination of millions of people around the world? And why does Tolkiens visionary creation continue to fascinate and inspire us eighty-five years on from its first appearance?

Beginning with Tolkiens earliest influences and drawing on key moments from his life, Twenty-First-Century Tolkien is an engaging and radical reinterpretation of the beloved authors work. Not only does it trace the genesis of the original books, it also explores the later adaptations and reworkings that cemented his reputation as a cultural phenomenon, including Peter Jacksons blockbuster films of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and the highly anticipated TV series The Rings of Power.

Delving deep into topics such as friendship, failure, the environment, diversity, and Tolkiens place in a post-Covid age, Nick Groom takes us on an unexpected journey through Tolkiens world, revealing how it is more relevant now than ever before.