“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Friday’s news of the passing of Sir Ian Holm saddened me. My first steps in Middle-earth were courtesy of the Peter Jackson film adaptations. I had not ventured forth with Bilbo or Frodo prior to seeing The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001. It was an experience that has greatly enriched my life.
Today’s Bookshelf Traveling in Insane Times post is in honor of the passing of my Bilbo Baggins. I will never read The Lord of the Rings without seeing and hearing Sir Ian Holm. (Per usual, all pictures can be clicked on for a larger version)
I will wait until the end to show you the *full bookshelf, built by my father for our library. This first image is the upper shelf, going left to right. The films made a tremendous impact on me, first in their theatrical versions and then further in the Extended Editions with their hours upon hours of wonderful behind-the-scenes features and documentaries about J.R.R. Tolkien and the film-making process. I turn to these film appendices often for inspiration as they feature such passion and dedication and team work. In them you see the truth that “even the smallest person can change the course of the future”.
I’ve collected several film-related items over the years, these are three of the mini-shields representing the elves, the people of Rohan, and Gondor. Behind are my DVD and Blu-ray extended editions of the LOTR and Hobbit films and a really nice Minis Tirith statue that came with the Return of the King DVD boxed set. In front is a letter opener modeled after Arwen’s sword, Hadhafang.
Over the years I have bought a few, and been gifted many, of the 1:4 scale helms created by Weta Workshop. They are such high quality collectibles and I wish I had started on them right when they came out as some that I am missing are extremely expensive online, if they can even be found.
For many years these have been made out of metal, and have a great weight and heft to them. The two helms in the middle of this image are newer releases and they have been making them out of something they call “polystone” which in truth simply feels like a lightweight plastic. The detail on them is beautiful and I can see why they might have changed for that reason, but the first time one of these arrived at my house I was extremely disappointed, especially as they were priced at the same price point of the more substantial pieces. By contrast, the Crown of the King of the Dead helm, pictured on the right, is extremely detailed and is made of metal.
This is the final grouping of these helms. I designed the height of this shelf specifically for these, long before I had so many. As I collect more I will have to rethink my placement.
Beginning on the shelf below, not quite all the way to the left, are my Tolkien books and The Lord of the Rings film-related books. The J.R.R. Tolkien biography, thin white spine, just to the left of Peter Jackson & The Making of Middle-earth was a Father’s Day gift from Tori and Grant this past Sunday. It is a 1976 edition by Daniel Grotta.
Brian Sibley’s Peter Jackson: A Film-maker’s Journey is an excellent book. Brian Sibley and Tom Shippey, whose books you can also see in this picture, are fantastic in the documentaries on the extended edition disks and I love learning about Tolkien from them. The Letters from Father Christmas is so sweet and fun and clever and wonderful. I have two copies because Tori and Grant ordered a copy for me that was delayed in shipping, so they tracked down another copy and gave me the first also when it arrived.
I’ve been wanting to re-read Defending Middle-earth again. Very good.
Over the years I’ve been slowly making my way through The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. I’m up to the point just past the loooong-awaited publishing of The Lord of the Rings. Seeing history, particularly the war, through Tolkien’s eyes in his letters to his family, is quite sobering.
I had a conversation with my friend Jeff Smith about all the Tolkien books his son Christopher had edited and released and I thought there were several that I hadn’t purchased or been gifted. Taking these pictures I discovered just how wrong I was. I didn’t remember I had copies of Beowulf and of The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun. I’ve read the Shippey books, and the Michael White biography. I have yet to read Unfinished Tales or the History of Middle-earth books. I knew I wanted to have the boxed set in my collection, though. There are certain book titles that just excite me because they are, to my mind, just GOOD titles. The Treason of Isengard is one such title. Love it. I just recently bought the hardcover version of The Hobbit with J.R.R. Tolkien’s artwork.
The five books starting from left in this picture, beginning with the copy of The Hobbit with the orange spine, are the volumes where I first walked into Middle-earth in print form and fell deeply in love with the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. I purchased these four books as a boxed set and read The Hobbit just before going to see The Fellowship of the Ring for the first time as I wanted to clearly know just who Bilbo Baggins was and how he obtained the One Ring. I held off reading the rest of the books until the films were released, and then I began, oddly enough, with The Two Towers, read The Return of the King, and then in 2006 read The Silmarillion, which I want to re-read as it made such a big impression on me. I didn’t actually read The Fellowship of the Ring cover to cover until years later when I hosted a group read of all three volumes.
The Children of Hurin was the first book in many years that Christopher Tolkien edited and it began a great legacy for Christopher as interest was renewed in his father’s work and many more books were subsequently released. The Children of Hurin was so well edited, and such a devastating, but engrossing, story.
*And now here is an edited version of the full bookshelf. Can’t go spoiling you for the traveling that will cover the bottom-most shelf at a later date!
I apologize for the quality of this photo. Our library is a sun room surrounded by windows that have shades that block us from view but let the light in quite effectively. This was in the morning with the sun on the other side of the house and I still could not get a picture without the light affecting the upper portion of the shot.
This is by far just a portion of The Lord of the Rings books I own. I am limited due to shelf height to have them all together. I have the much larger illustrated boxed set with Alan Lee’s art. Art books by both John Howe and Alan Lee featuring their years of illustrating Tolkien. I have making-of editions for some of the films, a tour guide through New Zealand and the locations chosen to film The Lord of the Rings. I have a couple of nice journals in addition to the one pictured in the opening image of this post.
The works of J.R.R. Tolkien, the film adaptations of his work, the book about him and his stories and about the films, are all inextricably linked to this very blog, started just a few years after the release of The Return of the King in theaters. More than any other single subject, posts related to Tolkien, his work, and adaptations are all over this blog.
I am forever grateful to Peter Jackson and company for making the films which thrilled me as an adult the way that Star Wars did as a child and which prompted me to so many wonderful subsequent reading experiences. These works have also introduced me to some wonderful online friends and have led to so many great conversations online and in person over the years.
Sir Ian Holm lived a long life, and he made many great films. But for me he will forever be remembered as Bilbo Baggins, and those memories are all very good.
“I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
That bookshelf and the way you have everything displayed is really, quite nice. I’ve not read any of these books! My book club decades ago selected The Hobbit but for whatever reason, none of us finished it which was odd for that particular group. I have yet to pick any of the books up again but I am encouraged to do so after your post.
Thank you!
I can understand why people struggle with the books. I found the first couple of chapters of Fellowship difficult to get engaged with the first time I tried it, but then when I went back to it years later I was hooked from the very first page. Tolkien had a very distinct writing style and he certainly told stories in a different narrative form than we are used to today. Instead of alternating back and forth with story lines he would often stay with one set of characters all through a big story arc, then go back to another set and follow them up to that point. And The Hobbit is very different tonally than The Lord of the Rings as the later was written for an adult audience, or maybe more accurately for his children at the age they were when he wrote it, vs. The Hobbit, which was written for children, when his kids were young.
That is an awesome collection Carl! and I love the helms, they all look great in the photos although I can understand the disappointment at not having the weight of metal to the newer ones. Sometimes the feel of a thing can be so important.
Yes, it is about having the expectation based on years of them being made in one way and then the suddenness of having that change when they decided to fire up the collectible line again. If they had been less expensive than the prevous ones, I would still have been disappointed, but not quite as much. 🙂
That is a lovely bookcase that your father made for you and a great collection of Tolkien books. I have only read a couple of the books, which I read to my son decades ago. I should try something he has written again. I used to be bothered by long books, but now I am finding them more acceptable. We did watch all of the films (and still have copies) so I can understand why you like them so much.
I’ve read Fellowship out loud to my wife. I need to read the rest of them to her. We watched part of Fellowship, extended edition, on Friday evening as our way of paying homage. I imagine that will kick off watching them all again here soon.
What a great collection, or should I say obsession? Jack bought me The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings as an engagement present, you would think the ring would have been enough. Anyway I read The Hobbit but never did get around to the others and haven’t seen the films. I loved Sir Ian Holm, he had a great career and in some ways we’re lucky that he suffered from stage fright for so many years.
I can see “obsession” being an accurate term, at least as far as collecting goes. 🙂
I’m wanting to re-watch The Emperor’s New Clothes, one of my favorite Ian Holm films. It has been too long since I’ve seen it.
I like the idea of giving Tolkien’s books with an engagement or wedding present…the whole “ring” theme.
Oh, Carl, this is such a wonderful compendium, such a wonderful visit to the world of Tolkien! My younger brother is such a Tolkien fan that I’m forwarding the link to him straightaway.
And I’m so admiring of the quality of the books on your shelves–they’re so beautiful! When I’m collecting an author’s work or on a subject very special, I, too, go for the nicest, cleanest books I can find. WOW! I’m taking note for myself as well. And will publish this link on my blog right away.
And may I say, your photos are so crisp and clean of your shelves. And well-lit as well. Do you have a tip to offer as to how to do that? I have failed miserably at this.
The only tip I had for these photos as using an iPhone 11, which has a nice camera function. And it isn’t something I would have right now had my old iPhone decided to die on my unceremoniously. For the smaller versions of each picture I did open them up in the free online Photopea site and adjust the Brightness/Contrast to make them a little bit more how I wanted them to look. I didn’t do that with the larger versions that open when you click on the featured images. Photopea is great…especially because it is free. I highly recommend it.
thank you for the compliments. I’m certain I share a kinship with your brother. I didn’t expect when I went to see that first film with friends that I would become so enamored of works by and about Tolkien. I’m glad I have as there is much to admire and be inspired by.
I’m so glad I found this meme you are hosting (I found it via Richard Robinson) as I’ve really enjoyed participating and seeing what others are posting.
This post got me thinking about how I and other people respond to movies and to TV after they’ve read the text, and vice versa. The ones that stand out to me are Red October, The Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice & Fire, and Stories of Your Life / Arrival. Adaptations of Philip K. Dick stories are almost always very loose (I’m looking forward to reading The Man in the High Castle). So was Annihilation.
It is always a different experience, film vs. book. I remember reading the book Blood and Chocolate after seeing the film and I hated the book, largely because the message of each was so different. I don’t think the film makers did the book a good service in that way, and yet I also wouldn’t want to see a film version of the book as written. I’ve enjoyed many of the PKD adaptations, but they certainly vary greatly from the stories…at least the ones I’ve read. I haven’t seen Man in the High Castle yet, nor read it.
Given the depth and breadth of Tolkien’s work, I’m really glad I saw the three LOTR films first and was able to fully engage with them without comparing them to the books. I’ve been able to go and read, and re-read, the books many times over and I don’t feel myself comparing them in any way and thinking that I like the film version better…I think largely because Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens made such an effort to stay true to Tolkien’s vision and words, even when making changes that needed to happen to make a more coherent film story.
I’ve read some Chiang, but cannot remember if I’ve read Stories of Your Life. I need to. I really enjoy Arrival. And I’ve actually been avoiding the film version of Annihilation as I liked the book so much and the trailer alone made me feel like it wasn’t reflecting the book I read.
Wow I like your collections. Now why are they “helms” — are they little helmets? You seem a great aficionado of all things Tolkien. My brother in my youth was much like you … I’m sure he memorized them. I read The Hobbit but did not go on to read the Rings. I will have to sometime. Very imaginative with wonderful characters. I’m sorry to hear about Ian Holm’s passing …. he was in some good films … I think he was even in Aliens right? Though I’m sure he’ll always be missed as Bilbo Baggins.
I assume that is what the “helm” term means, yes. Ian Holm was in Alien, the first one, and I believe that is where he really got on people’s radar, and was in many amazing films after that. I just found out yesterday he was in a series about the life of author J.M. Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan, called The Lost Boys that I want to track down as it is reportedly a fairly accurate representation of Barrie.
I would consider myself a very amateur Tolkien fan, to be honest. I’ve certainly read more than a casual fan, but I wouldn’t want to play anyone in a LOTR Trivial Pursuit game…I’m sure I’d get crushed! LOL.
Oh, Carl. That is a remarkable collection of books and helms! I’m embarrassed to admit that I have only read The Hobbit, but I have watched the entire series and while I loved each and every movie, it was the behind-the-scenes features and documentaries that truly won my heart. I think Peter Jackson (and Weta) is brilliant. Such a shame about Ian Holm. Time to watch re-watch the series and maybe pull the books off my husband’s shelf.
Take care.
No need to be embarrassed. I didn’t read The Hobbit, or LOTR, or any of the Narnia books until I was in my 30’s, and I grew up considering myself a fan of fantasy and science fiction, and was truly an avid reader. There is always so much to read, which is a wonderful problem to have.
I re-watch the Behind the Scenes even more than the films, because I just love them so much and they add so much to the experience of watching the films.
Lovely collection! The helms are especially impressive. Did you ever read Knight’s Castle by Edward Eager? He would certainly have included your helms in that book if he could!
I realize if you saw the movies first, you knew the plot so it doesn’t matter that you read the trilogy out of order. However, The Two Towers is my least favorite so I am curious if were instantly captivated or not. I get awfully tired of Golum and Shelob.
I was captivated at the time. The parts with Gollum are my least favorite in the films too, as a whole, although I like the overall arc he plays. They just go on a bit long.
I hadn’t heard of Edward Eager, but I looked those books up and now I want to read them. They are also illustrated by Quentin Blake and I like his work. I think every Royals Dahl book I have is illustrated by him. The Eager books, in a broad thematic way, remind me of the Time Warp Trio books, which are also really fun.
I bought and read in hardcover The Hobbit and LOTR in 1966, and reread them in the early 1970s. The Hobbit I have is the one you show in the 5th picture, with the by-author artwork. I also have a signed, framed print of Rivendell by Alan Lee. But that’s about it. After rereading my hardcovers enough times that they got a little tired, I bought trade paper editions for future reading. At one time I reread the set every few years, but now it’s been more than a decade.
You certainly have a terrific collection of books by and about Tolkein! Wow, I’m very impressed indeed. Cool.
Thanks Rick. How awesome to have a signed Alan Lee print! That is wonderful. He is far and away one of my favorite artists.
It has been quite a while since I’ve read any of The Hobbit or LOTR myself. Not quite a decade, but 3-4 years for sure, maybe more.
I love those helms, they look amazing and are definitely something I would collect.
Lynn 😀
Thanks! It is nice to collect something that is relatively small and not terribly expensive like these.