Hobbits, Elves and Wizards: The Wonders and Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien's ""The Lord of the Rings""

In Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards: Exploring the Wonders and Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Michael N. Stanton, who teaches English literature at the University of Vermont, offers biographical and literary insights about Tolkien and his beloved trilogy. Young Tolkien first worked on the story cycle while on sick leave from military duty in WWI; Middle-earth's weather, seasons and flora recall Earth's Northern Hemisphere, says Stanton, thereby reassuring ""readers that fundamentally they are on home territory"" amidst ""large doses of the marvelous.""