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In
Tolkien’s Bag End, Andrew Morton sets out to uncover the significance
of the Worcestershire manor house that famously gave its name to the home
of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins in The Hobbit and The Lord of the
Rings. During the 1920s, when J.R.R. Tolkien was beginning to formulate
the stories that found their way into The Hobbit, Bag End was owned
and farmed by his influential aunt Jane Neave. Tolkien’s Bag End
features several previously unpublished photographs of the real Bag End
from this period along with other interesting images from local archives.
The book delves into the history of the Dormston farm, considers the influence
of Tolkien’s Worcestershire family background and speculates on the
origin and meaning of the name Bag End. With the help of a detailed knowledge
of the building and its Worcestershire setting, the author argues that
there are aspects of the real Bag End that may well have found their way
into Tolkien’s fictional location.
Tolkien’s Bag End makes an interesting companion to Andrew
Morton’s previous book Tolkien’s Gedling 1914, as both
books set out to investigate previously unexplored aspects of J.R.R. Tolkien’s
earlier life and influences.
Also of interest:
Tolkien's Gedling |
