The Content Reader

Arne Zettersten is a Swedish lingvist with a special interest for ancient languages and dialects. He became a friend and colleague of Tolkien in the 1960s when they both worked with a collection of medieval manuscripts, the "Katherine Group". Their friendship continued until the death of Tolkien. In this book he tells the story of this friendship and gives an insight into the worlds of Tolkien. The book is rather academic, as maybe can be expected, but gives an overview of what Tolkien achieved during his life time. And it was a lot! For most people, like myself, he is known for the Lord of the Ring  books. The epic fantasy has been voted the greatest book of the 20th century in a reader's poll (by Britain's Channel 4 and the Waterstone's bookstore chain). Tolkien is the father of the modern fantasy books and it seems, that so far, nobody has been able to equal him in quality and popularity. Reading this book, you realise that for Tolkien, his books are just n...

It has been silent here for a couple of days. Doesn't mean that I have been idle. There is only one problem. When I have been reading good books, which I hardly can put down, I panic slightly to choose another one. Why, because I want to be as good, inspiring and exciting as the books I have just finished. That's why I have started on four(!) books at the same time. Starting, putting down and going for another. Well, be as it is, at least now I have ventured into three of them a little bit more. The fourth one, which I just read a few pages on has to wait until these three are finished; the book is Äcklet/ La Nausée  by Jean-Paul Sartre. Some books you just don't read from cover to end, you have to read a chapter or two at a time and then read something else. This is such a book. Another book, which I find I can not read in one go is The Catcher in the Rye  by J.D. Salinger. I started this book and it is quite different from what I thought it would be. More easy-going a...