J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia

J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment
EditorMichael D. C. Drout
LanguageEnglish
SubjectJ. R. R. Tolkien
PublisherRoutledge
Publication date
2006
Publication placeUnited States
Media typeHardcover
Pages720
ISBN978-0415969420
OCLC71004244
828/.91209 22
LC ClassPR6039.O32 Z664 2007

The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment, edited by Michael D. C. Drout, was published by Routledge in 2006. A team of 127 Tolkien scholars on 720 pages cover topics of Tolkien's fiction, his academic works, his intellectual and spiritual influences, and his biography. Co-editors were Douglas A. Anderson, Verlyn Flieger (both Drout's co-editors also of Tolkien Studies), Marjorie Burns and Tom Shippey.[1][2]

The development of the encyclopedia was interrupted by Taylor & Francis's takeover of Routledge. All the images and redirection entries (like "Balrog: see Monsters") were dropped, making the work less accessible than it could have been. Further, the editing process was severely curtailed, leaving many imperfections in the text. Reviewers noted the uneven handling of topics: some essays were excellent, while others were sketchy.