Contains an essay titled “Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings”. It has in the first three editions of the book but removed from later editions. Tolkien originally wrote this guide to assist translators of The Lord of the Rings. He was reacting to some early foreign editions (specifically the first Dutch translation) that he felt handled the translation of his invented names very poorly. The guide provides explicit instructions on which names should be translated into other languages and which should be left exactly as they are. In doing so, it offers an incredibly detailed, candid look at Tolkien’s thought process regarding the etymology, history, and meaning of the people, places, and things in Middle-earth.
- Full Title: A Tolkien Compass
- Editor: Jared Lobdell
- Artist: N/A
- Rarity: Common
- Publisher: Random House Paperback Edition
- Publication date: 1980
- Edition: Random House Paperback Edition
- Print length: 201 Pages
- ISBN-10: ?
- ISBN-13: 9780345288554
- Item Weight: ?
- Dimensions: ?
