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Average Customer Rating:

plants of middle earth	Customer Rating:
The book was very informative and for a LOTR geek like me will help me plant an middle earth garden.

More sound than substance

Customer Rating:

I received this book for Christmas - it was on my wish list - and I have to say I was somewhat disappointed. The title made me think it would be an in-depth look at how Tolkien used botany to further his sub-creation, and to make it more believable in our world. The reality was that this book just talks about the plants he uses in Middle-earth, without reference to anything else. It's a gardener's handbook, that's all. One whole chapter was devoted just to the flower names of hobbit women. Interesting, yes, but does it actually increase your knowledge and/or understanding of Tolkein's mythos? Another chapter determines that Treebeard is most likely an elm. Also interesting, but again, does knowing that actually increase your enjoyment or understanding of the LotR? I regret to say that I found this book to be very superficial (I was hoping for something more in line with Verlyn Flieger's works) despite it's intruiging title.

a short book that should be shorter

Customer Rating:

Hazell does a wonderful job with plant lore, and the early chapter on the Shire is a delight. But past that, the book is largely padding. For one thing, she recapitulates the plot of The Lord of the Rings to an entirely unnecessary degree. How many people would pick up this book without being familiar with Middle-Earth? For another, she goes beyond plants to analyses of Tolkien's thought and intentions that not only seem unconnected to her theme of "botany and sub-creation" but offer only rare moments of insight beyond her many sources. However, her writing is enjoyable and the illustrations are wonderful.

Middle Earth Botany	Customer Rating:
It was very interesting and good read. If you a fan a middle earth a must have.

A great read

Customer Rating:

I purchased a copy of this book for a friend of mine who loves both plants and the Lord of the Rings, and was delighted to find that it not only met but exceeded my expectations. The premise of the book that one may explore the world of Tolkien through its flora, and this is demonstrated marvelously. Other than having (several years ago) read Tolkien's work, I did not have any particular foundation in either Middle-earth or botany, and yet I found the book engrossing and easy for a non-initiate to both understand and appreciate. About 100 plants are mentioned, a few of them fictional but most taken from real life. For the latter variety, the author discusses plant lore and historical symbolism, and continues by showing how this significance is reflected in Tolkien's writing. Plot events from his Middle-earth stories are described in detail, and in many cases the author uses these as a framework to introduce new plants. She also makes connections to other aspects of Tolkien's life, such as biographical information, short stories, artwork, and letters. Aside from the writing, the book has absolutely exquisite illustrations reminiscent of Tolkien's own art. They range from flowing watercolor to delicate line drawings, and from the splendid cover art to the depictions of individual plants throughout. The binding under the dust jacket is quite nice - green cloth with gold lettering down the spine. At the end of the book (after the five main chapters) are two appendices, thorough citations, a bibliography, information about the illustrators, and an index. On the whole, this is a wonderful book. The coverage is thorough, and I suspect even the most knowledgeable can find within its pages new material about Middle-earth and botany. The next time I read The Lord of the Rings, I will be sure to keep this book - and what it has taught me - in mind.