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The Treason of Isengard

The Treason of Isengard

FantasyLiterary Fiction
Pages
504
Published
1989
Language
English

Synopsis

Volume Seven of the History of Middle-earth continues the manuscript history of The Lord of the Rings, covering the drafts from the breaking of the Fellowship at Amon Hen through to the drafting of The King of the Golden Hall. Christopher Tolkien presents facsimiles and transcriptions of his father's working manuscripts, showing how Saruman's treachery, the Ents of Fangorn, and the story's expansion into multiple parallel narrative strands were developed. The volume also documents the crucial period when many of the most recognisable elements of The Two Towers took shape, including the emerging character of Treebeard and the complexity of the Rohirrim.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

Thought-ProvokingIntellectualReflective
QuestDual TimelineBetrayal

Genres

Fantasy Literary Fiction Historical Fiction

About the author

J
J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa in 1892 and raised in England after his mother brought him home at age three. Orphaned before he was thirteen — his mother died a devout Catholic convert — Tolkien went on to study Old and Middle English, Germanic languages, Welsh, and Finnish at Oxford. He graduated in 1915, married Edith Bratt before shipping out to the Western Front, and fought in the Battle of the Somme. Nearly all of his closest friends were killed. He contrac...

Characters

SarumanAntagonist

The treacherous wizard whose betrayal at Isengard gives the volume its title; his character and motivations crystallised during these draft stages.

TreebeardSupporting

The eldest of the Ents, whose character emerged and deepened through the drafts documented in this volume.

AragornSupporting

The returning king whose role in the story expanded substantially during this phase of drafting.

All characters in The Treason of Isengard

Frequently asked questions

  • What is The Treason of Isengard?

    Volume Seven of the twelve-volume History of Middle-earth. It covers the manuscript drafts of the middle section of The Lord of the Rings -- roughly the period covered by the first half of The Two Towers.

  • Is this part of the Lord of the Rings draft history?

    Yes -- it is the second of four volumes documenting the writing of The Lord of the Rings (volumes 6-9 of the History of Middle-earth).

  • What does this volume reveal about Saruman?

    The drafts show how Tolkien gradually developed Saruman's betrayal from a vaguely sketched plot point into the fully realised treachery familiar from the published novel, including how his motives and capabilities evolved.

  • What is this volume's position in the History of Middle-earth?

    Volume Seven of twelve.

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