Middle America Meets Middle-earth: American Publication and Discussion of J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, 1954-1969

This study discusses the early publication history of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings in the United States. It begins by examining the composition and publication of the book and its initial reception in American print media. Following an examination of the ambiguities of contemporary copyright law, the paper describes nearly simultaneous unauthorized and authorized mass-market publication of The Lord of the Rings, which resulted in radically increased public awareness of the book. Public discussion of The Lord of the Rings centered on the relationship between the essence of the book, and its perceived audience. While the book met with some mild controversy during the mid 1950s, discussion was confined to literary terms. Following the publication of two competing paperback editions in 1965, however, the print media generated a substantial body of literature reflecting a broader attempt to describe the social impact of a popular book on a popular audience