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Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc
Iconographies of Difference
Series: Perspectives on Fantasy
Brief Description
A comprehensive history and analysis of the Soviet illustrated editions of The Lord of the Rings published between 1981 and 1993, this book explores the production and reception of these works against a backdrop of oppressive state censorship, restrictive publishing practices, and logistical struggles of translating...
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Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc
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Description
A comprehensive history and analysis of the Soviet illustrated editions of The Lord of the Rings published between 1981 and 1993, this book explores the production and reception of these works against a backdrop of oppressive state censorship, restrictive publishing practices, and logistical struggles of translating such long texts.
Highlighting the intense creativity, innovation, and resourcefulness of illustrators from the USSR, Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc demonstrates how new forms of Tolkienian imagery reforged Western fantasy artwork and brought fresh iconographical diversity to late 20th-century fantasy visuals.
By employing comparative analysis to reconcile the neglected Soviet illustrations with their popular Western equivalents, the book situates both pictorial traditions within the wider cultural and political contexts of the period. It reflects upon their relevance to current debates regarding visual heterogeneity in fantasy.
Carefully reconstructing the diverse Middle-earth visions of illustrators such as Gyozo Vida, Jerzy Czerniawski, Yassen Panov, Alexander Korotich, Èduard Zarjanskij, Denis Gordeev, and Sergei Iukhimov, Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc broadens notions of how Tolkien's work was received beyond Anglo-centric, Western audiences.
A vivid record of artistic reception and the permeability of cultural boundaries during the final years of Communist rule, author Joel Merriner offers an art historian's analysis of these illustrations of Tolkien's beloved work and sheds new light on the role of visual art in shaping cultural content.
Series: Perspectives on Fantasy
View all-
Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc
A comprehensive history and analysis of the Soviet illustrated editions of The Lord of the Rings published between 1981 and 1993, this book explores the production and reception of these works against a backdrop of oppressive state censorship, restrictive publishing practices, and logistical struggles of translating such long texts. Highlighting the intense creativity, innovation, and resourcefulness of illustrators from the...Hardback$35600Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Reading Length in Fantasy Fiction
Reframing debates surrounding long narratives to explore their impact, this book develops a critical vocabulary for discussing the formal, social, and political affordances of length and duration in fantasy novels, and by extension, other genres. Beloved by fans, fantasy books frequently receive dismissive treatment from book reviewers and academics. For literary critics, lengthy narratives have long posed problems: for aesthetic...Hardback$36000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781350442085
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 18 September 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Illustration: 75 colour illus
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 22.0mm
Width: 156.0mm
Height: 236.0mm
Weight: 680g
Pages: 248
About the Author
Joel Merriner is Associate Lecturer in Art History at the University of Plymouth, and Tutor in Illustration at Falmouth University, UK. His latest research focuses on the global imaginary and the interconnected nature of Tolkien book illustration, fanart and film. He has presented at the Tolkien Society Seminar several times.
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