Nansen and Tolkien: Arthur Ransome, E. Nesbit and J.R.R. Tolkien - All Influenced by Fridtjof Nansen (13.01.08 by Pieter Collier) - Comments

John Browne Simon is for many an unknown author in the field of Tolkien, as is Fridtjof Nansen the subject of this book recently published book.

Fridtjof Nansen however was a great Norwegian Arctic explorer, an innovative scientist, a humanitarian and a Nobel prize-winner who wrote a book called The First Crossing of Greenland.

The author John Browne Simon claims that this book has been the single greatest influence on J.R.R. Tolkien' work.

He says he can link seven of Tolkien’s major characters to Nansen’s books, including Bilbo, Frodo and Sam. Also the hobbits' origin could be found in there. There would be so many connections between tolkien's work and the Nansen book that the author wrote a complete book about it.

Since September 2005, the author John Browne Simon, runs a website which talks about the same subject. Since I have never found any reference in Christina Scull & Wayne Hammonds' Companion & Guide, nor any reference in any of Tom Shippey, Flieger or Andersons' works I have always been very sceptical about what was being written there. I'm not a philologist and have not read the work by Fridtjof Nansen he mentions, but now it seems we will be able to find out more about it all in the book published recently by Pavement Publishing.

I'm very much interested to see reactions on this book, myself being reading several great books also talking about the roots and branches of tolkien's creation. So anyone interested to review it, sent me an email at contact@tolkienlibrary.com.

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