A Middle-Earth Traveller • John Howe

I’ve always had a soft spot for beautiful illustrations. It simply fuels the imagination when you look at fantastically drawn images and immerse yourself in a world someone has brought to life visually. Just like with the written word, the viewer has a lot of room for interpretation, as the atmosphere, story, and personal meaning come alive through one’s own experiences and individual personality. There are a number of artists I’ve come across time and again, and John Howe is one of them. That’s hardly surprising, as he is—along with Alan Lee—one of the great illustrators who played a key role in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. I’ve often seen his beautiful drawings online and had long planned to get one of his illustrated books. When I saw A Middle-earth Traveler in the preview from Klett-Cotta Verlag, I was immediately excited. A few days ago, the long-awaited book finally arrived, and of course, I want to introduce it to you.

I’ve enjoyed reading Tolkien’s books, and I really like his world of Middle-earth. While I don’t share the same deep passion that many do, I love the beautifully crafted world infused with the spirit of nature. While reading and looking through this illustrated volume, I was surprised that only the broad strokes of the main plot had really stayed with me—but the impressions of the many different places were still vivid in my memory. The dense forests, the vast grasslands, and the stony fortresses that blend seamlessly into the mountains—Tolkien described them so wonderfully, and I’ve always had a weakness for beautiful landscapes.

This illustrated volume is divided into several chapters, structured as you would expect from an artist—not by story, but by setting. There’s a chapter on the homes of the Hobbits, another on the deep Wild Wood, one on Orc caves, and even one on dragons. There are many short chapters like these, which together resemble a journey through Middle-earth.

I found John Howe’s introduction and afterword particularly interesting. In them, he gives some insight into his work and creative process, which is fascinating because it seems Howe followed in Tolkien’s footsteps, visiting the same places as the author and even hiking in the Swiss Alps as Tolkien once did. Furthermore, John Howe embarked on an artistic journey through Middle-earth, creating countless sketches and drawings to bring Tolkien’s world to life. Apparently, in a film project, illustrators are given a theme or setting by the director and must interpret it artistically. If the drawings align with the director’s vision, carpenters and sculptors then transform them into real sets. It’s fascinating to see how a whole visual world emerges from simple sketches. I’ve always found that equally impressive in video games—seeing the concept art and how it’s translated into a three-dimensional, dynamic, and visually atmospheric world.

This book primarily contains sketches but also includes some colored drawings. It’s fascinating to see John Howe’s range. One particularly impressive double-page spread features many small objects crafted by Dwarves. Of course, the cozy, homely Hobbit dwellings are also delightful. I also loved Radagast’s little tree house—especially how nature gradually merges with the house and the objects within. The illustrations of the mountain ranges, cities, grand underground halls, towers, and fortresses all bear that unmistakable, unique Lord of the Rings style. They’re wonderful to look at and quickly transport you back into the stories.

The book has 190 pages, and for my taste, it could have been a bit more extensive, with a few more large, full-color illustrations. For example, the well-known image of Bag End appears only very small—it’s such a lovely classic among Howe’s works that I’d have liked it to take up more space. Many of the sketches are beautifully detailed and a pleasure to look at, while others are rougher and less polished. The mix works well, though, showing clearly how John Howe explored each location with varying levels of detail.

Accompanying the images are short texts that explain a bit about what is shown, provide background information, and reveal Howe’s artistic reasoning—why he chose certain stylistic elements, for example. You learn that Hobbiton is meant to evoke the romantic past of the English countryside, which Howe illustrates with sketches of finely drawn round windows adorned with classically inspired decorations. Behind all these drawings lies an impressive creative process—something that might go unnoticed at first glance but still subtly and unconsciously leaves an impression.

The book feels great in the hand and looks very high quality. It has a beautiful format and, contrary to what I initially expected, it isn’t an oversized art book but a convenient, nicely sized volume—large enough to appreciate the drawings properly. The print quality is excellent, though a few color images of Mirkwood seemed slightly blurred to me—but the sharp, high-quality sketches more than make up for that, and the book focuses primarily on them. I really like the printed hardcover and dust jacket—they look elegant. I was also delighted to find that it’s thread-bound; Klett-Cotta clearly didn’t skimp on quality here. From a bibliophile standpoint, this book is top-notch.

A few years ago, I watched the first part of the five-part documentary series In the Footsteps of the Hobbits on ARTE. It also features John Howe, following his travels as he seeks inspiration across New Zealand and studies the film sets in detail. You can still find the documentary—at least the first three parts—on the TolkienWelt website. With a little patience, you can also catch the documentaries on ARTE’s media library from time to time, as they are occasionally re-aired.

Conclusion: John Howe is a veteran among illustrators, and that’s evident in this book. After 15 years of working on Tolkien adaptations, his archive of drawings must be inexhaustible. I found the selection beautifully curated and arranged. It’s a wonderful read for an evening, immersing the viewer in the world of Middle-earth and evoking powerful, atmospheric memories of the novels and films. From the beautiful landscapes, mountains, and fortresses to the elegant realms of the Elves and the dragons—this is a successful cross-section of the most iconic settings and elements of the beloved fantasy saga, seen through the eyes of one of its defining artists. A Middle-earth Traveler is a high-quality and visually appealing edition, whose only flaw is that it isn’t even more extensive. For all Tolkien fans, this book is a must-have. For those who, like me, have grown fond of the stories and the world, it’s equally recommendable and a delightful read.

Book Information: A Middle-earth Traveler: Sketches from Bag End to Mordor • John Howe • Klett-Cotta Verlag • 192 pages • ISBN 9783608985641