“Inspired by the real-life experiences of his grandfather, J.R.R. Tolkien, during World War I, Simon Tolkien delivers a perfectly rendered novel rife with class tension, period detail, and stirring action, ranging from the sharply divided society of northern England to the trenches of the Somme.”

I must have read that line three times before glancing at the rest of the description on Simon Tolkien’s No Man’s Land. I’m a World War junkie anyway, but Tolkien’s life is a brilliant story and I couldn’t resist the idea of seeing it brought to life by the iconic author’s own grandson. I’ll grant I was a little wary of the fact that Simon’s protagonist required a name change, but I was otherwise optimistic so I tracked down a copy and jumped in.

Unfortunately, the reality of what I discovered didn’t rise to the level of my admittedly inflated expectations. I mean no offense to either the author or the many readers who’ve praised his work, but No Man’s Land simply didn’t work for me. I’m in the minority here so feel free to throw my opinions to the wind, but I found both the pacing and prose insufferably dull and struggled with the harsh perspective afforded through inadvertent comparison to Ken Follett’s Fall of Giants.

I read the books only months apart and despite obvious differences in size and scope, there is a noticeable degree of overlapping plot between the two. I tried to disassociate and judge on individual merit, but when push comes to shove I have to admit that Follett is the stronger writer and that Tolkien’s approach to the same material left me wanting.

Is it fair to judge a book this way? Probably not. Will my admission ruffle feathers? There’s a chance. Do I care? Not a whit. I’ve great respect for the author’s ideas and intention, but I can’t see myself recommending No Man’s Land to fellow enthusiasts of either Tolkien’s subject or genre.

By VICKI ROCK

“No Man’s Land” by Simon Tolkien, Harper Collins, 566 pages, $24.85.
Adam Raine has an impoverished childhood in turn-of-the-century London. After his mother is killed during a protest, Adam and his father moved to the coal-mining town of Scarsdale. Adam doesn’t fit in with the other boys.
A strike leader sets fire to Sir John Scardale’s house and Adam’s father dies trying to save Scardale’s mother. Sir John takes on responsibility for Adam, including his education. Sir John’s son, Brice, bullies Adam. When World War I begins, Adam enlists.
The first part of the novel is Dickensian in nature. Just overly dreary and repetitious about Adam being “brave by nature.” This changes in chapter 21, with Adam going off to war. The last section makes the book worth reading.
Tolkien is the grandson of author J.R.R. Tolkien, and has said that the novel was inspired by his grandfather.

I was excited to be given a chance to review this Advance Reader Copy. I'm fascinated by WWI, especially first-hand accounts of trench warfare. A novel written by JRR Tolkien’s grandson about his experiences at the Somme in WWI, what more could you ask for?

A lot, apparently.

My feelings about this book formed a slightly imperfect parabola: disappointment in a lackluster beginning, then amazing apex, then slowly dwindling back down into jejune story. I think Tolkien is riding his grandfather’s coattails a wee bit. I've discovered from previous books that often the descendants of famous authors try to distance themselves from their predecessor’s success in order to stand on their own two feet, but that was not the case here.

The first 47% on my Kindle read like a poor man’s Jeffrey Archer.

A rushed, “tell” not “show” sentimental story of a young boy with a heart of gold just aching to do the right thing. The writing was lacking. There were so many instances where I read “he could feel”, “he could see,” “he could hear,” that I was taken aback. This usage of present perfect – if that’s the tense it is – takes the reader a step away from the events at hand. Bottom line, it’s just poor writing. The first half of the book was overly sentimental with dialog that was stilted and pedantic. The plot was interesting enough to keep me going, but the amateurish writing overrode any enjoyment of the story. About a third of the way into the book, I almost bailed. The story was so full of tired tropes and one-dimensional stereotypes that I wasn’t sure I could keep going. But I’m really glad I did.

At the halfway mark, the reader finally reaches the Somme, the bludgeoning horror of WWI, and the story takes off. The shocking atrocities and grueling fatigue, the appalling brutality of trench warfare, these were things I had read about before but never with such depth. I loved this part of the book, and it was worth the slog to get to this point. I tore through the middle, my eyes blazing across the sentences. The account of the war had the impact I wanted. It was emotional reading without becoming saccharine, and I was captivated. I’m wondering if Tolkien’s real desire was to write this middle section, but to get there he had to write the insipid initial story line.

The necessary last third of the book was essentially an epilogue of what happens to the remaining characters, and I was invested enough now to want to know what happened in the end, even though I knew that everything would be tidied, the wrongs would be righted, that good would prevail. (And sometimes, it’s best if everything doesn't work out perfectly. Just a thought, S. Tolkien. It makes the story more real.)

So, would I recommend this? Maybe. I would most certainly recommend a heavy-handed editor. The middle of the book about WWI is amazing reading, so if you're willing to endure the beginning to get there, then I encourage it.

Thanks to Netgalley, Doubleday Books, and Simon Tolkien for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Available now: No Man's Land by Simon Tolkien

***3/5 stars-liked it

Okay, I admit it. I pick a book by its evocative, eye catching cover.

Recommended readers:

If you like historical fiction of the Great War, this one is for you.
Here's my Rankings:

3/5 for characters
3/5 for plot
3/5 overall
REVIEW FROM BOOKS FOR HER:

No Man's Land traces the journey of an orphaned boy from impoverished city slums and a mining town in the country to the great house and finally the Great War, with all the devastation and disillusionment you come to expect in a novel of the lost generation. Tolkien's description of of sights and sounds of combat and its impact on human beings, his efforts at relaying what is largely unimaginable, are the best sections of the novel. Less engaging is the culmination of the story in homecoming and a renewal of rivalry between the main character and his foster brother, though perhaps a homecoming initially less than joyous is exactly the point.

No Man's Land is available now

So an embarrassing full literary disclosure….I have never read any of The Lord of the Rings books so I have no first hand knowledge of JRR Tolkien’s writing abilities but the popularity of the series speaks for itself. Many have praised this debut novel by Simon Tolkien (JRR’s grandson), as worthy of the Tolkien name in the literary world.

When this novel came across my desk for review, the last name of course immediately captured my attention and I was eager to see what the novel was about. Obviously the Tolkien name carries a lot of clout in the literary world but I wondered if this new author would be able to live up to the famous family name?

The title and cover imply that it’s a WWI period novel so right there it was an easy ‘yes I’ll review the novel’ response! Edwardian era and WWI England are a sure way to my literary heart.

From the slums of London to the riches of an Edwardian country house; from the hot, dark seams of a Yorkshire coalmine to the exposed terrors of the trenches, Adam Raine’s journey from boy to man is set against the backdrop of a society violently entering the modern world.


Adam Raine is a boy cursed by misfortune. His impoverished childhood in the slums of Islington is brought to an end by a tragedy that sends him north to Scarsdale, a hard-living coalmining town where his father finds work as a union organizer. But it isn’t long before the escalating tensions between the miners and their employer, Sir John Scarsdale, explode with terrible consequences.

In the aftermath, Adam meets Miriam, the Rector’s beautiful daughter, and moves into Scarsdale Hall, an opulent paradise compared with the life he has been used to before. But he makes an enemy of Sir John’s son, Brice, who subjects him to endless petty cruelties for daring to step above his station.

When love and an Oxford education beckon, Adam feels that his life is finally starting to come together – until the outbreak of war threatens to tear everything apart.

This novel has so much to offer readers! I was certainly impressed with Tolkien’s ability to compose a well written and historically detailed novel! To me, writing a war time novel is sometime the most difficult because war is often a depressing subject. There needs to be a balanced mixture of historical facts and authenticity with a little bit of hope within the story as well. Tolkien nailed it!

This book was inspiring but yet echoed not just the tragedy of the era but the cruelty of life but yet there was still hope because it is a rags to riches story set against the Great War. I absolutely loved following Adam’s story.

While it took a little time for me to get into the book, after an accident that changes Adam’s life happens. Then things really started to pick up for me and once I was into the book I couldn’t put it down. This is one of those books that will make you cry and cheer all at the same time. Tolkien’s attention to detail, especially when it comes to character development and historic detail was superb.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. Well written, moving, powerful, and memorable. I have no doubt Simon Tolkien has done Tolkien name justice! His writing and story telling abilities are wonderful and this historic details are well researched with an echo of truth. What a great way to kick off my 2017 reading!

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: No Man’s Land by Simon Tolkien

Kindle Edition, 566 pages
Published June 30th 2016 by HarperCollins
ASIN B01A52FGXI
Review copy provided by: Author/Publisher in exchange for an honest review
This book counts toward: NA

Hosted by: NA
Books for Challenge Completed: NA
Recommendation: 5 out of 5

Genre: War lit, WWI, historical fiction

Memorable lines/quotes: NA

The author has the gift of making you feel as if you are watching the events happen in the story as they unfold. You are there in that shabby, colorful London neighborhood watching the barefoot children play and the butcher crying out for someone to buy his meat before it spoils. You are there when Adam's Mum gets killed by a horse as her husband lies in the street after being struck in the head for joining in a builder's strike which his wife was trying to keep him from participating in as the family was starving!
Adam and his father move to a small mining town and his life changes forever! You will have to read for yourself to experience life in the trenches during World War I - Simon Tolkien is a worthy successor to His grandfather J.R. Tolkien!