{"product_id":"the-mismeasure-of-orcs-a-critical-reassessment-of-tolkiens-demonized-creatures-9781476694351","title":"The Mismeasure of Orcs: A Critical Reassessment of Tolkien's Demonized Creatures","description":"\u003cp\u003e Despite its well-earned reputation as the richest world in fantasy, there exists a notable, troubling problem in Tolkien's legendarium: the existence of a sentient, rational being for whom no sympathy or moral feeling is ever shown. Examining the origin stories of the orc, which changed over time according to Tolkien's own worries about whether orcs were \"redeemable,\" this book endeavors to show that these \"inhuman\" creatures are, in fact, among the most human (perhaps \"all-too-human\") to be found in \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e. This work discusses racism and class hierarchies in Tolkien's writings, contexts in which the characterization of orcs is particularly noticeable. But Tolkien's own writings reveal the nature of orcs to be worthy of sympathy, despite their often dehumanized or demonized depictions. Focusing on key scenes from \u003ci\u003eThe Silmarillion\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e, this study uncovers the richly diverse cultures, as well as the distinctive personalities of various orcs, who turn out to be a far cry from the monsters they are taken to be in the popular imagination. A revised understanding of the orcs as a people presents Middle-earth's history, geopolitics, and cultural anthropology in a new light.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Robert T. Tally\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e McFarland \u0026amp; Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/19\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 201\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.37d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781476694351","brand":"McFarland \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44259410018441,"sku":"9781476694351","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0636\/9240\/6921\/files\/img_3cf9756e-0c31-4b37-bdd2-ec1e7171eb65.jpg?v=1749543202","url":"https:\/\/sonsanddaughtersbooks.com\/products\/the-mismeasure-of-orcs-a-critical-reassessment-of-tolkiens-demonized-creatures-9781476694351","provider":"Sons and Daughters Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}