Elizabeth Solopova

Elizabeth Solopova (born 20 January 1965[1]) is a Russian-British philologist and medievalist undertaking research at New College, Oxford.[2][3] She is known outside academic circles for her work on J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings.

Life

Elizabeth Solopova was born in the Soviet Union and graduated from Moscow State University. She completed her PhD in English at the University of Oxford.[4] She is a research fellow at the University of Oxford,[5] where she teaches Old and Middle English.[6]

Reception

The Keys of Middle-Earth

Main article: The Keys of Middle-Earth

Solopova's 2005 book The Keys of Middle-Earth, written with Stuart D. Lee, on Tolkien's medieval sources for his fantasy writings, was warmly received by scholars, though they found some issues with it. It is her most-cited work.[7] It has been described as an excellent introduction, both for students to use as a text and as a resource for instructors, and an interesting sidelight on the linguistic issues that so fascinated Tolkien.[8] Scholars have praised it as a well-chosen selection of texts and a well-researched introduction to both Tolkien's career and the study of medieval languages.[9] Others have noted that it excludes The Silmarillion, which would have demanded the Finnish Kalevala.[10] As a student text, its medieval fragments are well-introduced but too short for most academic purposes.[11]

Key Concepts in Medieval Literature

Solopova's 2007 book Key Concepts in Medieval Literature, also written with Stuart D. Lee, has been praised as a scholarly introduction with essays at a level suitable for undergraduates and helpful recommendations for further reading. The literature is however exclusively English.[12]

Books

She has written or edited the following books:[13]

  • 2000 Chaucer: The General Prologue
  • 2005 The Keys of Middle-Earth: Discovering Medieval Literature through the Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien
  • 2009 Languages, Myths and History: An Introduction to the Linguistic and Literary Background of J. R. R. Tolkien's Fiction
  • 2007 Key Concepts in Medieval Literature
  • 2015 Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library: A Select Catalogue – a catalogue of 111 liturgical psalters from the Bodleian Library, with details of bookbinding, decoration, and text.[14]
  • 2016 The Wycliffite Bible: Origin, History and Interpretation
  • 2020 From the Vulgate to the Vernacular: Four Debates on an English Question c. 1450 (editor, with J. Catto and A. Hudson)

References

  1. ^ "Solopova, Elizabeth". Library of Congress.
  2. ^ "Solopova, Elizabeth". Library of Congress. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Elizabeth Solopova". University of Oxford. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  4. ^ Collier, Pieter (16 June 2009). "Interview with Dr. Solopova, author of Languages, Myths and History". Tolkien Library. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  5. ^ "About the Author: Elizabeth Solopova". University of Chicago Press. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  6. ^ "Dr Elizabeth Solopova". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Elizabeth Solopova". Google Scholar. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  8. ^ Wilcox, Miranda (2007). "The Keys of Middle Earth: Discovering Medieval Literature Through the Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien". The Medieval Review. 9.
  9. ^ Marsh, Kay (2008). "Review of The Keys of Middle Earth: Discovering Medieval Literature Through the Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien". Studies in the Novel. 40 (4): 517–519. JSTOR 29533903.
  10. ^ Holmes, John R. (2007). "[Review:] The Keys of Middle-earth: Discovering Medieval Literature through the Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien". Tolkien Studies. 4 (1): 278–282. doi:10.1353/tks.2007.0020. S2CID 170900902.
  11. ^ Drout, Michael D. C. (2006). "[Review:] Stuart D. Lee and Elizabeth Solopova, The Keys of Middle-earth: Discovering Medieval Literature through the Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien". Notes and Queries. 53 (4): 555–556. doi:10.1093/notesj/gjl196.
  12. ^ Johnson, Richard (10 March 2017). "Solopova/Lee, Key Concepts in Medieval Literature". The Medieval Review. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Books by Elizabeth Solopova". Goodreads. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  14. ^ Toswell, M. J. (2015). "Reviews: Elizabeth Solopova, Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library: A Select Catalogue". Speculum. 90 (1): 298–299. doi:10.1017/S0038713414002991.