ping
It is unfortunate FR hosts such garbage as this.
Happy Birthday indeed.
Actually, the remarkable thing that separates Tolkien from the great majority of science fiction and fantasy literature is that “Tolkien did write it.”
Most fantasy books and movies simply toss in throwaway lines like “Ah, that is no ordinary sword, that is the great Sword of Polywoggle!” when it becomes a convenient plot device for the hero to find a powerful sword.
Tolkien did not put anything into LOTR that he did not think through and write out for himself the private backstory. He carefully constructed thousands of years of history for the characters and their ancestors, of which often only a few brief lines make it into the text. He constructed the grammar and vocabulary for entire languages (language was his profession and a lifelong love of his), and characters speak different dialects of those languages.
The reason that his literary world seems to have remarkable depth is that the depth really existed, even if the reader did not see it all. Thus, we can be moved to tears by Elrond’s separation from his daughter Arwen through her marriage to the hero Aragorn, even though we know only a little bit of his tragic family history. Or the temptation of the wise Galadriel to seize Ring for her own, and the rejection of that temptation seems real, even though we have only the smallest glimpse of her as a fiery leader of the Elven exiles in her youth.
Much of the backstory was only published after Tolkien’s death, through the efforts of his son Christopher to organize and publish his father’s writings. In his letters, Tolkien made clear that he considered it cheating to refer to events or character’s when he didn’t have a clear idea of their story. In one letter to a reader he admits with regret that the one time he had cheated like this was in a reference to ‘Queen Berthea’s cats’, but then he goes on to provide that story.
Tolkien was a conservative politically and a devout Catholic. His writings are remarkably relevant today, because even when the forces of darkness seem overwhelming, and our leaders seem to betray us (Saruman), to be mired in dispair (Denethor), to be taken away to soon (Gandalf), or to be ignored (Aragorn), Tolkien holds out the hope that inner strength can be revived and tapped (Theoden), and that the ultimate hope for our world lies not in our leaders but in the quiet courageous actions of simple folk.
I've read these books >15 times
The threads of Wonder, Kindness, Honor, Bravery
also Hatred, Fear, Pride, Covetousness
Woven into an alternate Universe that is deeply conceived
and Powerfully Wrought
Teaches lessons about the Human Condition
not easily expressed in Classic Fiction
One of the greatest “True Myth” writers of all time. We love and miss you J.R.R.
LOTR seems like Ancient Literature, as it has the cadence and aura of time -honored myth and legend.
And yet, it is two years YOUNGER than me!
That makes me feel OLD! LOL!
Gene Wolfe wrote an awesome Tolkien essay a while ago. I guess he wrote Tolkien in the mid 60s and Tolkien wrote back, pretty cool stuff.
http://www.thenightland.co.uk/MYWEB/wolfemountains.html
Freegards
Just great writing.
:’) Thanks Perdogg!