Good essay! You will find more discussion of the religious elements of LOTR in later chapters of this book. Lydia Fish October 16, 2008, at 08:31 AM
The foreword of Tom Shippey’s book, Author of the Century, provided me with knowledge that I did not have any clue about. It also made me more interested in reading the book so that I can learn more about the things that he was talking about. In the first few pages of the foreword, I learned that the fantastic included allegory, parable, fairy-tale, horror, and science fiction. That caught my attention because I love certain science fiction story-lines. Also, I had no clue that outside of Tolkien, many other fantastic mode writers were combat veterans. Shippey named four right off the bat. This tells me that it is fairly relevant when scholars view fantastic writing as an “escapist” type of work. I agree with it because if I was shot in war and lived, goodness knows I would need some way to get everything out that is in my mind, even if it is some sort story that has nothing to do with the actual reality of what I lived through.
I love how on page xi of the foreword, Shippey talks about how Tolkien’s life was pretty pure and calmly lived outside of the war. What grabbed my attention was that he points out that the biographers had nothing to really sink their teeth into. After that, Shippey comments that Tolkien’s work is equal to his life. His work is also his hobby, amusement behind the scenes, and passion. I think that everybody should learn a valuable lesson from that right there. Work should be just as much passion and hobby as one’s life is. I view music and teaching music that way. It is my way out, my way of expression, and I cannot wait to teach it too! I think every person should follow Tolkien’s lead as far as his view on work goes.
I guess I kind of had views on whether or not Tolkien thought he was making up Middle-earth, but Shippey solidifies my views a little bit on page xv. I think it is interesting that Tolkien thought he was re-constructing the concepts of Middle-earth. Of course, he added things that made the overall work his, but in a way he was collecting evidence from many other sources and re-constructing it in his way. This also creates a pattern of “borrowing” too. Shippey shows us on page xxiv how Tolkien influences other authors’ titles and such. Well, Tolkien borrowed his language and other things from people like the Anglo-Saxons, so I think it is interesting to see how each genre and century lives into the next. I would love to be able to see in the next century what is the major source of today that future writers borrow from. Maybe the next century writers will build off of Tolkien and the Bible and come up with some really weird new genre!
I think that it was interesting that Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings has come in second place in popularity only because the Bible came in first for certain polls. I guess that may be another reason that I am going to research Christianity in Lord of the Rings. I cannot see that much of the symbolism just from watching the movies and reading the books, so I am really interested in what I can find.
On page xxii, Shippey tells us that some commentators on the polls for popularity were, in my opinion, quite rude. I think it is a cheap shot for them to say that the Tolkien Society must have had everything to do with the Lord of the Rings coming in first place in certain polls. I am sure that some people could not believe that such a trilogy would possibly be the most loved, but to throw a shot like that is pretty appalling.
Lastly, Shippey gives us kind of like an outline of how he set Author of the Century up. I think that his organization is beneficial to us as the readers because it goes in an order that gives us background and then some main points. I would rather learn about the history of Middle-earth first because than I will know more about other themes and ideas from the story. It will make it easier for me to understand everything Shippey is saying as the book goes on.
Keilah Bradley October 07, 2008, at 04:51 PM
