Having no formal training in novel writing, author J.R.R. Tolkien created a history of an imaginary land in The Lord Of The Rings. While ranking highly with readers, the scholarly community seems to look down upon Tolkien’s literature, as it seems to fall short of being a noteworthy academic achievement.
Interestingly and unbeknownst to me, several polls revealed that approximately 20 percent of those polled found Lord of the Rings to be their favorite choice of literature. Conflictingly, the literati find the works of Tolkien to merely appeal to people’s sense of escapism. The temptation of escape has been likened to a drug that everyone uses and some abuse, so the academic community is just in their accusations.
Despite Tolkien’s argument that none of his works are allegorical, people cannot help but draw connections from the fantastic realm of Middle Earth and the world in which they live. Wars, evil, hardship, triumph, and unlikely heroes are found in everyday life—and so it is understandable that many readers would search for Tolkien’s representation and solutions to the hardships of reality.
I was very surprised to find out many scholars do not value the Lord of the Rings when it seems their position is based upon Tolkien’s unconventional writing style rather than the deep complexities Tolkien has created.
Eligh Hanning October 09, 2008, at 12:52 PM
