I have read The Hobbit, The Fall of Arthur, and The Children of Hurrin by J. R. R. Tolkien. More recently, I have finished reading The Lord of the Rings with my sister, Whitney. As a big Tolkien fan, I have read about the lives of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien for a very a longtime. The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite books { yes, it's one book, not three}.
That said, I have seen all the American adaptions of The Hobbit and LOTR on screen that I am aware of. I like the cartoons from Warner Brother and Rankin Bass, as well as the live actions films by Peter Jackson.
I love The Chronicles of Narnia, but I really think The Lord of the Rings is more beautifully written. Tolkien was truly a master of the English language. His stories are very poetic, written in a strong rhythm like you find in fine music, for each chapter does not miss a beat of being a worthwhile read. Aside from it's style, LOTR is also quite spiritual without being allegorical. Many Catholic elements are found in Lord of the Rings as one would expect of such a traditional Roman Catholic. Tolkien was skeptical of Vatican II, The Mass being in the vernacular., and those changes he saw in both the world and the church near the end of his life.
Tolkien like C. S. Lewis was also homeschooled, something of course that I relate too. Like Lewis, he had a close relationship to his mother, and was fascinated by stories from a young age. It is no wonder that he later when on to be an English professor again like Lewis.
Without getting too much more into Tolkien's life, perhaps the topic of a future post, let me add that I love the Medievalism of Tolkien's works. Yes, I am a Tolkien fan, and always will be.
Ever since you were small you have been a C.S. Lewis fan and then a Tolkien fan. I have heard you speak of their books and lives often and have enjoyed every minute of it. It is no coincidence that you are intrigued by them since they as well as you have had a very close relationship with their mothers. I know your mother starting reading to you before you were out of the womb. Your probably jumped in the womb when you were read "Narnia". Thanks for sharing Joshua. I thoroughly enjoyed this post!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed Ben, and thank you.
ReplyDeleteLove LOTR and the hobbit. I have heard there are Christian references(?) But am a little dull. Can you mention some of the Christian ideas Tolkien used?
ReplyDeleteTolkien actually refereed to LOTR as ''Catholic'' in his writings. That said, LOTR is not allegorical, which is important to remember.
DeleteSome say that there are values of Christianity found within it, such as friendship etc. Others say that Frodo is a type of priest, in that he carries the ring for all, much like Christ did our sin. Outside of that, I have not in depth study to that, though I'd like too. You may find the book called Finding God in the Lord of the Rings to be helpful. I own it myself, though I've never read much of it.
Excellent. Finding God in the Lord. Of the Rings. I bet it is a good book to read along with LOTR.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure.
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