The Rise of Tolkienian FantasyWhen J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings appeared in 1954, it was hailed by readers but dismissed by critics as juvenile escapism. For many years both critics and professors of literature refused to take Tolkien seriously, yet today they reluctantly admit that he was indeed a great writer. Jared Lobdell claims that the literary achievement of Tolkien in fact represents a new mainstream of literary development. The future of fiction lies in fantasy, he argues, and Tolkien is part of a vital organic growth with roots in the past. Professor Lobdell surveys the predecessors of and influences on Tolkien, from Rudyard Kipling to William Morris and Kenneth Grahame. He explores the web of elements -- Celtic revival, medieval revival, and "feigned history" -- that make up Tolkienian fantasy. And he looks closely at the heirs of the master, modern fantasists Ursula Le Guin, Stephen King (for the Dark Tower series), and the J. K. Rowling. |
Contents
Far from the Madding Critics | 1 |
Mythology and Things Celtic | 21 |
Breaking and Remaking Reality | 41 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
Andrew Arcadian Arcady archetypes Blake breaking and re-making Buchan Bunyan C.S. Lewis called calquing carnival Celtic Revival century certainly chapter characteristic characters child Christmas book comedy comic countryside course creation criticism Curdie Dark Tower Donal Grant dream Edwardian Edwardian adventure story Edwardian mode English fact Faerie feigned history fiction genre George MacDonald Handley Cross Harry Potter Henty Henty's hero Hobbit humorous J.R.R. Tolkien John John Buchan Jorrocks Kenneth Grahame kind King Kipling Kipling's Langland Lear least Lewis Carroll literary literature Lobdell London look Lord Medieval Morris's Nesbit Nonsense writers noted Novalis novel Ossian past pastoral perhaps Pevsner pilgrimage pilgrims poem popular Pre-Raphaelites present Prigio Prince Prigio Princess Professor Puck quote re-making of reality Rings Romantic Romanticism Roverandom S.R. Crockett Salute to Adventurers Scott sense sequels Silmarillion Sir Gibbie Stalky stream suggest Surtees Thackeray thing Tolkien Tolkienian fantasy Victorian