Description
J. R. R. Tolkien's classic works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion comprise a legendarium with a complex world-system presented through an array of poetic forms. Through historical, geopolitical, and multicultural detail, combining elements of myth, romance, and the modern novel, Middle-earth is seen as much more than an adventure tale.
This book analyzes Tolkien's narrative form and its relation to social contexts, while also exploring his broader philosophical conception of history and the role of individual and collective subjects within it. Tolkien's published and posthumous writing, the film adaptations, and recent scholarship are all examined to provide an enlarged and refined critical perspective. Drawing upon Marxist literary theory and criticism, traditional views of race, class, morality, escapism, and general fantasy are called into question. Close reading mixed with theoretical speculation lets readers see Middle-earth, as well as our own world, in a new way.
Author: Robert T. Tally
Publisher: McFarland & Company
Published: 12/21/2023
Pages: 198
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.40h x 6.10w x 0.80d
ISBN13: 9780786470372
ISBN10: 0786470372
BISAC Categories:
- Literary Criticism | Science Fiction & Fantasy