Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
What are millions of readers all over the world getting out of reading The Lord of the Rings? Newly reissued with a new afterword, Patrick Curry's Defending Middle-earth argues, in part, that Tolkien has found a way to provide something close to spirit in a secular age. His focus is on three main aspects of Tolkien's fiction: the social and political structure of Middle-earth and how the varying cultures within it find common cause in the face of a shared threat; the nature and ecology of Middle-earth and how what we think of as the natural world joins the battle against mindless, mechanized destruction; and the spirituality and ethics of Middle-earth, for which Curry provides a particularly insightful and resonant examination that will deepen the understanding of the millions of fans who have taken The Lord of the Rings to heart.
About the Author
Patrick Curry, a Canadian-born writer and scholar, is the only on-camera Tolkien expert featured on the extended DVDs of the films of The Lord of the Rings whose work is currently unavailable in the United States. He holds a Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of science and is the author of Introducing Machiavelli as well as several books and essays of social history.
Table of Contents
Contents Preface vii
1. Introduction: Radical Nostalgia 1 The Story 3; Readers vs. Critics 5; Postmodernity in Middle-earth 10; Middle-earth in Postmodernity 13; Three Worlds in One 16; A Mythology for England? 20; A Great Book? 23
2. The Shire: Culture, Society and Politics 24 Englishness 26; Country Folk 27; Nation and Class 29; A Pastoral Fantasy? 33; Fascist? 36; Politics in Middle-earth 37; Radical Nostalgia 42; Activism 43; Escapism45
3. Middle-Earth: Nature and Ecology 48 Place 49; Nature in Middle-Earth 50; Forests, Woods and Trees 51; The War on Trees 53; The Tree of Life 55; Tolkien and Trees 58; The Ring 60; Magic vs. Enchantment 61; The Ring as Megamachine 65; Mordor on Earth 69; The War on Life 72; Selling Ourselves 74; On Sentimentality 76; Lifes a Beech 78; Save Us from the Experts 83
4. The Sea: Spirituality and Ethics 87 The Problem of Evil 88; Death 91; Luck, Fate, Providence 94; A Christian Work? 86; A Pagan Work? 98; Wizards and Stars 101; All and None 103; Post-Christian/Neo-Pagan/New Times 106; From Religion to Myth to Fantasy 110
5. Fantasy, Literature and the Mythopoeic Imagination 112 Loss and Consolation 114; Myth 118; Local Mythology 119; Universal Myth 121; Back to Myth 123; Other Approaches to Myth 125; Story 127; Fantasy 129; The Lord of the Rings as Fantasy 131; Disney World 133; Angela Carter 135; Discworld 137; Tolkiens True Company 137
6. Conclusion: Hope without Guarantees 139 The Elements 141; Place 143; Wonder 146; Hope 148
Afterword 151 References 161 Bibliography 191 Index 193