The Philosophy of Tolkien

It may not be what you're looking for, but this book was a very fascinating read that not as many Tolkien fans (that I've met IRL) seem to know about.

Why is there something so inherently funny about reading someone's name both in the credits and the title?

Trying to expose religion in Tolkien is extremely disheartening and almost even wrong. I never made the connection to Catholicism until faggots everywhere suggested it was true while saying nothing of the tremendous beauty I focused on instead. It cheapened Middle Earth for me.

Yeah--that's why it was two halflings that resolved the entire conflict of his most highly regarded work.

The next GoT book has a 4.4/5.0 on GoodReads and it isn't even out yet

I've never been a big fan of Peter Kreeft. There's something about his writing that bores the shit out of me.

Didn't Tolkien say his books were not analogous?

No he didn't. He did however say he disliked allegory but it's always taken wildly out of context. Tolkien was referencing the sort of author enforced allegory like in the Chronicles of Narnia where Aslan absolutely is Jesus Christ with no room for the reader to come up with his own interpretations. Tolkien makes a clear distinction between allegory and applicability which many people who spout this "he hated all allegory" stuff don't appreciate.

Allegory to Tolkien means the author is not giving the reader freedom while applicability does. It's the difference between the author forcing the LOTR to be a commentary on WW2 and the readers seeing for themselves that the book says something to them about WW2.

With that said the LOTR is absolutely 100% a Catholic work. Tolkien says so himself in his letters. You can't separate an author from his work. A thoroughly Catholic mind wrote these books and it's there for anyone with the eyes to see it. You don't have to, and that's the beauty of it. You have the freedom as a reader to see what you want.

I don't know if it is the best one out there, but it's a good read. I'm on my second read right now.

>Anyone who looks to explain Tolkien, or anyone who looks to have Tolkien explained, is to be dismissed and scorned. You don't dissect magic.
He doesn't try to explain as in "the key to understand Tolkien", he gives some background on Tolkien's mindset, and gives his own views also, but not in an imposing manner.

>The next GoT book has a 4.4/5.0 on GoodReads and it isn't even out yet
Rotten Tomatoes feelings.

>Is this one of those The Philosophy of The SImpsons-tier books?
No. [washing_hands.jpg]

lel
but yeah, he was a devout Catholic

That cover looks familiar.

>literally "It's magic, I ain't gotta explain shit"

That sounds like a personal problem

>I never made the connection to Catholicism
>It cheapened Middle Earth for me
Really? I didn't make that connection either when I first read it as a young lad. These days I'm very critical of the modern Catholic church and their various scandals but even so it doesn't bother me in the slightest as far as enjoying his work.

When? Do you have a quote?

This, people who pick up on his allegory comment then conclude that he didn't intent to include any deliberate symbolism and themes that were relevant in the real world too. Where as in fact the books are replete with Christian morality and symbols of real world import.

Because it sounds like pic related, I guess

LOTR was written before pedophile Jews coopted Catholicism

Always the Joos innit

You mean the Modernists.