Everyone has done a fairly exhaustive job of explaining their point of view. Perhaps the discussion has risen to meet your expectations, TMM? I agree with all you’ve said about the infinite wonder of Tolkien’s creation, though I might perhaps disagree that it is larger in scope than even he intended. He was a rather ambitious chap after all.
I agree with the Squatter’s very articulate comments on virtually every point. I’ll add, to clear up any possible misunderstanding, that I’m not defending Shippey’s “Author of the Century” claim. I agree wholeheartedly that such distinctions have little meaning. Nevertheless, I think it’s equally silly for Jenkyns to focus on the subtitle of Shippey’s book as some sort of challenge, then respond by bashing Tolkien and labeling him king of the swords-and-sorcery ghetto. Why not simply say that such a claim for any author is at best hyperbole and move on to a review of Shippey’s book, which the article is ostensibly about? Maybe because it’s easier to gain attention by slamming a well-loved author with legions of loyal fans. Whatever shortcomings you may think Tolkien has, he has earned his place among the giants of 20th Century literature.
Re: mythology. Let’s play fair now. Tolkien aspired to create a mythology with his body of work, not with LotR alone. LotR and The Hobbit are the books Jenkyns is criticizing, and I think anyone would agree that neither is intended, on its own or combined with the other, to accomplish that goal. Did Tolkien fail in his task even if we include the sprawling corpus that includes his unfinished Silmarillion? It’s a high goal – one might say an impossible goal – for one man to set for himself: to produce a mythology as rich and deep and relevant as those produced by the great civilizations over periods of centuries. Here I must allude back to my earlier T.R. quote – we must say Tolkien failed since his work remained unfinished, but oh what a glorious failure. Tolkien dared greatly and strove valiantly. He knew the triumph of high achievement. His work will endure for many years to come and continue to make people “happier and better”, to quote Bulfinch. Jenkyns’s sneering review will be forgotten as soon as this thread sinks into the archives.
|