[Child of the 7th Age]

The responses to this thread are amazing. So many individuals with different experiences and different reactions,yet many of them speak to the impact of these writings on their personal life.

Birdland--

..as we grow older and "life happens", the wounds and fate of Frodo becomes much easier to understand and appreciate. Our own failures and losses become a source of empathy for the struggles of beloved characters, and we know all too well that even when you win, you can lose.

This expreses it much better than I could say!

KingCarlton--

..for I have always found people enjoying books for their reading value and that only; and never in my experience has anyone been ridiculed or been regarded in doubt for reading fictional books..

I'm not sure I actually said that-- about ridicule I mean. (At least I didn't mean to.)I never faced ridicule for reading Tolkien. But, in a working class neighborhood in Detroit, it was simply not the norm. Way back in 1963 when I first read these books, most people had never even heard of Tolkien or Lord of the Rings, at least most students in school. There were no huge racks of fantasy books in the stores such as exists today; titles like these simply had not been written, the only exception being something like "She" or the Tarzan series. Star Trek was just starting (and then they pulled it off the air!) There were no web sites with postings or people writing fanfiction or attending conventions or buying books on e-bay. So it was definitely a way for a child, especially a girl who'd been told she had a certain limited road to follow in life, to assert independence and define identity.

Sorry to say that I cannot sympathise with you as I find your over-abundant faith in a story disturbing

"Over-abundant faith"??? Whoops! Are you talking about my use of Tolkien as a way to define identity in adolescence, or my feelings about the book and central character in helping me get through a year of grieving? I've already addressed the former above, but here goes on the latter.... As far as grieving goes, reading Tolkien and feeling some solace and identification is just one part of a complicated puzzle that lasted over a year. Friends and family were the most essential part of that puzzle, but there were times when friends and family just weren't there--either physically or emotionally. In that sense, it was a way of escape for a very hard time, and is that so very awful? It's not the be-all or end-all of my existence, but it is one part of who I am. There are, of course, many other parts, but since this site discusses Tolkien I tend not to get into my life as a librarian, college teacher, lover of the outdoors, observent Jew, writer of poetry and articles, mother, wife, friend, etc., since these would surely be of less interest on this site.

King Carleton--

Never have I felt the need to find consolation from reading a book.

If a humble hobbit may disagree with a geat king, I must say that I feel that finding consolation is one very legitimate way of responding to literature. And I do feel that Tolkien's writings can and should be viewed as literature. I can't believe that, sometime when you felt down, you never turned to a poem you loved and then walked away feeling a bit better. Reading Tolkien is no different than this! It doesn't mean that you have "over-abundant faith in a story". In another context, you may even criticize aspects of that story--I have done this with Tolkien and my students in classroom situations when I have my academic hat on. But, for that one moment in time, you can identify with the book and characters on some basic level,and it does bring healing and growth. sharon, the 7th age hobbit