[The Silver-shod Muse]

Watch how he [Tolkien] uses the reactions and the dialogue of his characters to set us up for Khazad-dûm, for Lothlórien, for Mordor. He creates an air of wonder and mystery about these places well before we even get there...

Another thing this has the effect of doing is creating a sense of age and old legends creeping across countless leagues to be told in hushed voices in warm, smoky pubs.

Now for my thoughts on all this:
A fantasy story must ring of truth. It's difficult to believe an otherwise idealized story devoid of morality, just as no one can believe the inverse: a story where superb beings (i.e. Mary Sue shieldmaidens) dance through troubles like a rose garden. Idealizations should lie in how the character grows, not in how lovely the jeweled curtains or silver spoons are. Those things pass away, but the truth one implants in a story flourishes if done artfully.