[onewhitetree]

I want to know how everyone feels on a personal level about the world of Middle-Earth as it relates to them. Do you consider JRRT to be a master of escapism?

Certainly some read the books as nothing more than a break from the drollness of day-to-day life. For me, it's more than that, though. I find it hard to concentrate on some other pieces of literature written for the express purposes of philosophical, societal, religious enlightenment and the like. With LotR (and, admittedly, a smattering of other novels that I adhere to), it's different, though. By living through the characters it is like gaining a different outlook on life through each character's viewpoints and applying said outlook to my own circumstances.

That's my personal example, and I know many who frequent this site feel similarly. Do you think the greatest acheivement of Tolkien's works is allowing a temporary escape from contemporary circumstances, or is it more?