New Republic Article

[The Mirrorball Man]

Originally posted by Mister Underhill:
Should the writings of the critic himself be immune from criticism? I think not. Therefore, be not puzzled by any of the replies in this thread. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

I'm not puzzled by the people who say that they don't agree with him. I'm puzzled by the people who:

a) Feel that Tolkien (or any other author) is beyond any criticism.
b) Think that literary criticism is not a legitimate way to look at literature.
c) Think that critics necessary have some kind of secret agenda hidden behind their analysis.

I expect people to fight against what they feel is wrong or unfair, not to pretend that the fight should not happen. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]