Mythological Literature

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

Why do you think these stories hit so close to home for us?

Well, in many cases I try to escape my personal life. It sounds crazy, but I am just not happy in this time period [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]
It makes life a little easier if you can escape into a world of fantasy where people are viewed for who they are, not what they look like. I enjoy the fact that the characters in those stories are so noble and quick to help one another out. Back then someone was automatically a "friend" if they were on your side. Nowadays it's "each man for himself" and people aren't always there to help each other out.

Why do we find ourselves reading these books over and over?

Well, for me... I want the experience of going back to these places whenever life become too much for me to handle. You can say, "well, gee, these people were half my size and look what they accomplished!".

What is in these stories that captures the heart of every age group..let me know some of your personal stories..especially on how Tolkien's works

Well, fantasy is something that automatically captures the attention of children because they have not yet lost their imaginations. When I was little I always pretended I was somewhere else, that unicorns were real, and so forth...
As an adult, I go back to these stories because I don't want to loose my imagination... the ability to escape the present world in the only way I know how. I always hope that if we create out own heavens that mine will be Middle Earth (when there is no evil, of course [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] )