"Gated communities"...... - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 04-05-2003, 07:25 AM

Lindil, yeah, I have read A question of Time, also Splintered Light. She & Tom Shippey, for me, are the greatest expositors of Tolkien's ideas, & should be compulsory reading! There's so much more going on in the Legendarium than many (most?) readers pick up on. Tolkien is writing on multiple levels. Of course, you can read it as a story set in an invented world, & talk about Lorien being protected by Elven warriors, & the magic of Nenya. But you can approach it on a deeper level, exploring Tolkien's approach to time/space & see the characters crossing between worlds/realities, which is an area which would be worth looking into.
LotR is a multi layered book. I suspect there's still a great deal no-one has picked up on, but Flieger's exploration of his use of Time, in Question of Time, & of the fragmentation of Language/Light in Splintered Light are incredibly important. But I've also been influenced by the studies of Celtic myth by Caitlin Matthews for instance.

04-05-2003, 07:25 AM	#21
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Lindil, yeah, I have read A question of Time, also Splintered Light. She & Tom Shippey, for me, are the greatest expositors of Tolkien's ideas, & should be compulsory reading! There's so much more going on in the Legendarium than many (most?) readers pick up on. Tolkien is writing on multiple levels. Of course, you can read it as a story set in an invented world, & talk about Lorien being protected by Elven warriors, & the magic of Nenya. But you can approach it on a deeper level, exploring Tolkien's approach to time/space & see the characters crossing between worlds/realities, which is an area which would be worth looking into. LotR is a multi layered book. I suspect there's still a great deal no-one has picked up on, but Flieger's exploration of his use of Time, in Question of Time, & of the fragmentation of Language/Light in Splintered Light are incredibly important. But I've also been influenced by the studies of Celtic myth by Caitlin Matthews for instance. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."