What Awards has Tolkien won?

[gorthaur_cruel]

I was into an argument between somebody who dislikes Tolkien (for the simple reason that I like it), and I was asked to name any significant awards that the Lord of the Rings has won (if any) if "it's so great of a book". I was stumped by this question, actually. I heard lots of great reviews for it, but what awards has it actually won? Even the mediocre fantasy/sci-fi books these days win awards, so I doubt that the masterpiece of fantasy won absolutely nothing. Could somebody enlighten me on this, please?

[HerenIstarion]

The Lord of the Rings had been voted the greatest book of the 20th century in a readers' poll conducted by Britain's Channel 4 and the Waterstone's bookstore chain, 1997, if I'm not mistaken

[gorthaur_cruel]

Well, I actually mentioned those. But he says that those do nothing than to prove the popularity of the book, and does not distinguish LotR from the popular-but-not-so-grand books like Harry Potter.

[HerenIstarion]

So, your friend seems to be one of the literati, is he?

No special rewards that I can recall at the spot, unless we count the title of Honorary Professor of Something Somewhere (exact locations to be found once I get hold of my Biography by Carpenter)

But does it mean that much?

If your friend is a thinking person (and I suppose he must be, for friends oft take after us (or vice versa), and unthinking people do not haunt discussion boards, I suppose ), let him read J.R.R.Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom S. Shippey. Affordable paperback edition ISBN: 0618257594

Besides, and allegedly, people who read books at all, but have no special literary education, may have less refined taste than some who have (and who give out awards, usually inside the ring of the likes of them, equally refined writers), but there is a fundamental question besides that

What do we care for - finesse of form (which, BTW, LoTR has a wagonful of (not very refined expression, but you are entitled to quote me nevertheless) or the truth of consistence?

And the more thinking people respond to the 'truth of consistence', the greater success is the book, be it awarded 'Gold Medal For Being Mostly Refined Inner State Of Mind And Finest Movement Of The Charachter Research Ever Written Until Next Year When The Next Most Refined Fellow Will Get The Medal' or not.

And another besides - not thinking is what matters as well. Tolkien touched upon my heart (I'm not afraid to sound like soap opera, for it is serios) besides my mind. It rang true.

With which, let me see you and your friend off to C-Thread for further reasearch

cheers

[The Saucepan Man]

Book awards are a relatively recent phenomenon and tend to be awarded to recently published works. I doubt that there were many, if any, awards of the type that proliferate today around when LotR was first published. That, no doubt, is the reason for it not having been the recipient of any such awards (if indeed that is the case).

It has, however, consistently topped popularity polls in many different countries and over a period of many years (going back at least to the 1960s). The most recent in the UK was the Big Read, conducted by the BBC a year or two ago, when it beat a multitude of books that the po-faced literati might (and indeed did) regard as more "serious" contenders for the title. Their ridicule throughout the "competition" had little, if any, effect on the views of the book-reading public.

LotR's enduring appeal in this regard suggests that there is much more at stake here than the fickle finger of fashion. Will the Harry Potter books be topping popularity polls in 30 to 40 years' time?

[Mithalwen]

Just as a footnote - I would add that LOTR was also voted book of the millenium before the films came out so the Big Read was not merely a result of the film raising awareness...

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

Book awards are a relatively recent phenomenon and tend to be awarded to recently published works. I doubt that there were many, if any, awards of the type that proliferate today around when LotR was first published. That, no doubt, is the reason for it not having been the recipient of any such awards (if indeed that is the case).

. . .

LotR's enduring appeal in this regard suggests that there is much more at stake here than the fickle finger of fashion. Will the Harry Potter books be topping popularity polls in 30 to 40 years' time?

A very good point about award, Sauce. They have become, in many ways, part of the marketing apparatus of modern publishing. Still and all, there are a great many more books published now than earlier in the twentieth century.

As to your point about the Harry Potter books, I would venture to say, yes they will. Why? For some of the same reasons LotR is still so popular.

Many Downers here have said how they first read the books in early adolescence, and have returned to read them again over and over. *coughs* Mithadan *coughs* The magic of the first or early readings stays with us, and we return to our favourite books, as treasured experiences of something wonderful that real life misses.

This same phenomenon exists with Rowlings' books. The Harry Potter series is a magic key which has opened the portal of reading for many, many children. The number is legion of children who either could not read or who hated reading, but who then were hooked by Rowling's first book and have gone on to continue to read the series. Will the books retain their magic once those children return to them as adults? Who knows how strong the magic of reading is for some people.
The real issue might be, while those who read Rowlings pass on their reading experience to their children, as has happened with Tolkien.


But you know, Sauce, we really don't need to diss other writers in order to hold up Tolkien to great praise. He can stand on his own feet.

[Encaitare]

I'm thinking that since there are the Bram Stoker Award and the Hugo Award, maybe someday there will be a Tolkien Award for really awesome fantasy (or perhaps fairy stories?). Then, when the good professor has a prestigious literary award named for him, you can prove to your friend how right you were in the first place.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

But you know, Sauce, we really don't need to diss other writers in order to hold up Tolkien to great praise. He can stand on his own feet.

Oh I wasn't intending to disparage JKR, or any other writers for that matter. I have not read any of the Harry Potter books (although I have seen the films), so I can't comment personally on them.

Gorthaur_cruel asked what distinguished LotR from the HP books in terms of quality, given that they are both so popular, which assumed that there was a qualitative difference. You may well be right that they will still be as popular in 30 to 40 years as LotR is now. If so, then they will certainly deserve to be ranked up there with LotR. My own feeling (although it is admittedly a relatively uninformed one) is that they may achieve the same enduring (but slightly dated) popularity as, say, Enid Blyton's Famous Five or Faraway Tree books (I have cherished memories of reading both series). Which would be impressive, but not (to my mind at least) as impressive as LotR's continued wide-scale popularity (for which, as Mithalwen points out, is far from being solely down to the films).

As for Tolkien standing on his own feet, you are of course absolutely right. But one cannot help feeling a tad defensive about one's famous author when he is being dismissed as "childish" and "boy's own" by "serious" critics and academics alike, despite (or perhaps because of) the massive popularity of the books with the reading public.

[Selmo]

Queen Elizabeth II, on behalf of the British people, appointed Professor Tolkien as a Companion of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). That's only one step away from a knighthood. Few authors achieve such distinction.

[Orophin]

I dont know if this will help you but somewhere( I dont know where) I read that Frodo Baggins was among the top 3 most well known characters in the world. The other two Being Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter. Thats got to count for something......

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by SpM

Gorthaur_cruel asked what distinguished LotR from the HP books in terms of quality, given that they are both so popular, which assumed that there was a qualitative difference. You may well be right that they will still be as popular in 30 to 40 years as LotR is now. If so, then they will certainly deserve to be ranked up there with LotR. My own feeling (although it is admittedly a relatively uninformed one) is that they may achieve the same enduring (but slightly dated) popularity as, say, Enid Blyton's Famous Five or Faraway Tree books (I have cherished memories of reading both series).

I think that what makes the HP books so popular can partly be attributed to the structure of the series. Setting the books in a school, an environment familiar to most children, with nice and nasty teachers, bullies and friends, enables instant identification with the stories and characters. And this also reminds me of those series of Enid Blyton school stories. Using this setting also gives the added bonus of the series naturally tracking the progress of the characters as they grow up. I for one am looking forwards to learning 'what happens next'. But where they differ from LotR is in their essential lack of depth in comparison. Tolkien gives us a wholly immersive secondary world while with HP we get something which exists alongside our own world. Although, JK Rowling is still young and we would hope she has a lot more stories in her. My own personal hope is that she creates her own version of the Sil, where she explores some of those intriguing histories, and maybe gives us a longer look at the Ministry of Magic as there is much satire to be found there.

And another footnote: I'm sure Tolkien received some honorary doctorates too, which is another great mark of respect.

[Lalwendë]

I am answering myself here...have I gone mad? No, not yet, but there is this in Letters:

Letter 202

11 September 1957

It may amuse you to hear that (unsolicited) I suddenly found myself the winner of the International Fantasy Award, presented (as it says) 'as a fitting climax to the Fifteenth World Science Fiction Convention'. ...the handing over of an absurd trophy. A massive metal 'model' of an upended Space-rocket (combined witha Ronson lighter).

I must say, that trophy sounds rather good, especially having a lighter built into it. And thanks are due to davem for this as he found the quote.