Literary Criticism
The works of Tolkien have generated a body of academic research, studying different facets such as
- Tolkien as a writer of fantasy literature
- Tolkien's invented languages
Early avenues towards literary respectability of Tolkien's works were opened by Paul H. Kocher's 1972 Master of Middle-Earth and Tom Shippey's 1982 The Road to Middle-earth. The pace of scholarly publications on Tolkien has increased dramatically in the early 2000s. The dedicated journal Tolkien Studies has been appearing since 2004.
Edmund Wilson became known for his harsh criticism of Tolkien's work, which he referred to as "juvenile trash", saying "Dr. Tolkien has little skill at narrative and no instinct for literary form."
Lobdell, evaluating the reception of Tolkien in the mainstream literary establishment (as opposed to dedicated Tolkien scholarship), cited the widely quoted negative critique by Wilson and the partly favourable one by Edwin Muir, concluding that "no 'mainstream critic' appreciated The Lord of the Rings or indeed was in a position to write criticism on it — most being unsure what it was and why readers liked it."
Richard C. West compiled an Annotated Checklist of Tolkien Criticism (2nd ed., Kent State University Press, 1981).
Marxist critics vilified Tolkien for his social conservativism, and for the "veiled geopolitics" implied in readings that interpret Sauron's Mordor and Sharkey's dictatorship in the Shire as parodies of Soviet Communism (Oberhelman 2006). E.P. Thompson in 1981 blames the cold warrior mentality on "too much early reading of The Lord of the Rings". Inglis (1983) modifies earlier accusations of fascism against Tolkien, but still maintains that the novel is a "political fantasy" for escapist middle-class readers in modern capitalist society. Griffin (1985) examines Tolkien in relation to Italian neofascism, again suggesting a proximity of Tolkien's ideals to those of the radical right. Other Marxist critics, however, have been more positive towards Tolkien. While criticizing Tolkien's politics embedded in The Lord of the Rings, China Miéville admires Tolkien's creative use of Norse mythology, tragedy, monsters, and subcreation, as well as his criticism of allegory.
Read more about this topic: Reception Of J. R. R. Tolkien
Famous quotes containing the words literary criticism, literary and/or criticism:
“Literary criticism now is all pranks and polemics.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“I am not a literary man.... I am a man of science, and I am interested in that branch of Anthropology which deals with the history of human speech.”
—J.A.H. (James Augustus Henry)
“The critic lives at second hand. He writes about. The poem, the novel, or the play must be given to him; criticism exists by the grace of other men’s genius. By virtue of style, criticism can itself become literature. But usually this occurs only when the writer is acting as critic of his own work or as outrider to his own poetics, when the criticism of Coleridge is work in progress or that of T.S. Eliot propaganda.”
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