Overview

J. R. R. Tolkien is arguably the most influential fantasy writer of all time--his world building and epic mythology have changed Western audiences' imaginations and the entire fantasy genre. This book is the first wide-ranging Christian Platonic reading on Tolkien's fiction. This analysis, written for scholars and general Tolkien enthusiasts alike, discusses how his fiction is constructed on levels of language, myth and textuality that have a background in the Greek philosopher Plato's texts and early Christian philosophy influenced by Plato. It discusses the concepts of ideal and real, creation and existence, and fall and struggle as central elements of Tolkien's fiction, focusing on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and The History of Middle-earth. Reading Tolkien's fiction as a depiction of ideal and real, from the vision of creation to the process of realization, illuminates a part of Tolkien's aesthetics and mythology that previous studies have overlooked.

Full Product Details

Author:   Jyrki Korpua ,  Donald E. Palumbo ,  C.W. Sullivan III
Publisher:   McFarland & Co Inc
Imprint:   McFarland & Co Inc
Volume:   75
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.00cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.272kg
ISBN:  

9781476672885

ISBN 10:   1476672881
Pages:   202
Publication Date:   24 May 2021
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Construction of Mythology On Constructive Mythopoeics A Fictional Mythology Dedicated to England Speculative Historical Epic Myth and Genre 2. Creation and Existence The Song of Ainur: Christian Platonic Creation Myth in The Silmarillion Cosmology and the Chain of Being Tolkien’s Christian Platonic Mythopoeics Concerning Sidney and Coleridge The Philosophy of Afterlife The Inklings and the Power of Words 3. Fall and Struggle Long Defeat Mythopoeic Allegories Mythic and Biblical Heroes The Fall: Númenor as an Atlantis Myth The Struggle: The One Ring and the Ring Motif Conclusion Notes Works Consulted Index

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Author Information

Jyrki Korpua is a teacher and researcher at the University of Turku and the University of Oulu, Finland. He has edited 20+ special issues of journals and published more than 20 articles on literature, video games, graphic novels, and film studies. Donald E. Palumbo is a professor of English at East Carolina University. He lives in Greenville, North Carolina. C.W. Sullivan III is Distinguished Professor of arts and sciences at East Carolina University and a full member of the Welsh Academy. He is the author of numerous books and the on-line journal Celtic Cultural Studies.

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