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"There Would Always Be a Fairy-Tale": Essays on Tolkien's Middle-Earth
Devoted to Tolkien, the teller of tales and cocreator of the myths they brush against, these essays focus on his lifelong interest in and engagement with fairy stories, the special world that he called faërie, a world they both create and inhabit, and with the elements that make that world the special place it is. They cover a range of subjects, from The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings and their place within the legendarium he called the Silmarillion to shorter works like “The Story of Kullervo” and “Smith of Wootton Major.”
From the pen of eminent Tolkien scholar Verlyn Flieger, the individual essays in this collection were written over a span of twenty years, each written to fit the parameters of a conference, an anthology, or both. They are revised slightly from their original versions to eliminate repetition and bring them up to date. Grouped loosely by theme, they present an unpatterned mosaic, depicting topics from myth to truth, from social manners to moral behavior, from textual history to the microparticles of Middle-earth.
Together these essays present a complete picture of a man as complicated as the books that bear his name—an independent and unorthodox thinker who was both a believer and a doubter able to maintain conflicting ideas in tension, a teller of tales both romantic and bitter, hopeful and pessimistic, in equal parts tragic and comedic. A man whose work does not seek for right or wrong answers so much as a way to accommodate both; a man of antitheses.
From the pen of eminent Tolkien scholar Verlyn Flieger, the individual essays in this collection were written over a span of twenty years, each written to fit the parameters of a conference, an anthology, or both. They are revised slightly from their original versions to eliminate repetition and bring them up to date. Grouped loosely by theme, they present an unpatterned mosaic, depicting topics from myth to truth, from social manners to moral behavior, from textual history to the microparticles of Middle-earth.
Together these essays present a complete picture of a man as complicated as the books that bear his name—an independent and unorthodox thinker who was both a believer and a doubter able to maintain conflicting ideas in tension, a teller of tales both romantic and bitter, hopeful and pessimistic, in equal parts tragic and comedic. A man whose work does not seek for right or wrong answers so much as a way to accommodate both; a man of antitheses.
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2017
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About the author
Verlyn Flieger
51 books62 followersVerlyn Flieger is an author, editor, and professor in the Department of English at the University of Maryland at College Park. She teaches courses in comparative mythology, medieval literature and the works of J. R. R. Tolkien.
Flieger holds an M.A. (1972) and Ph.D. (1977) from The Catholic University of America, and has been associated with the University of Maryland since 1976. In 2012, Flieger began teaching Arthurian studies at Signum University.
Flieger holds an M.A. (1972) and Ph.D. (1977) from The Catholic University of America, and has been associated with the University of Maryland since 1976. In 2012, Flieger began teaching Arthurian studies at Signum University.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 13, 2018
My first Tolkien book of 2018 and what a volume of incredibly well argued and insightful articles by one of the foundational scholars of Tolkien and Fantasy literature upon whom shoulders we all work. A true gift to re-read several already published articles by Dr Flieger as well as several new papers covering Tolkien’s Kullervo, Fall of Arthur and Aotrou and Itroun. There are also new introductions to each section. This is the work of a true scholar and a must read by all scholars of Tolkien and fantasy literature.
September 18, 2021
My library doesn't have Flieger's earlier collection Green Suns and Faërie: Essays on J.R.R. Tolkien so I read this instead. I'm not really sure how to review this, so I'll start by linking to Megan Fotentot's review:
http://journal.finfar.org/articles/bo...
These were interesting to read, but I’m finding it difficult to say much about them. I'll probably come back to some of these later.
“How Trees Behave, Or Do They?” is one of my favorites, a fantastic essay on the nature of trees in LotR. It’s also available online, so you can read it here:
https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent....
"Eucatastrophe and the Dark" is not really a scholarly essay, but a reflection on Flieger’s experiences teaching Tolkien’s work. She writes about teaching The Lord of the Rings along with two Tolkien essays, “On Fairy Stories” and “Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics.” As she says, the two essays deal with the opposite poles of Tolkien’s imagination: the fairytale and the tragic epic. I have to admit that when she describes some of her students resisting the bittersweet aspect of LotR, I am completely baffled, because I just don’t share that reaction at all. I do agree with her that the ending of LotR is bittersweet rather than happy. I wonder, though, what teaching The Silmarillion must be like, because I think most people who have read it would say that while LotR is pretty balanced between joy and sorrow, The Silmarillion comes close to crashing the scales on the tragic side. (I love it, but still.)
My introduction to Flieger’s work was her excellent study of The Silmarillion, Splintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien's World. (I reviewed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) I have Green Suns and Faërie: Essays on J.R.R. Tolkienand A Question of Time: J. R. R. Tolkien's Road to Faerie on my reading list, but first I want to reread John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth, and I’m not sure when I’ll get to it.
http://journal.finfar.org/articles/bo...
These were interesting to read, but I’m finding it difficult to say much about them. I'll probably come back to some of these later.
“How Trees Behave, Or Do They?” is one of my favorites, a fantastic essay on the nature of trees in LotR. It’s also available online, so you can read it here:
https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent....
"Eucatastrophe and the Dark" is not really a scholarly essay, but a reflection on Flieger’s experiences teaching Tolkien’s work. She writes about teaching The Lord of the Rings along with two Tolkien essays, “On Fairy Stories” and “Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics.” As she says, the two essays deal with the opposite poles of Tolkien’s imagination: the fairytale and the tragic epic. I have to admit that when she describes some of her students resisting the bittersweet aspect of LotR, I am completely baffled, because I just don’t share that reaction at all. I do agree with her that the ending of LotR is bittersweet rather than happy. I wonder, though, what teaching The Silmarillion must be like, because I think most people who have read it would say that while LotR is pretty balanced between joy and sorrow, The Silmarillion comes close to crashing the scales on the tragic side. (I love it, but still.)
My introduction to Flieger’s work was her excellent study of The Silmarillion, Splintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien's World. (I reviewed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) I have Green Suns and Faërie: Essays on J.R.R. Tolkienand A Question of Time: J. R. R. Tolkien's Road to Faerie on my reading list, but first I want to reread John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth, and I’m not sure when I’ll get to it.
September 6, 2022
A thoughtful and insightful collection of essays mainly considering Tolkien’s writing and its relationship with his famous essay “On Fairy Stories”. While I didn’t always agree with the conclusions drawn, the discussions were always interesting and, ultimately, is that not what these kinds of discourses are for?
June 4, 2018
I'm sorry, but I simply could not stand this book! I realize each "essay" was actually a talk given on varying topics. But even taking each "talk" separately, they have the feel of someone rambling or thinking aloud. There's the general question, some background information, some follow-up questions, and yet not conclusion! No real discovery or revelation. Just random musings upon shallow things.
As I stated in a previous partial-review, parts of it feels like she doesn't even really understand Tolkien -- especially his views on Christianity vs religion, and she most definitely does NOT understand the full Christian view of death (and how Tolkien can call it a "gift" in his novels). Which makes it feel more like Japanese literature of the mid 20th century... like Natsume Soseki's "Kokoro" or Junichiro Tanizaki's "Some Prefer Nettles" where in you get a great feel for a problem and a situation, but NO RESOLUTION and NO CONCLUSION!
As I stated in a previous partial-review, parts of it feels like she doesn't even really understand Tolkien -- especially his views on Christianity vs religion, and she most definitely does NOT understand the full Christian view of death (and how Tolkien can call it a "gift" in his novels). Which makes it feel more like Japanese literature of the mid 20th century... like Natsume Soseki's "Kokoro" or Junichiro Tanizaki's "Some Prefer Nettles" where in you get a great feel for a problem and a situation, but NO RESOLUTION and NO CONCLUSION!
January 17, 2022
another wonderful work
Ms. Flieger again delivers insight, informed clear writing, and a deep understanding of the legendarium as few others can. I will continue to dig deep into JRRT’s work and follow her lead.
Ms. Flieger again delivers insight, informed clear writing, and a deep understanding of the legendarium as few others can. I will continue to dig deep into JRRT’s work and follow her lead.
November 30, 2020
the essay on 'political correctness' in tolkien is genuinely embarrassing.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews