Christian Goodreaders discussion

It seems only appropriate that Tollers should have a thread.

In addition to his famous Middle Earth stories, I especially enjoyed his story novel Smith of Wootton Major. Unlike the books he so famously labored over, Tolkien wrote this story almost at a single go. It shows. It has a simplicity and purity missing from the layers of detail and plot in Middle Earth. (My Unwin edition has the Roger Garland illustrations, which add to the fun.)

Subsequent readings secured this tale a place among the books I occasionally re-read just for the joy of the story.

I also recommend The Tolkien Reader. It has good fiction (Farmer Giles of Ham" is hilarious) and some LOTR tie-ins, but most of all for his essay "Leaf and Tree." The section, "On Fairy-stories" is his great exposition on reading and writing fiction in general and fantasy in particular. It is the source of the famous Tolkien quote, "Fantasy remains a human right: we make in our measure and in our derivative mode, because we are made: and not only made, but made in the image and likeness of a Maker."

Ron, thanks for starting this thread! Tolkien is one of my favorite authors (and most definitely a serious Christian author, who integrated his Roman Catholic faith with his writing at the deepest level). But I've only read his LOTR saga; we have the other two books you mentioned at the library where I work, and I'll definitely have to read those sometime!

Glad to hear others liked "Smith of Wootton Major." A lyrical piece, to be sure. I would recommend Tolkien's biography by Humphrey Carpenter, too.

Speaking of biographies, Diana Glyer has written an interesting study of the Inklings: The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community