So, who WAS Tolkien?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 кві 2022
- Correction: Carpenter's biography came out in 1977, not 1997, sorry about that!
In this video, I discuss the many different works that you can find about Tolkien's life, and how we figure out what parts are actually true. Leave a like, subscribe, and comment whatever I might have missed!
Donate to my tip jar: ko-fi.com/parttimehobbit12870
Follow me on Instagram: / parttimehobbit
Citations are available upon request!
DISCLAIMER: I mean absolutely no hate to any properties mentioned in this video. Every created work has some inherent bias, but that doesn't make the research and care that went into these projects any less important, and any thoughts expressed in this video are just my critique as a casual reader/watcher.
Contact me: parttime.hobbit.business@gmail.com
Thank You. I’m new to Tolkien at 60 years old. I’m starting with The Hobbit and finding it enjoyable. I’m looking forward to more books and love your Videos on the man himself.
I saw that you had about four and a half minutes left to explain who Tolkien was after dealing with your two sources, and was curious about where you'd end up. I wasn't expecting your conclusion, and I actually got chills throughout it. Well done.
I certainly grew up with the idea of Tolkien as a stuffy Oxford academic, mostly drawn from that picture of him with his pipe that graced the back of the Ballentine paperbacks in the 70s, but then I started to see the stories of him as an utterly brutal rugby player, or chasing a neighbor down the street while dressed as as a Viking, or being the man in his unit during the War that was always given the hardest horse to break, or attending a non-costume party dressed as a polar bear, or him handing shopkeepers his false teeth as change, or his making friends of the bus driver on holiday rather than the other middle-class tourists.
There is no reason to believe a stodgy old professor couldn't write something so startling, passionate, and haunting. Tolkien did, and many others have. Like the hobbits show us, even extremely ordinary seeming people can do extraordinary deeds and have extraordinary loves. We can't assume anyone's inner life or private hobbies.
Thank you for this! It takes "either a year's answer or none," so I'll just say you helped me come to terms a little more with my own adventures upon the egregoric landscapes that people may share. Of the better stories, perhaps, it can be said that the titular author discovered them first, and so felt compelled to write them down as an invitation for others to join.
Thank you for inviting us to join in your journey as well :)
So who was Tolkien? A man that is who he was. A brilliant man.
I've found that beyond reading what he wrote, the best way to get to know JRR Tolkien is through what his son Christopher wrote in books like The History of Middle Earth series.
I totally agree with you, I found Carpenters book "The inklings" equally frustrating he kept trying to push is own narrow views into the relationships and characters of the Inklings, biographies have always been a bit dodgy in my opinion who ever wrote them, "Buyer beware"
Listening to your stories about the author, a nassty "what if" finds its way back into my mind: I would have been thrilled beyond description to have a nice, long, inspiring conversation with the man. The introduction to LOTR offers a glimpse into his character, if you read it carefully.
Enjoyed this overview very much. Appreciate the even-handedness of your analysis. When people say Tolkien was THIS not THAT, THIS but NEVER THAT and say it with total certainty I always think...yeah, maybe, but he was complicated. Maybe he never fully defined who he was, because he never quite figured it out. He was bright enough to know he would never stop learning, or gaining experience, so long as he was alive.
Absolutely!
If I’m asked to describe myself in my motivations, it’s difficult. So if I struggled to find myself, how can I expect others to be easily categorised or described.
We are probably best to read and enjoy the books!
There is an old mid 2000s documentary from History channel that did a better job in 1 hour of looking into Tolkien's life, than that movie. Good video.
I'll have to check that out!
I really appreciate this overview of available materials about Tolkien's life, as I've occasionally had the half-formed idea that I should get better informed about the LOTR author. Hearing your perspective about such research lifts off of me that sense of "I should know more data" and lets me focus on my personal experience of his writings. My journey towards becoming a Tolkien fan was a very meandering one: In my teens, I couldn't cope with the spiritual dimensions that I sensed in the film trilogy, so I wasn't able to join my sister and my father in their enthusiasm for the movies. It actually took me until my late twenties until I could bear to immerse myself in a LOTR movie marathon with a few friends. On the other hand, I had no problem watching the Hobbit films as they came out. That probably reflects my personal spiritual development more than any comparison between the trilogies, although I would be interested in hearing whether you sense more spiritual depth in the older films as well.
About five years ago, I was desperate for fresh reading material (in English!) and finally read The Hobbit as it was available in that moment. Even though I liked various elements of the story, the style did not really appeal to me and actually delayed any further interest in Tolkien's writings... until the fateful day when I noticed a volume of The Unfinished Tales in my local thrift shop (in a smallish town near Bern, Switzerland) and discovered that Tolkien's "real" writing style is delectably rich even when describing obscure moments and characters. In the months that followed, I gradually acquired all three LOTR books and read them within a month or so. I think it was the following year that I had the opportunity to buy the Silmarillion (secondhand) as well, and after that immersive experience, I simply had to continue on with rereading the Hobbit and LOTR as one cohesive saga. At this point, I have a simmering conviction that I will eventually want to relive those stories again in written form, with the incredible sense of resolution in the Return of the King forming an incomparable literary highlight.
I'm glad this overview helped! I think that supplementary materials like biographies can be a lot of fun, but it's surprising how much of himself Tolkien put into his stories.
What a journey you've had with these books, wow! I can totally see the spiritual elements being a lot for a first time watcher, it's definitely one of those things where if you're wary of it, it can be overwhelming. I think that's one of the best things about the trilogy though, since Tolkien wasn't endeavoring to make any specific allegories, we are able to draw out the themes that we find helpful or engaging.
Thanks so much for the support, and for sharing your journey!
The best way to come to know an author, is to read what year she wrote. You’ve hit the nail on the head. Authors can only write from the well of who they are. And because I like what he wrote, I am sure I would’ve liked him.
I like that this video doesn’t oversimplify who Tolkien was in order to make a point. Great analysis! (Also, where can I find an editing buddy like yours?)
You can come hang out with Bertie any time!
Hello there
Carpenter's biography is a fine book in its own right, but his view that the Inklings had no bearing on their own writings always made me feel something not quite right. Dr. Diana Glyer's "The Company They Keep" and "Bandersnatch" is much better in that regard. However, Carpenter's Chapter "Thursday Nights" is phenomenal. Ordway's book is very good; I read it last year. I also have pre-ordered her new book on Tolkien's Faith.
Yes! I believe Jess that ur conclusion hits the mark, with one exception. I suppose in your reading you came across the book titled " Tolkien: author of the Century". Shippey argues two points. Tolkien's the Lord of the rings is the inception and foundation of modern fantasy. Further, JRRT is not only the greatest writer of a number of authors who lived through and in many cases fought in either world war 1 or World War II, he is also the greatest writer of them all, that is of the 20th century. It is Tolkien's relationship to war that I want to underline. Shippey holds that the authors who fought in and/or lived through either or both of the World Wars used writing as catharsis. Their works became their therapy. Such a belief leads to the obvious conclusion that their works were influenced to some extent by their experience of living through and or fighting in either or both of those wars.
I know im a couple years late commenting on this one. I think you summed it up perfectly on the end. Ive read books and articles about the man, Ive watched documentaries about him. I know more about him from his own writings though. Perhaps not the day to day Tolkien, but the man himself and what he stood for and valued. Great video Jess, that was a great conclusion.
Wonderfully soothing video as always!
Nice video. I think your conclusion - from Tolkien’s mouth itself - is right on. Tolkien spoiled a lot of literary speculation. For instance, Tolkien famously commented that he cordially disliked allegory - in response to speculation that the One Ring was the atomic bomb. Tolkien said that he preferred applicability to allegory. The reader is free to associate things in the books in ways that resonate with him. Some people make a big deal about Tolkien being a Catholic, and that Gandalf was a Christ-like figure. Or they see Tolkien as trying to promote Christianity in his books. But all that is allegory. It’s interesting that there is no organized religion in LOTR. The Elves venerate the Valar but fo not worship - same with the remnants of the Numenoreans in Middle Earth. Worship is reserved for Sauron in the Second Age - worship of a false god. Anyway, thanks for the nice videos and hobbity stuff. Oh...I’m pretty sure that Tolkien considered himself hobbit-like. Waistcoats, inns, good simple food, beer, love of the woods and the countryside, and of course pipeweed.
I agree! Tolkien was a much more unique individual than I think a lot of people give him credit for. And I think a lot of us are a bit hobbity deep down. Thanks for the comment!
@easttowest7839to be sure, Tolkien saw one of his best friends, C. S. Lewis, as a sub-creator. Have you read the poem Mythopoeia?
This was lovely! Thank you for this fantastic perspective. I get the feeling Tolkien was not a typical Catholic, professor, writer, father, or husband and difficult, if not impossible to fully understand. Your point is akin to finding and understanding religion in your heart rather than by reading a book or listening to a preacher. By the way. You are totally a Tolkien scholar!
The Letters of JRR Tolkien paint the picture of a man who was unfathomably articulate and intelligent, but tinged with a sort of professional jealousy and insecurity. A deeply spiritual person, who's faith penetrates every aspect of his thought. He knew he was intelligent, but by that same token if you didn't agree with him you were wrong.
Tolkien and Pratchett--the best
As a somewhat failed academic, I appreciate your approach to discovering the "real Tolkien", as I appreciate the amount of research that you put into all of your videos.
Such a great video! Sometimes UA-cam algorithm does its job right. 🙂
My first experience with Tolkien was back in 1990 or 1991, can't remember exactly the year right now, on a footnote of a RPG book. Mind you, I was born and raised on a non-English speaking country, so before that point I never had any knowledge about Tolkien and his works.
It was only on December 1997/January 1998 that I was able to buy the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings, which were just recently re-translated into Brazilian Portuguese (1994, to be more precise. Also, trivia: the first translation published in Brazil, back in the 60s/70s, were as pirate as Ace Books edition in the US), and I can say without any doubt that Tolkien's work changed my life, or at least my understanding of it.
As for understanding professor Tolkien himself, I believe there are two books that are better for that job: "The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide", compiled by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond, the "Chronology" volume to be precise; the second book was released just in November 2022, called "Tolkien Dogmatics", written by Austin M. Freeman. As the name can tell, it's a dive into Tolkien's religious beliefs, an attempt to reconstruct them considering his works and letters, and gives you an insight on his theological thoughts. But to be sincere, I think that we who never had the opportunity to know him while alive will never have the true sense of who Tolkien was.
Loved your video, just subscribed and now going to binge the rest of them. Have a nice day!
So enjoyed your video. See you at Bag End,ms.Underhill.
I don't think for a second that it's a coincidence that you've made a channel about Tolkien and his works: You're Divine, just like Tolkien was.
Good video!
I think "Tolkien" is a very flawed movie, but I liked that they tried to make his passion for linguistic more relatable. It was a very important well for his imagination and started his interest for mythology.
But regarding that time in his life, it's probably better to stick with John Garth's "Tolkien and the Great War", which describes Tolkien's school friendships and experiences in World War 1 and a lot of the events that formed Tolkien's ideas on friendship, sacrifice and duty. But at the same time, it also paints him as some kind of visionary, with great ambitions as an author.
But in the end, one of the most underrated interpretations is mostly relagated to the sidelines: the part of him that lived entirely in the moment. That wrote the "Lord of the Rings" because his publisher asked him to, because he needed extra money for his children and because the Inklings demanded something to read. 😊
This channel is fantastic. I am a fan of The Lord of The Rings. Thank you for the subtitle in the videos because I am learning English.
He was a fascinating author who I fear will be cancelled and maligned in the future... A man of his time that unfortunately will be forgotten for what he truly loved
Nice Austin Powers insert there. I felt the need to say that Saruman is the Diet Coke of evil!
I was shocked , SHOCKED, to learn that not everything on the internet is true and to be trusted. My whole world crumbled! I'm sure that anything that is not true is only a mistake like, I don't know, misusing a word like bibliography for biography. It could happen to anyone.
I'm sure for Carpenter's bio you meant not 1997 but 1977.
I don't usually care much about the authors of the books I read. While the background knowledge can help inform the context of the books, I'd rather interpret the text by its own merits.
Yes, with regard to discovering who Tolkien "was" I think people tend to look for something that isn't there or to look in the wrong places or much worse, cast their own ideological projections onto who he was. Tolkien is remarkable for being, in a conventional sense, so unremarkable. By that I mean his personal life, his distaste of 'celebrity', his academic over literary focus. As you say, there are not answers to who he "was" because, in a way, it's the wrong question. We are simply left with the beauty of his works, themes that connect and resonate so strongly with so many people across time and geography. I don't like to speak on 'behalf' of the man but I will make an exception and say that would probably have pleased him more than anything else.
Tolkien went from the explanation of why he wrote LorT - in the prologue - "I wanted to see if I could write a really long taile that would hold reader's interest", or words very much to that extent. To, in a letter to Christopher confessing that he had warned his heart on his sleeve in the writing process.
Jess also Catholic, or just a deep enough Tolkien nerd to have found Ordway's book within a year of publication?
CUTE RATTY!
Nice marmot!
One of her rats.
Are you Australian? Something about you make me think you are, but your accent is kind of neutral hmm
‘Jess of The Shire’. Anyone, actually English, necessarily views this American mental health case with pity.