This post is about watercolour and apples in the first half, with a connection to the Lord of the Rings in the second half. Continue reading
This drawing is the companion to this one. It needs very little explanation, I hope, but it is of course Bilbo Baggins at the entrance of Smaug’s Lair in the Lonely Mountain. It is the exact opposite to the first scene in the Hobbit, when we are introduced to Bilbo in front of his green, round, door at Bag-End, in the gentle peace of The Shire. There, he had not a care in the world, smoking his pipe, and without even a hint of adventure about him. Here, he stands behind an altogether different doorway, one that leads to possible death. The smokes that surrounds him are not pleasant, but are stinking, foul, suffocating fumes. He is in the very cauldron of his adventure, the same adventure he so resisted at the start; and it has altered him forever. As we are told at this scene: Continue reading
At last, a new blogpost, to (nearly) coincide with Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday! This is the second and last post on The Shadow of the Past…I’ve narrowed it down to a few themes, but there is so much more that could be said on this one chapter. Continue reading
Welcome. It’s that time of year when research deadlines and marking pile up into a dark, ominous cumulonimbus above my head; so my usual blog topics will need to wait. But as I left home for work on Tuesday morning these verses came quite suddenly to me, a reminder or rather a warning of what not to do and how not to be: Continue reading
Tolkien’s artwork, rather than his writing, was my first gateway to Middle-earth; so Jeffrey J. MacLeod’s and Anna Smol’s recent article “Visualizing the Word: Tolkien as Artist and Writer” (Tolkien Studies, volume 14) is of particular interest to me. The authors propose a reevaluation of Tolkien’s imaginative and writing process to recognise the integral role that Tolkien’s own practice and knowledge of visual art had on his stories. They make four core arguments: Continue reading
C. S. Lewis’ defence of Tolkien’s work gives insight into the types of criticism it elicited. Chief among those criticisms were its supposed lack of realism, and lack of character development or moral complexity. Lewis robustly argues against both allegations, and with characteristic succinctness states “we know at once that it has done things to us.” Notably this review came only 2 days after Tolkien’s final instalment was published, in response to criticism that was clearly already in full flow since the earlier volumes. It demonstrates the extent to which even a great piece of work will encounter rejection and snobbery, but also demonstrates the value of even one strong ally who supports your work. Below is Lewis’ essay in full.
In his Foreword, Tolkien describes ‘The Shadow of the Past’ as the oldest part of the tale and ‘the crucial chapter’ of the book. One can see why, as it anchors the entire tale in gravitas, thanks in no small part to Gandalf’s central role in it. It is tempting to jump straight to the gripping narrative that dominates this chapter. But before we get to that I want to reflect on the extra characterisation that comes prior, which is just as significant in laying the foundations of the story. Continue reading
