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- Jun 28, 2022
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To the humans, hobbits, orcs, elves, dwarves (dwarfs), maiar, pukel-people, cats, and others of TTF: (none have been intentionally left out - just moving on to the 'meat of the matter' here....)
I really want to highlight this book to you, coming from the mind, pen and extensive research of our own @1stvermont (Jeb Smith), having finished just the first chapter, a matter of some 115 tremendous pages in print.
Mr. Smith is weaving Tolkien together for us, setting him on display on a tapestry colored down into the depths of the very mesh of its background. He shows us Tolkien not from the 10,000, or even the 10, foot level - but down to individual passage citations from Tolkien's pen, with comparative evaluation from the Biblical and other sources serving as the bedrock and substructure of all his thinking, life, and work. And we learn a good deal about Mr. Smith himself along the way.
Smith's writing is clear, concise, to the point, and free from distractions - a pleasure to read, I am personally enthralled by the work at this point on several levels. (Oxford Languages: Definition: enthrall: capture the fascinated attention of.)
I've a long ways to go - a great feast lies ahead. For now, I wanted to bring this brief review to you, including the comments made about the book in the Amazon introduction to it (below). For once, I am in agreement with what is said.
I will post a final review after finishing the book, but as few have ever left me this excited about a work, I felt an early note was worthwhile.
From the Introductions:
"Engrossing...Tolkien's principles--patriotism, Medievalism, localism, Catholicism--are certainly out of fashion today. And yet they're the foundation for all his books, which have sold hundreds of millions of copies. Mr. Smith does a wonderful job of explaining why modern readers are so enthralled by Tolkien's reactionary vision. Whether you're a casual Lord of the Rings fan or a serious Tolkien scholar, every page of Mr. Smith's book will delight and fascinate. And if anyone ever tells you that fairy-tales are only for children, hand him this book. Tolkien ought to be regarded as one of the great social critics of our time, as Mr. Smith so masterfully demonstrates."
----Michael Warren Davis is an editor for Sophia Institute Press and the author of The Reactionary Mind: Why Conservative Isn't Enough. You can find him on his blog, The Common Man.
"As the popularity of Tolkien's work continues to endure, the importance of Jeb Smith's work continues to grow. This is because of a prolonged siege against Tolkien's work: the attempt to dislodge it from its Christian and Biblical foundations. Jeb Smith's insights are immensely helpful to this and future generations of Tolkien admirers."
----Scott L. Smith, author of Lord of the Rings and the Eucharist
'J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth has captured the imaginations of millions of readers around the world for generations. He is considered the father of modern fantasy, but few understand how Tolkien's worldview impacted his mythology. The Road Goes Ever On and On is the first book of its kind to place Tolkien within his proper context, giving the reader a deeper understanding of Tolkien and Middle-earth. Smith takes us on a quest through a wide range of Tolkien's writings to unlock Tolkien's perspective--a perspective that, like the elves who have sailed into the West leaving Middle-earth, has faded away from our world.
You will gain an in-depth knowledge of Tolkien's views on politics, environmentalism, religion, and much more. From the Valar to Hobbits, the free peoples closely follow Tolkien's sentiments. In contrast, forces under the Shadow represent what Tolkien believed was immoral. Covering a wide range of topics, The Road Goes Ever On and On is filled with breathtaking illustrations bringing Middle-earth to life like never before, making this the 'one book to rule them all.'
I really want to highlight this book to you, coming from the mind, pen and extensive research of our own @1stvermont (Jeb Smith), having finished just the first chapter, a matter of some 115 tremendous pages in print.
Mr. Smith is weaving Tolkien together for us, setting him on display on a tapestry colored down into the depths of the very mesh of its background. He shows us Tolkien not from the 10,000, or even the 10, foot level - but down to individual passage citations from Tolkien's pen, with comparative evaluation from the Biblical and other sources serving as the bedrock and substructure of all his thinking, life, and work. And we learn a good deal about Mr. Smith himself along the way.
Smith's writing is clear, concise, to the point, and free from distractions - a pleasure to read, I am personally enthralled by the work at this point on several levels. (Oxford Languages: Definition: enthrall: capture the fascinated attention of.)
I've a long ways to go - a great feast lies ahead. For now, I wanted to bring this brief review to you, including the comments made about the book in the Amazon introduction to it (below). For once, I am in agreement with what is said.
I will post a final review after finishing the book, but as few have ever left me this excited about a work, I felt an early note was worthwhile.
From the Introductions:
"Engrossing...Tolkien's principles--patriotism, Medievalism, localism, Catholicism--are certainly out of fashion today. And yet they're the foundation for all his books, which have sold hundreds of millions of copies. Mr. Smith does a wonderful job of explaining why modern readers are so enthralled by Tolkien's reactionary vision. Whether you're a casual Lord of the Rings fan or a serious Tolkien scholar, every page of Mr. Smith's book will delight and fascinate. And if anyone ever tells you that fairy-tales are only for children, hand him this book. Tolkien ought to be regarded as one of the great social critics of our time, as Mr. Smith so masterfully demonstrates."
----Michael Warren Davis is an editor for Sophia Institute Press and the author of The Reactionary Mind: Why Conservative Isn't Enough. You can find him on his blog, The Common Man.
"As the popularity of Tolkien's work continues to endure, the importance of Jeb Smith's work continues to grow. This is because of a prolonged siege against Tolkien's work: the attempt to dislodge it from its Christian and Biblical foundations. Jeb Smith's insights are immensely helpful to this and future generations of Tolkien admirers."
----Scott L. Smith, author of Lord of the Rings and the Eucharist
'J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth has captured the imaginations of millions of readers around the world for generations. He is considered the father of modern fantasy, but few understand how Tolkien's worldview impacted his mythology. The Road Goes Ever On and On is the first book of its kind to place Tolkien within his proper context, giving the reader a deeper understanding of Tolkien and Middle-earth. Smith takes us on a quest through a wide range of Tolkien's writings to unlock Tolkien's perspective--a perspective that, like the elves who have sailed into the West leaving Middle-earth, has faded away from our world.
You will gain an in-depth knowledge of Tolkien's views on politics, environmentalism, religion, and much more. From the Valar to Hobbits, the free peoples closely follow Tolkien's sentiments. In contrast, forces under the Shadow represent what Tolkien believed was immoral. Covering a wide range of topics, The Road Goes Ever On and On is filled with breathtaking illustrations bringing Middle-earth to life like never before, making this the 'one book to rule them all.'
