Why Do you Love Tolkien and his Works ?

[BAYLOR]

What is it about his books and stories and other writings that you and so many find so appealing and worth revisiting and rereading and discussing ?

Thoughts ?

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

Because his works are incredibly rich so you can always pick up on some new nuance and he influenced so much it is difficult to fully grasp the breadth of his influence so you can always find a new take on his classics.

 

[frhudson]

LOTR was my first fantasy book, so powerful and deep. Tolkien opened for me a magic world of Middle-earth with brave hobbits, wise Gandalf, and faithless king Aragorn. I took these characters as the examples and try to inherit them when I was a child. LOTR made a big influence on my life and I am very grateful to Tolkien for it.

 

[Extollager]

Here's part of the reason I love LotR:

Rings of Love

 

[Hugh]

I've just come across this thread, so I'll add a few thoughts.

It’s interesting for me to reflect on what I find in the LOTR that I do not find elsewhere, or at least not in one book.

Multidimensional characters.

Gripping saga

Spiritual overtones

A truly epic sense of history (particularly true for me since I recently read the Silmarillion)

Coherent languages

Poetry, Songs, Myths, Legends

Perhaps most important is Tolkien's self-created term “Eucatastrophe”, “the sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears.”
In my recent read of LOTR much to my surprise I experienced this several times, and it's seldom that I've experienced this in reading other authors.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

The landscapes.
The story.
Listening to LOTR on audio book for the first time (a year or two ago) made me appreciate even more just how magical the lands are.

 

[Extollager]

The landscapes.

"Humans are not made to sit at computer terminals or travel by aeroplane; destiny intended something different for us. For too long now we have been estranged from the essential, which is the nomadic life: travelling on foot. A distinction must be made between hiking and travelling on foot. In today’s society – though it would be ridiculous to advocate travelling on foot for everyone to every possible destination – I personally would rather do the existentially essential things in my life on foot. If you live in England and your girlfriend is in Sicily, and it is clear that you want to marry her, then you should walk to Sicily to propose. For these things travel by car or aeroplane is not the right thing. The volume and depth and intensity of the world is something that only those on foot will ever experience."

--Werner Herzog

Barring that relative clause "which is the nomadic life," I think there's much in that statement with which someone attuned to the spirit of Tolkien's fantasy will agree. I have put the last sentence in bold type.

Photos (and Drawings?) of Tolkienian Landscapes

(Tolkien and) Walking

 

[Extollager]

Furthermore, I think that the quality in Tolkien that is suggested by Herzog's quotation is probably, or even definitely, not present in a lot of other fantasy writing.

Conversely, I believe that some writing that isn't fantasy might actually be more "Tolkienian" than much fantasy. I actually believe that quite strongly.

"Something Like" Tolkien ... but maybe not fantasy at all?

 

[Hugh]

The landscapes.
The story.
Listening to LOTR on audio book for the first time (a year or two ago) made me appreciate even more just how magical the lands are.

Ah yes! The landscapes... ....the landscapes...

 

[BAYLOR]

The tv series should be interesting.

 

[BAYLOR]

His epic world building.

 

[Maseeha.Aellari]

His stories are full of rich storytelling and he reawakened epic fantasy.
Don't forget his worldbuilding