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mariebrunelm's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
This essay puts J.R.R. Tolkien in the cultural context of his time. Dr Fimi looks at folklore, languages and the relation between myth and history in a delightfully accessible manner. Her book is both firmly based on academic research, *and* enjoyable to read for the simplicity with which it puts forth interesting considerations. Despite starting my PhD 4 years and a half ago, I still struggle with some non-fiction, especially the one written in French, which I often find hard to grasp (some French academics enjoy hiding their ideas behind big words and intricate wording). On the contrary, this book felt almost like Dr Fimi was explaining things to me in a conversation. Having read many articles on Tolkien, I now realize how many of them stemmed from ideas presented here. I'd say it's a very good starting point for anyone wanting to dip their toes into scholarship regarding Tolkien.
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