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A review by mariebrunelm
Meditations on Middle-Earth by Karen Haber
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
This collection of essays brings together well-known voices of the fantasy genre to speak about Tolkien's legacy. Many of them recount when and in what conditions they first read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Some take a slightly different path, like Ursula K. Le Guin waxing lyrical on Tolkien's poetry. Douglas A. Anderson recounts tells about Tolkien's reception and Christopher Tolkien's work.
Although this collection isn't ground-breaking, I think it's fascinating for several reasons. First, most of the author's are writers of fantasy (and science-fiction for a few of them), telling what Tolkien means to them as readers, yes, but mostly as writers. Then, it's a snapshot of Tolkien's reception right before the first movie by Peter Jackson was released. Only one, Douglas A. Anderson, actually mentions that, but I think it's important. Most of the authors in this collection first read Tolkien in the 1960s, and it was really great to hear about what it was like experiencing these books at such a different time, when fantasy wasn't as widespread and meeting fellow enthusiasts wasn't as easy as clicking on an app icon.
Although this collection isn't ground-breaking, I think it's fascinating for several reasons. First, most of the author's are writers of fantasy (and science-fiction for a few of them), telling what Tolkien means to them as readers, yes, but mostly as writers. Then, it's a snapshot of Tolkien's reception right before the first movie by Peter Jackson was released. Only one, Douglas A. Anderson, actually mentions that, but I think it's important. Most of the authors in this collection first read Tolkien in the 1960s, and it was really great to hear about what it was like experiencing these books at such a different time, when fantasy wasn't as widespread and meeting fellow enthusiasts wasn't as easy as clicking on an app icon.