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J.R.R. TOLKIEN and C.S. LEWIS:
Middle-earth and Narnian Addenda to the "Good Books" List
by Dr. Elisabeth A. Carmack
The late Dr. John Senior, the profound classicist who compiled the "Good
Books" list used as an elementary grades (Nursery-8th) literature reading list, did not include books written after World War I. In his book, The
Death of Christian Culture, he explained:
It is commonly agreed also that both "great" and "good" can be judged only
from a certain distance. Contemporary works can be appreciated and enjoyed but not very properly judged; and just as a principle must stand outside what
follows from it (as a point to the line), so a cultural standard must be established from some time at least as distant as our grandparent's. For us
today the cutoff point is World War I, before which cars and the electric light had not yet come to dominate our lives and the experience of nature had not
been distorted by speed and the destruction of shadows. There is a serious question - with argument on both sides, surely - as to whether there can be
any culture at all in a mechanized society. Whichever side one takes in that dispute, it is certainly true that we cannot understand the point at issue
without an imaginative grasp of the world we have lost.
Since Dr. Senior compiled and revised his list (mainly in the 1970's and 80's), "our grandparent's time" has shifted forward by several decades.
It can reasonably be argued that we need an "imaginative grasp" of their somewhat more recent world, also now "lost," which the older works do
not include, but which we now stand outside of and so can judge with some objectivity.
Popular books abound, from the recent, but already almost forgot Stine horror stories to the more current Harry Potter series. Mere sales
volume obviously bears no necessary correlation to quality or enduring appeal. Only time will tell. Since few children have read half (rarely even
ten per cent!) of the rich, time-tested and enduring classics appropriate for elementary level students, there is no need to delve into the relative
merits or demerits of the latest popular series, which change every few months and are often "popularized" solely on the basis of clever or
expensive marketing, peripheral toys, T-shirts or attractive movie deals. We do not think such books should be selected and read before the
classics, however popular they may seem to be for the day.
However, there are two authors - J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis - whose finest
children's fiction, now time-tested, most readers and critic's believe qualify to make any children's reading list. Their works have that enduring
appeal, together with undeniable literary and moral qualities so as to rate them as extraordinarily good, if not great. We believe Dr. Senior would have eventually added to his list
these wonderful books about enchanted realms connected to our own by a plethora of enlightening metaphorical and allegorical symbols and myths (unlike those, for example, of
Stephen King and Dr. Seuss), for the reasons cited here by his dear friend and colleague, Dr. Dennis Quinn, who writes:
Mr. [Stephen] King told us in his talk that the formative reading of his early
childhood was the Dr. Seuss books. Although many defend both King and Seuss as just "fun," others take King, at least, seriously... King "smashes
facades of rationality and order, illusions of control imposed upon a reality of chaos," a thesis not so far from The Cat in the Hat. ...I argued that fantasy is
a symptom of decadence. The "other worlds" of fantasy are substitutes for the real world, imaginary worlds rather than imagined ones that correspond to
something in the real world, enchanted realms to replace brave new wasteland conspicuously despoiled of enchantments.
In his Forward to Dr. Quinn's wonderful new book, Iris Exiled, A Synoptic History of Wonder (click on title for more information), James V. Schall noted the following about the enchanted realms of Middle-earth
by J.R.R. Tolkien and Narnia by C.S. Lewis:
The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia would arouse our wonder
in a way Stephen King or MTV do not. The reason for this difference, as Quinn would intimate, is that what is discovered by the wonder that Aristotle
told us was the beginning of poetry and wisdom is a world that is. This is a world that might not have existed at all or might have been otherwise through
human or divine choices that poets and artists can imagine. They do not "create" other worlds, but they can see how this world might have been
otherwise. Why the world that is remains ever more fascinating than any other world is that it remains a world full of Word, of words made flesh, of
what is not simply our own creations.
By contrast, in an article in Atlantic Monthly (Oct. 2001), Gregg Easterbrook notes the
interesting fact that the "the novelist and critic Philip Hensher, a rising figure in the London literary establishment, censured the Chronicles
of Narnia as 'poisonous' and 'ghastly, priggish, half-witted' books." Why? "Because they are intended to 'corrupt the minds of the young
with allegory.' What Hensher meant by corrupting the young was exposing them by allegory to what he derided as 'Lewis's creed of clean-living, muscular Christianity." Never mind
that one of Hensher's own books all but glorifies the unnatural - pederasty. Hensher would abolish any connection to the real, in favor of the unnnatural, the unreal.
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Frodo and Sam with the Elvish Queen Galadriel
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In his essay 'On Fairy-Stories' Tolkien, taking up the theme of connectedness
and relevance to the world that is, under the notion of "sub-creative art" (i.e. within creation and related to it, not a "mere magician's" entire substitute for
the natural) protested strongly, even passionately, that there was a right to create sub-creativefantasy. He believed this to be so even if, even though,
fantasy (the imaginative power) could be abused as noted above, could become the making and worshipping of false gods, whether literally (like Beelzebub, the 'Lord of the Flies' of Golding's fantasy), or
politically, in the shape of 'social and economic theories' also demanding 'human sacrifice.' But imaginative creativity, including the realm of
story-telling art, is a human desire and power, a part of our nature which cannot be taken away and should not be repressed simply because some may abuse it:
At the heart of many man-made stories of the elves lies, open or concealed,
pure or alloyed, the desire for a living, realized sub-creative art, which (however much it may outwardly resemble it) is inwardly wholly different from
the greed for self-centered power which is the mark of a mere Magician. Of this desire the elves, in their better (but still perilous) part are largely
made...The 'sub-creative' desire, then, is legitimate"-
Tolkien goes on to say, in a fragment of verse, such sub-creative art is:
our right...that right has not decayed:
we make still by law in which we're made
Whether distinguished from sheer fantasy by labeling it "sub-creative art," "corresponding to the world that is," "connected," "metaphorical" or
"analogous," there is a real difference between the fiction of Stephen King, Hensher, Suess et al. from that of Tolkien and Lewis that makes
the latter worth reading and the former too often merely "decadent escapism" that ultimately is nothing but a vain effort to turn away from
the real to what is not, from being to non-being. All fiction authors, as creative artists, are faced with Hamlet's dilemma regarding whether their creations ought "To be or not to be." Some compromise - like Hamlet -
and split the difference. It is often a matter of degree.
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Scenes from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
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But we cannot "not be." We are everlasting. The real cannot be avoided, nor can our ties to it be entirely
severed, and there is a direct, mysterious connection between matter and spirit, body and soul, nature and the supernatural. Deny (from the Latin de + negare =
to say no) it and one is merely refusing the evidence of our senses and reason. What is, is still out there, as real as ever, beckoning us with beauty and wonder to
use our imaginations, hence fiction, to make some contact, some connection with the awesome world of the spirit and the supernatural, that will help guide us
home and make us whole. Aesop's fables, the parables of Christ, Tolkien's Middle-earth and Lewis' Narnia tales help us make that connection.
We therefore suggest that the following twelve (12) books by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis be added to
children's reading lists:
The Hobbit: or There and Back Again
by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
(The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of
the King)
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (seven volumes):
The Magician's Nephew;
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe;
The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian;
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader;
The Silver Chair; and,
The Last Battle)
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
CLICK HERE
to purchase any of the books on this list.
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For those unfamiliar with these works, following are some brief, published, editorial reviews.
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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on
January 3, 1892. After serving in the First World War, he embarked upon a distinguished career as a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University. He is the renowned creator
of Middle-earth and author of the great modern classic,The Hobbit, the prelude to his epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings. J.R.R.
Tolkien died in 1973 at the age of 81. J.R.R. Tolkien's works are art, written in the purest form of the language. Few writers have ever achieved his level of mastery. Let's not forget
the simple beginning from which the Lord of the Rings came: The Hobbit: or There and Back Again, which should be read prior to the Ring trilogy. The Hobbit has been
undeservedly overlooked in the latest Tolkien mania, and it is one of Tolkien's best works, if not the best.
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Frodo, Sam, Merry & Pippin with Strider
at the Inn of the Prancing Pony (copyright spiderwebart.com)
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Hobbits and wizards and Sauron--oh, my! Mild-mannered Oxford scholar J.R.R. Tolkien had little inkling when he published The Hobbit: or
There and Back Again in 1937 that, once hobbits were unleashed upon the world, there would be no turning back. Hobbits are, of course, small, furry creatures who love nothing
better than a leisurely life quite free from adventure. But in that first novel and the Lord of the Rings trilogy,
the hobbits Bilbo and Frodo and their elvish friends get swept up into a mighty conflict with the dragon Smaug, the dark lord Sauron (who owes much to proud Satan in Paradise Lost), the monstrous Gollum, the Cracks
of Doom, and the awful power of the magical Ring. The four books' characters--good and evil--are recognizably human, and the realism is
deepened by the magnificent detail of the vast parallel world Tolkien devised, inspired partly by his influential Anglo-Saxon scholarship and his
Christian beliefs. (He disapproved of the relative sparseness of detail in the comparable allegorical fantasy his friend C.S. Lewis dreamed up in The Chronicles of Narnia, though he knew Lewis had spun a page-turning
yarn.) It has been estimated that one-tenth of all paperbacks sold can trace their ancestry to J.R.R. Tolkien.
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Gandalf visits Bilbo (copyright spiderwebart.com)
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In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is whisked away from his
comfortable, unambitious life in Hobbiton by the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves. He finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy tells of the great and dangerous quest undertaken by Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the
wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the dwarf; Legolas the elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.
J.R.R. Tolkien's three volume masterpiece is at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale -- a story of high and heroic adventure set in the
unforgettable landscape of Middle-earth. Click on title of book to purchase.
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The Fellowship of the Ring (copyright Spiderwebart.com)
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Clive Staples Lewis, was born in Belfast, Ireland,
in 1898. As a child, he was fascinated by the fairy tales, myths, and ancient legends recounted to him by his Irish nurse. The image of a faun carrying
parcels and an umbrella in a snowy wood came to him when he was sixteen. Many years later, the faun was joined by an evil queen and a magnificent lion. Their story becameThe Lion, The Witch, And
The Wardrobe. Six further Chronicles of Narnia followed, and the final title, The Last Battle, was awarded the United Kingdom's prestigious Carnegie Award.
The Chronicles of Narnia In brief, four children travel repeatedly to a world in which they are far more than mere children and everything is far
more than it seems. Richly told, populated with fascinating characters, perfectly realized in detail of world and pacing of plot, and profoundly
allegorical, the story is infused throughout with the timeless issues of good and evil, faith and hope. Here follows detail on the seven volumes:
The Magicians Nephew The secret passage to the house next door leads to a fascinating adventure. NARNIA where the woods are thick and
cool, where Talking Beasts are called to life ... a new world where the adventure begins. Digory and Polly meet and become friends one cold, wet
summer in London. Their lives burst into adventure when Digory's Uncle Andrew, who thinks he is a magician, sends them hurtling to . . . somewhere
else. They find their way to Narnia, newborn from the Lion's song, and encounter the evil sorceress Jadis, before they finally return home.
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Scene from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
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The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe They open a door and enter a world, NARNIA... the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan,
Edmund, and Lucy ... the place where the adventure begins. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her
when she tells of her adventures in the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund and then Peter and Susan discover the Magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. In the blink of an
eye, their lives are changed forever.
The Horse and His BoyAn orphaned boy and a kidnapped horse gallop for Narnia ... and freedom. NARNIA . . . where horses talk
and hermits like company, where evil men turn into donkeys, where boys go into battle ... and where the adventure begins. During the Golden Age of Narnia, when
Peter is High King, a boy named Shasta discovers he is not the son of Arsheesh, the Calormene fisherman, and decides to run far away to the North-to Narnia. When
he is mistaken for another runaway, Shasta is led to discover who he really is and even finds his real father.
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The Duel of Peter and Miraz
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Prince Caspian The four Pevensies help Caspian battle Miraz and ascend his rightful throne. NARNIA ... the land between the
lamp-post and the castle of Cair Paravel, where animals talk, where magical things happen ... and where the adventure begins. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are
returning to boarding school when they are summoned from the dreary train station (by Susan's own magic horn) to return to the land of Narnia -- the land where they had
ruled as kings and queens and where their help is desperately needed.
The Voyage of The Dawn Treader The Dawn Treader, will take you places you never dreamed existed. NARNIA ... the world of wicked dragons and magic
spells, where the very best is brought out of even the worst people, where anything can happen (and most often does) ... and where the adventure begins. The Dawn Treader is the
first ship Narnia has seen in centuries. King Caspian has built it for his voyage to find the seven lords, good men whom his evil uncle Miraz
banished when he usurped the throne. The journey takes Edmund, Lucy, and their cousin Eustace to the Eastern Islands, beyond the Silver Sea, toward Aslan's country at the End of the World.
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Puddlegum the Marshwiggle
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The Silver Chair Jill and Eustace must rescue the Prince from the evil Witch. NARNIA ... where owls are wise, where
some of the giants like to snack on humans (and, if carefully cooked, on Marsh-wiggles, too), where a prince is put under an evil spell ... and where the adventure begins.
Eustace and Jill escape from the bullies at school through a strange door in the wall, which, for once, is unlocked. It leads to the open moor . . . or does it? Once again Aslan
has a task for the children, and Narnia needs them. Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, they pursue the quest that brings them face to
face with the evil Witch. She must be defeated if Prince Rilian is to be saved.
The Last Battle The conclusion of the saga that began with The Magician's Nephew. NARNIA ... where dwarfs are loyal and tough and strong-or are
they? . . . where you must say goodbye ... and where the adventure begins again. The Unicorn says that humans are brought to Narnia when
Narnia is stirred and upset. And Narnia is in trouble now: A false Aslan roams the land. Narnia's only hope is that Eustace and Jill, old friends to Narnia,
will be able to find the true Aslan and restore peace to the land. Their task is a difficult one because, as the Centaur says, "The stars never lie, but Men and Beasts do." Who is the real Aslan
and who is the imposter?
The Screwtape Letters Who among us has never wondered if there might not really be a tempter sitting on our shoulders or dogging our steps? C.S.
Lewis dispels all doubts. In The Screwtape Letters, one of his best selling works, we are made privy to the instructional correspondence between a senior
demon, Screwtape, and his wannabe diabolical nephew Wormwood. As mentor, Screwtape coaches Wormwood in the finer points, tempting his "patient" away from God.
Each letter is a masterpiece of reverse theology, giving the reader an inside look at the thinking and
means of temptation. Tempters, according to Lewis, have two motives: the first is fear of punishment, the second a hunger
to consume or dominate other beings. On the other hand, the goal of the Creator is to woo us unto himself or to transform us through his love
from "tools into servants and servants into sons." It is the dichotomy between being consumed and subsumed completely into another's
identity or being liberated to be utterly ourselves that Lewis explores with his razor-sharp insight and wit.
The most brilliant feature of The Screwtape Letters may be likening hell to a bureaucracy in which "everyone is perpetually concerned about his
own dignity and advancement, where everyone has a grievance, and where everyone lives the deadly serious passions of envy, self-importance, and resentment." We all understand bureaucracies, be
it the Department of Motor Vehicles, the IRS, or one of our own making. So we each understand the temptations that slowly lure us into hell. If you've never read Lewis, The Screwtape Letters is a great place to
start. And if you know Lewis, but haven't read this, you've missed one of his core writings.
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