Tolkien wrote this scrap to a now-unknown reader of Lord of the Rings, and I found it in his letter anthology (ed. by Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien), pg 324. I liked it and thought you my loyal readers might find it of interest also.
"Criticism of the speed of the relationship or 'love' of Faramir and Eowyn. In my experience feelings and decisions ripen very quickly (as measured by mere 'clock-time', which is actually not justly applicable) in periods of great stress, and especially under the expectation of imminent death. And I do not think that persons of high estate and breeding need all the petty fencing and approaches in matters of 'love'. This tale does not deal with a period of 'Courtly Love' and its pretences; but with a culture more primitive (sc. less corrupt) and nobler."
Fascinating.
I don't know if y'all have found this to be true also, but somehow all the ballyhoo about Narnia makes me wish to go and read about Middle-Earth, and when Tolkien was all the rage, I preferred to visit quietly with Lewis. It must be my homeschoolerish side coming out: if everyone else is doing it, there must be something the matter....
I really like the quote of Tolkien's.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about trends--I am amused though, when I come across people who aren't homeschooled, or people who just never read Narnia or LotR. It's rather foreign to me, and I'm always surprised. But I really shouldn't be.