Tolkien’s Mythic Meaning: Personal Encounters Through the Lord of the Rings

Perhaps you have read The Lord of the Rings multiple times because it is a captivating story. Maybe you experienced an awakening through the narrative that drew you back to Middle-earth again. Some have chosen to relive the journey from The Shire and back again because the adventure continues to bring new, unexpected clarity about life. Whatever the reason, the story was compelling enough for you to revisit those hundreds (and hundreds) of pages all over again. Tolkien’s Mythic Meaning explores how and why. After J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit debuted in 1937, readers were so enchanted by Bilbo’s adventures, they demanded more. It took Tolkien over a decade to write The Lord of the Rings--a monumental undertaking, but one well worth the time invested to produce something he perceived readers were desperately hungry for. Tolkien’s Mythic Meaning demonstrates how Tolkien intentionally crafted The Lord of the Rings so that its narrative would mediate meaning to readers on a personal level, deeper than words.

Quinn A. J. Gervel is an independent scholar who has spent his career serving customers in the business world and students in higher education. He earned his MA from Wheaton College (Illinois) and PhD from The University of Manchester (UK). He lives in the southeast US with his lovely wife and three children. Each of them makes him smile.