We all have “forever stories.” They are the tales that have crept past our “watchful dragons,” awakened our imaginations, and helped us to believe in something greater than ourselves.
Tolkien’s stories will always be forever stories for me, too. I think your reasons are spot on and I share them as well.
I’m currently exploring another forever story of mine, and having a go at contributing to it as a means of keeping it alive (and just maybe sparking the imagination of others): Robin Hood. I find the morals strange and to me at least, even more applicable today. He’s an outlaw, but still considers himself a yeoman of the Crown. He’s religious, but the Merry Men make reference Mary, not the Church. The towns corrupt, but Sherwood isn’t exactly “free”—it has its own justice and it’s very much alive. And perhaps weirdest of all, bets, however small, have a massive influence on reality. It’s wild stuff.
Yes! Robin Hood is such an amazing story. I studied it with my students last year and was personally surprised by how rich the text is. So full of wonderful themes for discussion. Some of them really struggled to understand how he could be “good” while breaking the law, which made for some very deep discussions on just law.
I've loved the movies forever, but I was never able to finish the books so I'm revisiting them this fall! But truly, the coziness and comfort that LOTR just exudes is nearly unmatched. One of my forever stories is The Legend of Zelda--I picked up "Breath of the Wild" during a difficult year and the beauty and goodness of the world seriously healed me.
Love this so much, Maddie! Thank you for sharing. I am rereading LOTR for the 10,000th time, deep-diving into the world of Tolkien, and it's been such a pleasure. If you'd be interested, Peter Kreeft, a brilliant Catholic philosopher and theologian wrote a book called 'The Philosophy of Tolkien' and reading that alongside The Fellowship has helped me see threads and nuance in the story that I never got to encounter before. Much of the Philosophy of Tolkien quotes C.S. Lewis as well, which makes it all the more compelling of a read. And it's not boring or dry at all. I find it very engaging.
Absolutely love this article and am glad to hear that LOTR means so much to somebody else on a profound level!
a great book, reminds us of the work of Lewis, Chesterton. By doing the little things evil is overcome by the good. Great books end with the resurrection. Love and joy can be our birth right. Dennis McCormack- the old poet who seeks the truthful, traditional, the beautiful.
Tolkien’s stories will always be forever stories for me, too. I think your reasons are spot on and I share them as well.
I’m currently exploring another forever story of mine, and having a go at contributing to it as a means of keeping it alive (and just maybe sparking the imagination of others): Robin Hood. I find the morals strange and to me at least, even more applicable today. He’s an outlaw, but still considers himself a yeoman of the Crown. He’s religious, but the Merry Men make reference Mary, not the Church. The towns corrupt, but Sherwood isn’t exactly “free”—it has its own justice and it’s very much alive. And perhaps weirdest of all, bets, however small, have a massive influence on reality. It’s wild stuff.
Yes! Robin Hood is such an amazing story. I studied it with my students last year and was personally surprised by how rich the text is. So full of wonderful themes for discussion. Some of them really struggled to understand how he could be “good” while breaking the law, which made for some very deep discussions on just law.
I've loved the movies forever, but I was never able to finish the books so I'm revisiting them this fall! But truly, the coziness and comfort that LOTR just exudes is nearly unmatched. One of my forever stories is The Legend of Zelda--I picked up "Breath of the Wild" during a difficult year and the beauty and goodness of the world seriously healed me.
That’s so beautiful to hear. Stories that do that are the best. ❤️❤️
Love this so much, Maddie! Thank you for sharing. I am rereading LOTR for the 10,000th time, deep-diving into the world of Tolkien, and it's been such a pleasure. If you'd be interested, Peter Kreeft, a brilliant Catholic philosopher and theologian wrote a book called 'The Philosophy of Tolkien' and reading that alongside The Fellowship has helped me see threads and nuance in the story that I never got to encounter before. Much of the Philosophy of Tolkien quotes C.S. Lewis as well, which makes it all the more compelling of a read. And it's not boring or dry at all. I find it very engaging.
Absolutely love this article and am glad to hear that LOTR means so much to somebody else on a profound level!
Thank you for the recommendation! I love Peter Kreeft but I have yet to read that one. It has been on my TBR for a while. :)
a great book, reminds us of the work of Lewis, Chesterton. By doing the little things evil is overcome by the good. Great books end with the resurrection. Love and joy can be our birth right. Dennis McCormack- the old poet who seeks the truthful, traditional, the beautiful.
Yes, Lewis and Chesterton are right in this same vein for me as well!