Thanks Garrett, was hoping you’d like this one. One of the things Tolkien does is demonstrate that you can say true and important things and write beautifully at the same time. Too many authors try so hard to Say Something and forget that what really matters is the writing.
If I understand you correctly, it seems like trusting God's goodness and specifically, his intentions towards us are at the core of whether or not we surrender to the music.
I think it's also that the only proper reference point for our own works is God's. Trying to create something apart from him, or that can "compete" with him is to attempt the impossible, which can only lead to frustration and resentment
Like you I've read the Silmarillion many times and have had to buy more than one volume. It is, in my opinion, he greatest work and one of the great works of literature from the 20th Centurt. With your article, I may have to read it again.
I agree that it's his peak achievement. LOTR is excellent, but in The Silmarillion it's like he's writing his heart's deepest desire. It is a work that is utterly true to itself, if that makes sense.
Love this, Jack. There’s so much in Tolkien’s creation story I love and this lesson you’ve gleaned is probably the most important.
Thanks Garrett, was hoping you’d like this one. One of the things Tolkien does is demonstrate that you can say true and important things and write beautifully at the same time. Too many authors try so hard to Say Something and forget that what really matters is the writing.
If I understand you correctly, it seems like trusting God's goodness and specifically, his intentions towards us are at the core of whether or not we surrender to the music.
I think it's also that the only proper reference point for our own works is God's. Trying to create something apart from him, or that can "compete" with him is to attempt the impossible, which can only lead to frustration and resentment
Century
Like you I've read the Silmarillion many times and have had to buy more than one volume. It is, in my opinion, he greatest work and one of the great works of literature from the 20th Centurt. With your article, I may have to read it again.
I agree that it's his peak achievement. LOTR is excellent, but in The Silmarillion it's like he's writing his heart's deepest desire. It is a work that is utterly true to itself, if that makes sense.
It does