This book is essential for any Tolkien
fan who is unfamiliar with Tolkien's
medieval sources, or who would like a
well-selected collection of the most
important influences on Tolkien's fiction.
The selections here are very readable and
will increase any fan's appreciation of
Tolkien's work.
"For too long we have been encouraged
to see culture as an affair of intellect,
and reading as a solitary exercise. But
the truth is different: literature and art
are pathways of feeling, and our encounter
with them is social, inscribing us in a
larger community.... Through art we
discover that we are not alone." So writes
the esteemed Brown University professor
Arnold Weinstein in this brilliant,
radical exploration of Western literature.
In the tradition of Harold Bloom and
Jacques Barzun, Weinstein guides us
through great works of art, to reveal how
literature constitutes nothing less than a
feast for the heart. Our encounter with
literature and art can be a unique form of
human connection, an entry into the
storehouse of feeling.