Why is Tolkien's work so enduring? It's more popular now than it's ever been. There's something about The Lord of the Rings that is real. It showcases the real world and true reality through fantasy. In the final episode of the Tolkien series, Cole and Terry discuss Tolkien's legacy, his life, and why his books are still some of the most popular books ever printed.
Tolkien struggled with his own work and deciding whether or not it should even be published. To him, it never felt complete. He was happy to live a quiet and hidden life with his work never published. However, due to the influence of Lewis and Tolkien’s son, Christopher, he decided to publish his work.
The Hobbit was published in 1937 and was a huge hit. He wanted to do a sequel but was quite troubled about how to start it. The Lord of the Rings was not released until 17 years later. The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers were published in 1954. The Return of the King was released in October 1955.
Eucatastrophe
The title of this podcast means “a good catastrophe” and was coined by Tolkien. However awful things get and there seems to be no good ending, there is an unexpected turn of events that turns the story around and ends things on a good note.
One of the greatest lines from The Lord of the Rings happens after the Ring is destroyed and the hobbits return to Rivendell. It says, “Sam lays back and stares with open mouth and for a moment, between bewilderment and great joy, he could not answer. At last, he gasps, ‘Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What’s happened to the world?’ It fell upon his ears like an echo of all the joys he had ever known. But he himself burst into tears. Then, as a sweet rain will pass down a wind of spring and the sun will shine out the clearer, his tears ceased and his laughter welled up. And laughing, he sprang from his bed and when Sam heard that he laughed aloud of sheer delight and cried, ‘Oh glory and splendor! All my wishes have come true!’ And then he wept.”
Why These Stories?
We are drawn to stories of struggle, evil, redemption, and good winning in the end. Scripture says that eternity is written on our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We long for good to win. Even unbelievers instinctively want good to win when reading or watching The Lord of the Rings. This story points to a deeper part of us that knows the difference between good and evil. These are gospel stories.
Great fiction becomes a lens through which to see the real world. These stories tell us something about the world we live in and what is true. The eucatastrophe of all history is the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Brittany Proffitt lives in Dallas and is a writer and content manager for So We Speak.
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