GREAT LINES:

I have lived in Middle-earth, and so have you; and it matters to us, or you would not be reading this book, and I would not be writing this essay. All these years since Tolkien died, and yet he still reveals the world, the wide and wild world, to us.

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Even if you haven’t read what the BBC called “the most popular work of fiction of the 20th century”, this book of short essays by fantasy and science fiction writers helps to explain the power of a work of fiction to change a person’s life. The offerings range from humorous (a woman named Galadriel in a power suit) to profound (the author’s musings on immortality upon the birth of his son), to thoughtful (a woman sees a blossom in the Alps, and is reminded of elanor, the tiny but significant flower of Galadriel’s garden) with plenty of wonderfully dated memories of 1960’s afternoons in paperback book stores. These are meditations not just on Middle Earth but reflections on mortality, friendship, love, virtue, war, loyalty, power, good and evil, and duty. Nor are they literary essays, but personal accounts from successful authors musing on their very first reading of the Lord of the Rings, and how it changed their lives and writing. A “comfort” read for Tolkien fans, who will then be inspired to take another trip to Middle Earth themselves.

Check the BPL Catalog for this title: Meditations on Middle Earth