Alas, not me

Here's a one-paragraph excerpt from something I'm working on, which has to do with children and heroic tales in Tolkien's legend...

At the beginning of Book 4, in the chapter called "The Taming of Sméagol," there's a beautifully subtle little touch, a single...

Here's a piece of analysis I decided to take out of my book, To Rule the Fate of Many: Truth, Lies, Pity and the Ring of Power , about w...

Quite a while back I came to the conclusion that Faramir doesn't actually see Boromir's funeral boat, as he is convinced he does, bu...

Here's just a wee bit from right near the very end  of the conclusion of my book, To Rule the Fate of Many: Truth, Lies, Pity, and the R...

  The Ring plays on fear as much as desire. To be sure Boromir and Denethor desire to save Gondor, but both share a desperate fear that they...

Many a reader has noted the effect the Ring has on Frodo when he looks upon Bilbo at Rivendell and at Sam in Mordor: Slowly [Frodo] drew ...

'I am learning a lot about Sam Gamgee on this journey. First he was a conspirator, now he's a jester. He'll end up by becomi...

Another excerpt from To Rule the Fate of Many: Truth, Lies, Pity, and the Ring of Power , a much longer work I am writing at present. ...

Although we don't often think of Frodo and Boromir as alike, in critical situations with the Ring both react in similar ways. 1...

'Comfort yourself!' said Gandalf. 'In no case would Boromir have brought it to you. He is dead, and died well; may he sl...

Yes, Simon. There she is again Quite a few years ago now in his still highly relevant article, 'The Interlace Structure of The Lo...

'We know the Ring is no laughing-matter; but we are going to do our best to help you against the Enemy,' says Merry to Frodo ...

Cover Image  © John Howe Last year several friends asked me to join them in writing an article for a festschrift  to honor the schola...

In discussing Death as the Gift of Ilúvatar to Men, Tolkien once wrote that a "divine 'punishment' is also a divine ...