Episode 207 – Magic Mirror: On J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Fellowship of the Ring'
About this episode
The episode discusses the first leg of Frodo's journey in The Fellowship of the Ring, focusing on Tolkien's prose style and themes.
This is the first of three episodes on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to be released in the course of the next several months. Focusing here on The Fellowship of the Ring, our hosts discuss the first leg of Frodo's journey into darkness, paying special attention to Tolkien's prose style, his modernism, his commitment to a truly magical realism, and his penchant for the weird and the tragic. Image: "Lothlorien" by Tessa Bronsky, via Wikimedia Commons. References J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring Algernon Blackwood, English writer Weird Studies, Episode 204 on “On Fairy Stories” Peter Jackson (dir.), The Lord of the Rings Ursula K. LeGuin, A Wizard of Earthsea Friedrich Nietzsche, History in the Service and Disservice of Life Milan Kundera, The Art of the Novel Kenneth Burke, A Grammar of Motives Carl Jung, The Red Book Lord Dunsaney, The King of Elfland’s Daughter Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto David Foster Wallace, “E Unibus Pluram” Steven Chow (dir.), Kung Fu Hustle Donna Tartt, The Secret History Lost Lakes, YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Topics covered
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Fellowship of the Ring
- modernism
- magical realism
- weird
- tragic
Keywords
- Frodo
- darkness
- Tolkien's prose
- weird studies
More episodes of Weird Studies
- Special Episode: M.C. Richards's "Wrestling with the Daimonic," read by Phil Ford
- Episode 210 – Angels & Daimons, with Cristina Campo and M.C. Richards
- Episode 209 – At Home in the Labyrinth, with Murakami and Borges
- Episode 208 – Unbridled Creation: On Kenneth Batcheldor's Theory of the Paranormal
- Episode 206 – On Ken Russell's 'Altered States': Live at Indiana University Bloomington
- Episode 205 – Discipline and Delight: On the Hierophant Card in the Tarot
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