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On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis

de Louis Markos

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Introduces the classic virtues both good and bad through the stories of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and explains that real life truth and goodness are communicated powerfully through fantasy fiction.
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On The Shoulders Of Hobbits – The Road To Virtue With Tolkien & Lewis by Louis Markos Ph.D. is a book that seeks to rediscover virtues, as they were known to be in older times. These virtues are exemplified through the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

Peter Kreeft Ph.D., author of book gems such as Socratic Logic, Philosophy 101, etc. opens up the book with an apt foreword, which is followed by a salient introduction by the author Markos.

In the introduction Louis Markos outlines the fact that society needs a revived awareness regarding lost virtues which were inherent to individuals once upon a time. The author also covers why fantasy and stories, such as those by Tolkien and Lewis, are vital in showcasing these lost virtues. Along with that the author also gives us some background information on the subject, as well as what his approach will be in the breakdown of the messages and morals that he later tackles.

Although the book covers both Tolkien and Lewis’ work, a more sizeable portion will be of Tolkien’s work. In a rough guesstimate, the book is perhaps two thirds Tolkien to one third Lewis or so. This does in no way take away from the meaning of the book, but it’s something that the reader perhaps might want to know. At least for me, the book was still plenty valuable.

In addition, the reason the that the author has chosen to cover Tolkien and Lewis’ work is because “though Tolkien was not a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia, the fact remains that the two men shared the same premodern Christian understanding of good and evil, virtue and vice, beauty and ugliness.”[1][15]

Since both authors have such similar philosophies, drawing from each authors’ books is in fact a no brainer.

At the nascent stage of each chapter the author begins with a particular message and/or moral that has been overlooked by modern society, and then that particular theme is then analytically coupled to information from The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, or The Silmarillion, with the information further complemented with a passage from The Chronicles Of Narnia that helps buttress the theme further.

One neat part about each of these chapters, and lessons woven and analyzed therein is that there is a variety of ways one can learn from these given the information provided. Given that the subjects of these books are so vital to healthy and robust human principles, having intriguing discussions regarding these themes should be something ruminated upon at length. Families or friends could discuss the information bouncing it back and forth in thought, or it could even be covered in homeschooling or group discussion perhaps. Heck, it would have been neat/awesome to have had a discussion about something like this in high school or college, instead other subjects that aren’t important to life.

In plain speak, what the author seeks to accomplish is help the individual learn why the works of Tolkien and Lewis are highly respected.

Each of the examples from the books of Lewis and Tolkien are quiet salient ones, and very meaningful. In fact, some of the examples provided could arguably be some of the sagest lines written by each author, at least for this book’s purposes.

For what it’s worth, the book is split up into three sections. In section one, the author’s main focus was the proverbial road – the individual journey – that each individually embarks upon which resonates with our deepest being. Markos does a very remarkable job in showing how the quest that the characters in each of respective novels follows a specific journey, and in much the same way mirrors what individual people might go through in life. Section two covers four classical virtues, while Section three breaks down three theological virtues, which contain also a fourth, which regard friendship, and was one of my favorite parts of the book. Those latter stages really exemplify those virtues in the authors’ work in a way that helps the reader realize what society has lost, and how to help reboot the road to virtue.

At its closing stages, the book finishes with a very robust and enlightening Bibliographical Essay [Appendix A] regarding J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle Earth, which features substantial additional information regarding all things Tolkien. A very notable addition for any serious fan, and will even prove useful for some casual fans that might not know where to start. As someone who’s beginning to study Tolkien more and more, this part is absolutely invaluable.

The second bibliographical essay [Appendix B] touches upon C.S. Lewis and Narnia. In similar fashion, the resources covering Lewis are discussed at length, and in rather salient fashion. Markos does an exemplary job of really going above in beyond with both essays in supplanting a veritable truckload of information for individuals – enough to keep you busy for years surely!

All things considered, this book really gives the incisive and inquisitive mind much to ruminate upon, and for me it’s undoubtedly a great book, and a worthy book to have in any personal library.

In fact, considering the topic at hand – regarding society’s lost virtues – one could even make the bold argument that it’s even a great piece of modern literature. Regarding that, perhaps Peter Kreeft said it best in the book’s foreword:

“That’s why reading great literature; next to meeting people is the single most effective way to learn not to flunk life. Life is a story, therefore moral education happens first and foremost powerfully through stories, e.g., through books.”[2]

This book in particular, not only is educational, but helps readers sensibly reconnect with virtues that seem to be going by the way side. And in an age where society’s values keep getting overlooked, a book like this is worth its weight in gold. That alone is worth the price of this book.

___________________________________________________________
Footnotes:

[1] Louis Markos Ph.D., On The Shoulders Of Hobbits – The Road To Virtue With Tolkien & Lewis, p. 15.
[2] Ibid., Peter Kreeft, Foreword, On The Shoulders Of Hobbits, p. 8.
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Suggested Book Reviews and video:

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit by Corey Olsen Ph.D.
The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
How To Read J.R.R. Tolkien ( )
1 vota ZyPhReX | Apr 25, 2017 |
This book offers an in depth look at the concept of the Road in both Lewis' and Tolkien's works. Markos is a well known Lewis scholar and he uses his vast experience to help make these two authors understandable to a post-modern audience. He shows the connections to classical literature, and how these friends portrayed their Christian beliefs in their fantasy writings. He focuses on The Chronicles of Narnia and LotR, the Hobbit, and the Silmarillion.

Markos shows the themes of friendship, love, trust and valour. Each chapter focuses on one topic with a lengthy example from Tolkien's works and a shorter similar example from Lewis' writings. The books four sections are titled: The Road, the Classical Virtues, the Theological Virtues, and Evil. He doesn't use footnotes, but provides two bibliographic essays at the end which highlight both his sources and other relevant books which the curious reader may wish to read for added depth on the lives of the Inklings. ( )
1 vota kkunker | Oct 29, 2012 |
Testing.
  timspalding | May 11, 2021 |
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Introduces the classic virtues both good and bad through the stories of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and explains that real life truth and goodness are communicated powerfully through fantasy fiction.

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