Why did Esperanto fail? Because it was created using the "Tolkien method": based on subjective criteria of euphony. There are many other reasons but this is the main one. Creating a universal human language should be the work of talented mathematicians. If this language proves convenient for the majority of the planet's intellectuals, then in a century or two most humans will know it.
J. R. R. Tolkien's writing style is satirical—an absurdist prank, a kind of postmodern erotica.
ОтветитьУдалитьIt sounds insane, but J.R.R. Tolkien's influence on 21st-century geopolitics is comparable to Karl Marx's influence on 20th-century geopolitics.
ОтветитьУдалитьFantasy is a synonym for parable. I believe that three main types of fiction can be identified. The first is the fairy tale. A fairy tale is always allusionist in the sense that its images are metaphors for certain patterns. A fairy tale that deliberately conceals the meaning of its own allusions is called magic. Fairy tales are not always written for children. For example, superhero stories are a kind of fairy tale for adults, and numerology and astrology are a form of adult sorcery.
ОтветитьУдалитьThe second type of fiction is the novel: biopic, science fiction, and so on. A novel draws the reader's attention to what is unique and unrepeatable in every human life. A novel should be distinguished from prose forms of propaganda, which try to appear as novels but are essentially myths — religious fantasy or graphomaniac parables (we will examine this topic further).
The third type of fiction is the parable. Every parable is conceptual art in the sense that it is a metaphor for a particular philosophy. A parable that deliberately hides the meaning of its own ethics is called a myth. The author of a myth may either believe in it (for example, probably Christ) or not (for example, Carlos Castaneda). The author of a myth may attempt to create his own totalitarian cult (for example, Karl Marx), or to promote someone else’s (for example, J.R.R. Tolkien). If Tolkien wrote escapist myths for Catholic propaganda, then Nietzsche (Thus Spoke Zarathustra), Goethe, and Dante created wonderful fantasy — inspiring parables. I am increasingly inclined to think that Tolkien was a sinner in the spirit of Adolf Eichmann. As an Oxford professor and the author of the bestseller The Hobbit, he had sufficient influence to bridge the gap between the epic parables of the 20th century and the fantasy of previous centuries, but instead he chose inaction and loyalty to the Catholic Church. And this loyalty was rewarded: the influence of Tolkien’s texts on the geopolitics of the 21st century is quite comparable to the influence of Marx’s texts on the geopolitics of the 20th.
The Lord of the Rings differs both from The Hobbit and other of Tolkien’s fairy tales, as well as from stories in the first part of The Silmarillion, such as The Children of Húrin, The Fall of Gondolin, and Beren and Lúthien. While Tolkien wrote fairy tales for purposes such as personal therapy, entertaining his children, and achieving financial success, the early versions of The Silmarillion were written by a young Tolkien primarily to entertain his friends, his wife, and himself.
ОтветитьУдалитьBut The Lord of the Rings is a different case. This trilogy was written during a long period of Tolkien’s desperation. It represents a poorly self-aware attempt by Tolkien to create his own apocalyptic, totalitarian cult.