A for Arrogant or Aragorn; An Honest Review of LOTR (the book)

Somehow, its still possible to learn things about yourself far into middle age. And even in middle earth. My foray into Tolkien's mind has been enlightening as well as entertaining.

Let me start by way of confession.

I was wearing a monogrammed necklace that was a gift from one of my students, and it dawned on me as I gazed on it that I am somewhat proud of the fact that my first name starts with the first letter of the alphabet. As if I had anything to do with that. The alphabet or my name!! Sometimes I surprise myself.

So, on to middle earth. For a moment let me speak in literary generalities. Every good hero is a delicate mixture of self doubt and self approval. Every villain must be out of balance in the same way - either a slithering  Gollum or Wormtongue, who possess qualities best described as self-absorbed and devoid of healthy self-esteem. While I don't identify with either of the villains, I'd like to find myself in Frodo, or perhaps Aragorn (I would say Gandalf, but I'd rather hide that arrogance a little longer, thank you) but more often I find myself in Bilbo Baggins. This is a more subtle recrimination. I find that my self-aggrandizement is often challenged by the reality of, well, being me.

It is a great satisfaction to know that the great JRR himself knew this personal angst. How else could he have written so honestly about human traits, even if he did assign them to hobbits, elves, dwarves, and wizards? The enduring quality of the Lord of the Rings story is that ability it has to make us look at ourselves.

Having made it to the end of the book, (it was of ponderous size) my fond remembrance is of the heroism of Frodo and the sacred faithfulness of his dear friend Sam. May we all be Sam, because we can't all be Frodo.

Of Wardrobes and Rings: A Review

There was a full house for the performance   Of Wardrobes and Rings at Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto on February 28, 12016.  Perhaps it was general knowledge but it was a complete surprise to me that this was the premier of the show!

In a pub setting JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis meet over beer and tea (tea for Lewis because his recent heart attack has him under doctor's orders to cut out alcohol) which gave the audience a glimpse of the highlights of their famed lifelong friendship. Hattie the barmaid provided a light and youthful backdrop to showcase the somewhat stodgy academic figures of Lewis and Tolkien, or Jack and Tollers as they referred to each other.

At times they reminded one of a catty, gossipy David Niven and Bob Newhart if I must be honest. In other words, while brilliant, successful, and creative, they were so very human. There is an invisible 'fourth wall' we readers often construct that keeps us from understanding such literary icons. It is easy to forget they were people, people that nursed grudges, that wore catheters, that were turned down for promotions, and often misunderstood even by their dearest friends. Despite this laundry list of terribly human realities, the end result for me personally was that I came to respect and admire Lewis and Tolkien in a greater way, and their friendship even more.

Having seen and thoroughly been inspired by Max Maclean's stage production of CS Lewis' Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce, I was poised for something similar.  Instead, Phil Crowley and David Payne's thoughtful dialogue had a very comfy and almost 'homey' feel, unlike Maclean's clipped stage treatment of Lewis' books. I had attempted a very heroic last minute read of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, which I didn't quite complete, and was rewarded several times with connections to the story that I would otherwise have been oblivious to. In case you were there, I was the gaping fool who laughed a lot, and cried at the end.