McFarland, 2015. 1st ediiton. Paperback. Cover by Ted Nasmith. The work of J.R.R. Tolkien has had a profound effect on contemporary fiction and film making, yet criticism often places him at the margins of twentieth- and twenty-first century thought and experience. He actually sits near the centre of the last century's intellectual landscape: his fiction created a new market for the “fantasy trilogy,” his academic work represents what philology can still accomplish in academe and beyond, and his Catholic faith retains great meaning for millions of persons worldwide.*
