Section 6 Abstracts of the Proceedings of the J.R.R. Tolkien Centenary Conference

Tolkien Society: 'a star shines on the hour of our meeting'

Tolkien Centenary Conference Proceedings Abstracts

How Russians See Tolkien.: The understanding of J.R.R. Tolkien in Russia is affected by two circumstances. One is that the general public is only familiar with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The other fact is that for the last 75 years cultural values and ethical rules have been methodically changed and replaced with communist ideology.

The Critical Response to Tolkien's Fiction.: This paper illustrates, primarily by reviewing reviews from The Hobbit to The History of Middle-earth, how Tolkien's critics have approached his works and popularity. The paper also briefly comments on the state of Tolkien criticism in its second half-century.

Tolkien the Anti-totalitarian.: A number of critics have looked for a political message in The Lord of the Rings, their dislike of the work, in some cases, apparently leading them to accuse Tolkien of holding extreme, usually right-wing, political views and making The Lord of the Rings a vehicle for them. These critics are particularly vehement about the danger of young people emerging from a reading of Tolkien's book with extreme right-wing views. I select some examples from my collection of political views, including the opinions of Robert Westall, E.P. Thompson, and Fred Inglis, together with a viewpoint from a member of the Communist Party.