The word eucatastrophe (good catastrophe) was coined by J.R.R. Tolkien to describe what he believed was the essence and highest function of fairy-stories.
It is the sudden, unexpected joyous turn.
Tolkien explains, “In such stories when the sudden ‘turn’ comes we get a piercing glimpse of joy, and heart’s desire, that for a moment passes outside the frame, rends indeed the very web of story, and lets a gleam come through” (‘On Fairy-Stories’, 61).
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New Hope in the Party Field
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If I could call on one character at the Shire, I would visit Bilbo Baggins at Bag End at Bagshot Row. He is rather like me in that he is eccentric but also fun. Would that I could read the real Red Book: translations, lays, and so much more! I would also love to see...
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There is no place like the Shire, and there never shall be. The Shire is a small place which mostly goes unnoticed on the big map of Middle-earth. It is in reality a very great breath of fresh air. It has hills, gardens, farms, and river. That is not the entire reason...
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A Most Curious Tolkien Word – for your Week-after-Easter Motivation
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Tolkien’s Often Missed Reference to Good Friday in The Lord of the Rings
“…and Tolkien’s point is accordingly missed, as I think he intended…” (Tom Shippey) In the quotation above, Tom Shippey gives us a window not only into the brilliance of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world-building prowess, but also into its striking and easily missed subtext....
The Bigger Reason We Enjoy the Shire
Brilliant flowers. Colorful fruits and vegetables. Impressive rocks. During the 1970s and early 1980s, three gorgeous gardens graced my grandparents’ backyard. In the center of their fenced lawn stood a young, flourishing tree. As children of summertime, my cousins...
