Expert to discuss war

Expert
to discuss war’s influence on Tolkien

BY ELLEN CHANG
Rice News staff

An expert on
J.R.R. Tolkien will present a lecture Feb. 6 at Rice University
about the writer’s experiences fighting in World War
I and how that is reflected in his books.

John Garth, author
of “Tolkien and the Great War,” will speak at
7 p.m. at Howard Keck Hall, room 100. A book signing will
precede the lecture at 6 p.m.

Garth’s
book is a comprehensive and well-researched account of how
Tolkien was influenced and affected by his experiences fighting
in World War I, said Jane Chance, professor of English.
In his book, Garth demonstrates how Tolkien’s experiences
in the war directly affected him and helped him understand
relationships among characters, she said.

“It’s
meticulously well-researched,” Chance said. “This
is the first biographical study of Tolkien authorized by
the Tolkien estate since the publication of his official
biography by Humphrey Carpenter in the 1970s.”

Chance said Garth
spent more than five years poring over records and documents
to reconstruct Tolkien’s war experience and what was
happening daily.

As a second lieutenant,
Tolkien was sent to the Western Front and fought in the
Somme offensive. Most of his friends were killed during
the war. He returned to England after suffering from “trench
fever,” a typhus-like infection.

Tolkien later
taught Old English at the University of Oxford. He wrote
many stories, including “The Hobbit” in 1937 and
“The Lord of the Rings” in 1954-55. Both books
are set in Middle Earth, a prehistoric era that Tolkien
invented.

Chance said Tolkien
always thought that no one would be interested in his mythology.
But his popularity has grown immensely since his death in
1972. In 2003, more than 11 million of his books were sold
and 100 million have been sold altogether.

Chance said his
books have been loved and embraced by fans worldwide. Part
of the attraction to his books is due to their universal
appeal to readers during times of conflict.

“I think
[readers] want to be moved,” she said. “When you
finish reading the book, you are very happy and want to
read more.”.