Stick to your territory, AN Wilson!

[Anguirel]

This thread intends to follow the fine tradition of posters spitting vitriol at critics, deriding the so-called "literati". But with a twist.

For I myself am solidly literati-spawned. The cursed blood runs throughout my veins. I am even heading to become, I hope, a "literatus" myself. This means I tend to see the comically misguided bits of that world sharply. And rarely sharper than as regards Tolkien.

What I resent is not the failure to take Tolkien seriously or even to accept him as a writer at all. That's rather understandable bitterness at his all-consuming popularity. Also, knowing what such critics are missing in their self-imposed anti-Tolkienism, a little pity even feels appropriate.

No, what is truly laughable and pitiful is when these writers, politicians and journalists, having beheld the colossal rise of the Tolkien cult, and fearing its power, feel a necessity to give it craven, ludicrous, irrelevant little nods of approval.

I take this fine example from AN Wilson, an extremely witty and interesting biographer and journalist, if rather patchy as a novelist. This is from the Spectator, in an article paying tribute to a recently deceased colleague; an otherwise tremendous and moving piece, but cheapened thus:

Originally Posted by AN Wilson

Little by little, however, like the Welsh language or the Grey Elves in Tolkien, the Old Believers died out, and soon their voices were only to be heard in the "Peter Simple" column.

It's a slight touch, achieved in passing, and to non-Tolkien readers it sounds rather learned in Tolkien lore. To those with the knowledge it's avoidable gobbledegook. Much as I am amused to see the Sindar raising their head in a political mag, it's still nonsense. AN Wilson, as CS Lewis' biographer (and the best one, I think) probably has read Tolkien's books; but that only makes it an exercise in dumbing down, all to strengthen a chance simile.

This kind of thing is but the mildest symptom. In the past I've seen politicians invoking Aragorn with a patent "this was slipped to me by PR and I don't know what it means" fashion. I've seen lame attempts to back up the Iraq war with such ache-inducing phrases as "the new Fellowship prepares to take on the new Sauron." I've seen an editorial invoking Lord of the Rings' appeal to justify its position.

The literary establishment (including my mother) often accuses Tolkien of cod-archaism. I would like to be the first to implore them to stop employing cod-Tolkienism.