Keep the faith, if you can

All three companies have run into the same types of demands and expectations from fans: be faithful to Tolkien. And we all have been hoping Peter Jackson's movies would be as faithful to Tolkien as possible (certainly we want them to be more faithful than past adaptations have been). But how can anyone be faithful to Tolkien and meet with general approval. We agree on so little about Tolkien's world. Some people have expressed reservations about my many essays on Tolkien (published here on Suite101 and elsewhere) because I write with "the voice of authority". People may be taking what I write too seriously. I cannot argue with that. I do put a lot of thought and research into what I write. It's not easy bring together all the little details Tolkien scattered throughout his books and unpublished essays. And when he rewrote his histories, introducing variations and alternative themes and events, one is forced to make choices in order to produce a coherent narrative. No two people seem to agree on what is and isn't usable in reconstructing a history of Tolkien's world, or in analyzing the cultures of that world. Then you have to contend with all the possible sources for Tolkien's imagination. Most people know that Tolkien was a scholar in Anglo-Saxon, and that he taught Anglo-Saxon literature as an Oxford professor. But not too many people seem to be aware of his scholarly work in other languages, including Greek, Latin, and Hebrew (to name just a few). Tolkien's name is inextricably connected with the English language in the minds of most of his fans, but he was raised on classical literature and often made allusion to it. Some of his inspiration came from the classics. So, having learned what I've learned about the man, I tend to write as if I think I know something about him. That conviction gives me a "voice of authority". But sometimes people feel I am a voice of authority, and that is evident in the occasional consultation which comes my way, paid or otherwise. I'm happy to answer questions, to be sure, and sometimes am asked questions by rather surprising people. Sometimes I'm asked rather surprising questions by people. There are other "voices of authority" on the Internet. I don't know that many of us have ever been brought together to comment on Tolkien's world. I suppose if it could be arranged the event might look

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