Palgrave Science Fiction and Fantasy: A New Canon: J. R. R. Tolkien s the Hobbit : Realizing History Through Fantasy: A Critical Companion (Paperback)

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This book is a critical introduction to J.R.R. Tolkien s The Hobbit but it also advances an argument about the novel in the context of Tolkien s larger literary and philosophical project. Notwithstanding its canonical place in the fantasy genre The Hobbit is ultimately a historical novel. It does not refer directly to any real historical events but it both enacts and conceptualizes history in a way that makes it real. Drawing on Marxist literary criticism and narrative theory this book examines the form and content of Tolkien s work demonstrating how the heroic romance is simultaneously employed and subverted by Tolkien in his tale of an unlikely hero quite a little fellow in a wide world who nonetheless makes history. First-time readers of Tolkien as well as established scholars and fans will enjoy this engaging and accessible study of The Hobbit.