Your question is for me closely related to "It feels different near the Shire". For me, LOTR includes Faerie story and goes beyond it. JRRT called it a romance, having the same scope and drama and high mindedness of Medieval romances. The section you quote from "On Faerie Stories" puts me most in mind of Smith of Wooton Major. I think of that short story as Tolkien's purest evocation of Faerie story. The Hobbit also has a strong element of Faerie story. I think that particular sections of LOTR have a strong element of Faerie story, such as the Old Forest, the House of Tom Bombadil, even the Barrows downs. But once you get into the part of LOTR that is dominated by the Ring, it goes beyond Faerie story. At least for me. I love LOTR, don't get me wrong! But it doesn't all have the same FEEL for me as Faerie story.
|