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Originally Posted by Mister Underhill
As an artist, I'm very interested in thinking about what effect or impact my work can have on other people. What is possible beyond mere entertainment?
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Hasn't the role of art has always been questioned as pure or sole delight" Isn't there some old saying about "to inform and delight"? I seem to recall that phrase.
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Originally Posted by Mr. Underhill
I can't even answer those questions definitively for myself, let alone for some hypothetical group of readers.
Let me ask you this: at what age did you first read Tolkien? What impact, if any, do you think he had on your Weltanschauung? I'm also interested in the replies of people who say, no, no book has affected or is likely to significantly affect my worldview, if that's your experience.
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I'm quite the same way, and actually wouldn't want to create some sort of hierarchy of 'most influential' etc. (I really dislike those kinds of polls "Best Book of the Century". Wouldn't want to see superlatives become a 'one ring' I guess.)
I didn't first read Tolkien as a teen, though. I must say that his thoughts about fantasy have certainly given me much pause for thought.
EDIT: Well, I'm not sure if it is kosher to copy a post in this way, but I just read
Lal's statement on
Fordim's, "Are you a better person?" thread and thought it really pertained as well to
Mr. U's interest, so here's
a link to Lal's Weltanschauung .