‘Canonicity’: the Book or the Reader?

[mark12_30]

Son of Numenor wrote:

While I do not feel that there is any ultimate Truth readily available for us as readers to extract from Tolkien's work

SoN, that would be why the concepts of "glimpse" and "window" (and the resulting mysticism) is important-- not just to me, but apparently to Tolkien as well (See On Faery Stories.) Tolkien spoke of opening the reader to a far-off glimpse. Tolkien himelf rarely lectures. This is why Child's definition is incomplete for me, and based on his essay I would say it is imcomplete for TOlkien as well; but this thread is supposed to be geared towards the reader...

davem wrote:

Again, I may be wrong in believing in the existence of Truth & Joy, but if that's the reason I experience Tolkien's stories in the way I do, & am affected by them in the way I am, then I'll choose being wrong.

The other day I went hunting for the Puddleglum quote from the Silver Chair and found it here. In the meantime, reread the Epilogue of On Faery Stories, davem. Have a look at "Sing Now Ye People" that H-I quoted above. And relax.

[Lyta_Underhill]

Gee, Helen! You ought to start a mailing list and send inspirational tidbits to everyone to start out their day right! And many thanks to HI for the lift!

From the Epilogue of "On Fairy Stories," so helpfully pointed to by Helen:

The Christian still has to work, with mind as well as body, to suffer, hope and die; but he may now perceive that all his bents and faculties have a purpose, which can be redeemed.

he may actually assist in effoliation and multiple enrichment of creation.

I think the perception here can be applied to more than just the Christian, as Tolkien enumerates here, at least in my experience. The "consolation" factor of the self-consistent second world with a coherent story to be told is of great value. For there is purpose and a clear path, clearer than that which is laid before most of us in the real world. One comes away from the story with the idea that there is applicability of the second world to the first, that some of Middle Earth is in your backyard. I do not, like some others on this thread, feel let down when I finish the story, but rather, I see aspects of the story in the primary world, so that the story seems never to end. The story is so well told that its images and concepts resonate within the primary world and seem to jump out into reality, and at times seem MORE real than the world I can see and touch.

This process of assimiliation or amalgamation of the reader and the book is complex, and rather than separating the two worlds, I think it draws them closer, to the 'edge of Faerie' if you will, so that one can walk in the two worlds simultaneously. Of course, there is the "head in the clouds" syndrome that one must avoid while driving at high speeds on the Interstate highways, etc., but while I walk in the forests, I absolutely believe in Ents. ( I still believe in them on the highway, but hardly expect to see them there!)

So, as to the question of the Book or the Reader? I think the answer is whereever the Book meets the Reader or the Reader meets the Book. It is a process, and I think Helen's idea of the cyclical process upon re-reading jibes with my experience of seeing new things and finding new applicability as years pass and re-readings mount. (See! I don't think I used the T word even once!)

Cheers,
Lyta