I've just finished reading John Garth's "Tolkien and the Great War," and the experience has been well worth it. Garth focuses on Tolkien's early life to a much greater degree than either Carpenter or Shippey and in so doing serves as a necessary corrective to both. In fact, Garth takes a few polite shots at Carpenter, and so presents us with a better picture of Tolkien's generosity and gregariousness. He also devotes a greater amount of time to analyzing the "Book of Lost Tales" and the origins of Tolkein's legendarium. Another bonus is the greater emphasis placed on Tolkien's pre-Inklings friendships and his relationship with Edith as formative influences on his work. All in all, I felt that "Tolkien and the Great War" actually advanced my understanding of Tolkien's writings and Tolkien the man. If you're a fan of Middle Earth, this one's well worth the read.
Thoughts after reading the "Iliad" to prepare a Greece unit for my students: -Hector is a jerk until he's dead. He even advocates the exposure of Achaean corpses and then has the cheek to turn around and ask Achilles to spare his. He rudely ignores Polydamas' prophecies and fights outside the gate to save his pride knowing full well what it will cost his family and city. After he's dead, he becomes a martyr for the cause. -Agamemnon has several moments of true leadership to balance out his pettiness. In this way, he's a haunting foil to Achilles: the two men are more alike than they want to acknowledge. -We see that Achilles is the better man at the funeral games of Patroclos. His lordliness, tact, and generosity there give us a window into Achilles before his fight with Agamemnon and the death of Patroclos consumed him. -Nestor is a boring, rambling, old man who's better days are far behind him, and yet every Achaean treats him with the upmo...
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