Tolkien at Exeter College: How an Oxford Undergraduate Created Middle-Earth
2015; Mythopoeic Society; Volume: 33; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0146-9339
Autores Tópico(s)Diverse Education Studies and Reforms
ResumoTOLKIEN AT EXETER COLLEGE: HOW AN OXFORD UNDERGRADUATE CREATED MIDDLE-EARTH. John Garth. Oxford: Exeter College, 2014. 64 p. Softcover; 10 [pounds sterling] in UK, 12.60 [pounds sterling] in EU, and 13.65 [pounds sterling] elsewhere (including shipping and handling). Order from author at www.johngarth.co.uk /php/tolkien_at_exeter_college.php. Good things often come in small packages, and John Garth's newest chronicle on early life of J.R.R. Tolkien is very good thing indeed. Enriched by over three dozen rare photographs, holographs, and illustrations, Tolkien at Exeter reveals that Tolkien's life in university from 1911 to 1915 was time of innocence, time of confidences. Exeter is prequel of sorts to Garth's first biographical masterpiece, award-winning Tolkien and Great War published in 2003. Tolkien came down to in Oxford at nineteen, arriving at Mitre in realm of dreaming spires in motor-car driven by his erstwhile schoolmaster R.W. Reynolds. He had spent summer tramping over large part of Switzerland (with heavy pack) in trek (w)hich in many ways resembled Bilbo's adventure of mountains from Rivendell (5). Divided into fifteen chapters and two sections, Peace and War, this biography is enhanced by one-page interludes. first, An Older Fellowship, tells tale of another King Edward's School alumnus and Exonian, painter Edward Burne-Jones, who matriculated at Exeter, Oxford's fourth oldest college, in 1852 along with polymath William Morris. Exeter's Anglo-Catholic flavor encouraged those two to engender Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood opposing the heartless coldness of times (4). Tolkien had once compared his King Edward's circle of like-minded friends, T.C.B.S (Tea Club and Barrovian Society), to Pre-Raphaelites. It seems likely that college chapel's tapestry Adoration of Magi, designed by Burne-Jones and realized by Morris & Co. in 1890, appealed to Catholic Tolkien. Missing sort of fellowship he shared with T.C.B.S., Tolkien created Apolausticks, group of dozen or so undergraduates, in January 1912, just after his twentieth birthday. Living up to OED apolaustic definition devoted to seeking enjoyment; self-indulgent, group savored lively talk, good books, splendid food, and fine wine. Their discussions included works by G.K. Chesterton, George Bernard Shaw, H. Rider Haggard, Lewis Carroll, and Maurice Maeterlinck. Tolkien was, of course, president. Not creative writing group, Apolausticks staged at least one debate on topic that a belief in ghosts is essential to welfare of people. Tolkien won by single vote (15). Garth includes two Tolkien sketches of Turl Street drawn from his view from window of room 9 in staircase 7. He partook in Oxford life to fullest, both its intellectual--the Stapeldon Society, revitalized Essay Club, where Tolkien spoke on poet Francis Thompson, author of The Hound Of Heaven--and physical--rugby, tennis, Officer Training Corps--aspects. His jinks were often high enough to warrant police action. Christopher Tolkien shared story his father told family where policeman said 'Let's take this little one,' before officers grabbed him from behind (19). His usually scrupulous practice of religion waned. He confessed in letter that I fell back into folly and slackness and misspent good deal of my first year at College (18). When he should have been studying for his Classics examinations, Tolkien was instead immersing himself in Sir Charles Eliot's Finnish Grammar and wild assault on stronghold of original language [of Kalevala which] was repulsed at first with heavy losses (21). Garth includes one Tolkien penciled annotation on nominative plural of participle present in Eliot's book. Two fateful events occurred in 1913. …
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