Tolkien and Wales
Subtitle: language, literature and identity
By: Carl Phelpstead
Publisher: University of Wales Press
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Cardiff
Language: eng
Number of pages: 183
ISBN-13: 9780708323724; 9780708323915
Subjects: Wales; Criticism and interpretation; Themes, motives; Knowledge; Language and languages
Description: "Tolkien once wrote: 'I love Wales - and especially the Welsh language'. This book explores how that love influenced Tolkien's ideas about language, many aspects of his creative writing, and his sense of an English identity. It describes more fully than before the extent and depth of Tolkien's debt to Welsh language and literature, and argues that Tolkien's love of Wales and Welsh is inseparable from his love of, and sense of belonging to, England. The book gives detailed attention to both Tolkien's fiction and his scholarly writings, including some relatively neglected texts. Wales and Welsh were seminal influences on the writings of the twentieth century's most popular writer and this book reveals the range and depth of these influences." -- Publisher's description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [163]-176) and index.
Table of contents: title: pt. 1. Language. Encountering Welsh; title: Linguistic taste; title: Inventing language; title: pt. 2. Literature. Mythological sources; title: Arthurian literature; title: Breton connections; title: pt. 3. Identity. Insular identities.