On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis Paperback – September 14, 2012

I thank Louis Markos for re-awakening my imagination with On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis. I've had this book in my library for 5 years now, but have never read it until now. I hate that I waited this long, but perhaps I needed to wait for such a time as this.It's so easy to get bogged down in the cares of this world, of the corruption and evil we see around us every day. We live in a cruel and sinful world and it's a simple thing to be disheartened by it, but even though Louis Markos touches heavily on corruption and evil in his book, he doesn't stay there.Instead, he draws the readers attention to Tolkien's masterful use of the classical virtues in The Lord of the Rings. To a lesser degree, he also chooses examples from C.S. Lewis' remarkable Chronicles of Narnia. He asks the question of why so much modern fiction is not fulfilling on an intimate level like it once was. The answer is simple; as a society, we no longer believe in "universal" virtues. Some of our knee-jerk reactions might be to deny this, but how can we? Everywhere we turn, people are encouraged to define their own truth, their own lifestyle, and their own virtues. Our world is chaos and there is no universal virtue to be found in chaos.But that doesn't mean we're without hope.In fact, Markos' rallying cry is that we return to literature that holds to the classical universal virtues because they are eternal, being: wisdom, temperance, courage, and justice.This book was a return to my English literature classes for me. And, in many ways, a return to my Christian development classes, which were a requirement for my degree, and which ended up being some of my favorite courses during my college education.I forgot how much I love literary analysis from a spiritual perspective. I actually miss that aspect of college. I was so steeped in literary analysis for so long that graduating from college and joining the workforce full time negatively affected me.Somewhere in the last 5 years, I misplaced the ability to reason and discern from the literature I read. And that's where I have to praise Louis Markos for reinvigorating my interest in literary analysis from a Christian perspective. Because that's how I read, that's who I am, and that's how I need to approach life and the books that I read. There are reasons why some books powerfully impact us and others disgust us. What virtues are they holding to?It's time to read On the Shoulders of Hobbits. It's time to demand something more profound from the stories we read. Stories can be fun and profound at the same time, without talking down to us or compromising the virtues we should hold dear.

Professor Louis Markos in his enchanting book about the Lord of the Rings and Narnia has managed to baptize my imagination (I wrote this review before I read Dr. Peter Kreeft's introduction in which he suggests that you allow Professor Markos to baptize your imagination) and set my heart on fire for the works of two of the best authors of the 20th century.I must admit that I was not a great fan of either Lewis or Tolkien. I had tried to read the Chronicles of Narnia as a young student without much luck. I mistakenly thought that Lord of the Rings was science fiction and never put my full attention to it. However, who has not heard what wonderful authors these two are? I was willing to believe that they were fine authors. But still, I could not seem to appreciate their writing and the last cause I suspected was me. After reading On the shoulders of Hobbits, Professor Markos managed to turn my hard head and my hard heart towards some of the best literature of the 20th century. He removed road blocks, opened up new vistas and in the best way, he led me to an understanding of the true meaning of these tales. Professor Markos also makes clear why Tolkien's and Lewis' works will surely stand the test of time. I think Professor Kreeft put it like this: "they have the fingerprints of God all over them."Professor Markos' love for the great enduring stories that tell us mere mortals about our true ends and purposes, and in particular his love for Tolkien and Lewis, is infectious. He has a gift for transmitting that love through the written word for those with the ears to hear through the din of modernity and for those with the eyes to see through emperor's new clothes of todays false literacy are in for a trek perhaps not even hoped for.My own children and students have received great benefits from the fire that PRofesor Markos has lit in my heart. It is with the greatest joy that I enthusiastically pass on my new found love for Tolkien and Lewis as Professor Markos has passed it on to me. This book is a treasure, to be your guide into Middle Earth and into Narnia. Virgil could hardly have done better for Dante on their journey through hell at revealing what is really there.I would heartily and emphatically encourage anyone who is not sure about the value of Tolkien and Lewis to come to On the Shoulders of Hobbits with a humble heart and a mind open to permanent goodness, truth and beauty and let Professor Markos guide you to lands of which you will never tire.