Book Review: On the Shoulders of Hobbits: the Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis by Louis Markos

Why read fantasy? Are fairy tales really all that great? Can we learn anything or gain any insight from reading them? Louis Markos answers these questions in On the Shoulders of Hobbits. He explains what our culture can learn from the examples set in the fantasy novels of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. Markos approaches the subject topically, writing about “The Road”, classical and Theological virtues highlighted in the novels, and finally the struggle of various characters with evil.

As a huge fan of both Tolkien and Lewis, I can say I absolutely loved this book! I read through it quickly, and it has me more excited about my favorite authors than ever! I am motivated to go back and read these stories again with a new perspective! Markos explains how both children and adults benefit from the genre or fantasy, and includes other stories and authors in his analyses of various virtues and struggles faced by fictional characters.

One point the author made that stood out to me was how morals that in times past were taught to children and reinforced through stories are largely neglected today. The classical virtues: justice, temperance, wisdom, and courage, along with the Theological virtues: faith, hope, and love, are not expressly taught in today’s schools or culture. Instead, tolerance, multiculturalism, and environmentalism are stressed. Nothing is wrong with the modern “virtues”, but today's Americans are lacking in the development of the timeless virtues and the tools to resist evil. A solution? Stories! Tolkien and Lewis wrote perhaps the best fantasy novels in the twentieth century, and did a great job instilling these issues in the challenges faced by their characters. They give examples of mistakes as well as success, and evil as well as good.

If you are a reader of Tolkien or Lewis, or find yourself interested in embarking on the journey their tales will take you on, I definitely recommend this book! It provides valuable insight and has the potential to add depth to your enjoyment of the aforementioned and other classic tales!

I received this book for free from the publisher through the Moody Publishers blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255