内容简介
Anumber-oneNewYorkTimesbestsellerwhenitwasoriginallypublished,TheSilmarillionisthecoreofJ.R.R.Tolkien'simaginativewriting,aworkwhoseoriginsstretchbacktoatimelongbeforeTheHobbit.TolkienconsideredTheSilmarillionhism
作者简介
JohnRonaldReuelTolkien,CBE,wasanEnglishwriter,poet,WWIveteran(aFirstLieutenantintheLancashireFusiliers,BritishArmy),philologist,anduniversityprofessor,bestknownastheauthorofthehighfantasyclassicworksTheHobbitandTheLordoftheRings.TolkienwasRawlinsonandBosworthProfessorofAnglo-SaxonatOxfordfrom1925to1945,andMertonProfessorofEnglishlanguageandliteraturefrom1945to1959.HewasaclosefriendofC.S.Lewis.ChristopherTolkienpublishedaseriesofworksbasedonhisfather'sextensivenotesandunpublishedmanuscripts,includingTheSilmarillion.These,togetherwithTheHobbitandTheLordoftheRings,formaconnectedbodyoftales,poems,fictionalhistories,inventedlanguages,andliteraryessaysaboutanimaginedworldcalledArda,andMiddle-earthwithinit.Between1951and1955,Tolkienappliedtheword"legendarium"tothelargerpartofthesewritings.WhilemanyotherauthorshadpublishedworksoffantasybeforeTolkien,thegreatsuccessofTheHobbitandTheLordoftheRingsleddirectlytoapopularresurgenceofthegenre.ThishascausedTolkientobepopularlyidentifiedasthe"father"ofmodernfantasyliterature—ormoreprecisely,highfantasy.Tolkien'swritingshaveinspiredmanyotherworksoffantasyandhavehadalastingeffectontheentirefield.In2008,TheTimesrankedhimsixthonalistof"The50greatestBritishwriterssince1945".Forbesrankedhimthe5thtop-earningdeadcelebrityin2009.ReligiousinfluencesJ.R.R.Tolkien,wasborninSouthAfricain1892,buthisfamilymovedtoBritainwhenhewasabout3yearsold.WhenTolkienwas8yearsold,hismotherconvertedtoCatholicism,andheremainedaCatholicthroughouthislife.Inhislastinterview,twoyearsbeforehisdeath,heunhesitatinglytestified,“I’madevoutRomanCatholic.”Tolkienmarriedhischildhoodsweetheart,Edith,andtheyhadfourchildren.HewrotethemletterseachyearasiffromSantaClaus,andaselectionofthesewaspublishedin1976asTheFatherChristmasLetters.OneofTolkien’ssonsbecameaCatholicpriest.TolkienwasanadvisorforthetranslationoftheJerusalemBible.TolkienoncedescribedTheLordoftheRingstohisfriendRobertMurray,anEnglishJesuitpriest,as"afundamentallyreligiousandCatholicwork,unconsciouslysoatfirst,butconsciouslyintherevision."Therearemanytheologicalthemesunderlyingthenarrativeincludingthebattleofgoodversusevil,thetriumphofhumilityoverpride,andtheactivityofgrace.Inadditionthesagaincludesthemeswhichincorporatedeathandimmortality,mercyandpity,resurrection,salvation,repentance,self-sacrifice,freewill,justice,fellowship,authorityandhealing.InadditionTheLord'sPrayer"Andleadusnotintotemptation,butdeliverusfromevil"wasreportedlypresentinTolkien'smindashedescribedFrodo'sstrugglesagainstthepowerofthe"OneRing.''
