Is there a precedent for the type of reading experience that Tolkien's work delivers? This question is posed in regard to several things: The trilogy design, the length, the subject matter and depth, and the ripple effect it has had in literature and media globally. In modern times, I would postulate the answer is no, there is no precedent before The Lord of the Rings - at least for a work of fiction. Belz writes, "When The Lord of the Rings was published in 1954–55, nothing like it had ever been seen. This epic tale in its elaborately devised world sent shock waves through the publishing world. It was, in the words of Tolkien biographer Tom Shippey, ‘a one-item category.’ But soon, it was clear that the category was destined to overflow. J. R. R. Tolkien had done nothing less than found a new genre.” (n.d.)
LOTR, the 'one-item category', not only was unprecedented in the amount of historical and linguistic detail that Tolkien invested time and much of his life to, creating this entire new world readers immerse themselves in, but also in the way that it created an entire surrounding culture. At the time, it seems that music was the youth medium for rebellion and expression (the Beatles phenomenon comes to mind), but here was a new means that was affordable, controversial on some levels, and they really grabbed hold. His work truly did affect the way readers experience a book and demonstrates the influence a book can have on society.
LOTR, the 'one-item category', not only was unprecedented in the amount of historical and linguistic detail that Tolkien invested time and much of his life to, creating this entire new world readers immerse themselves in, but also in the way that it created an entire surrounding culture. At the time, it seems that music was the youth medium for rebellion and expression (the Beatles phenomenon comes to mind), but here was a new means that was affordable, controversial on some levels, and they really grabbed hold. His work truly did affect the way readers experience a book and demonstrates the influence a book can have on society.
Reference:
Belz, A. (n.d.). Father of Epic Fantasy. Christian History Institute. Retrieved April 22, 2015, from https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/father-of-epic-fantasy/
Image: The most expensive Tolkien book in the world. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/856-most-expensive-Tolkien-book-in-the-world.php
Belz, A. (n.d.). Father of Epic Fantasy. Christian History Institute. Retrieved April 22, 2015, from https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/father-of-epic-fantasy/
Image: The most expensive Tolkien book in the world. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/856-most-expensive-Tolkien-book-in-the-world.php