The Silmarillion - Ainulindalë & Valaquenta

[Philipa]

I'd never thought of these stories as mythological adaptations of his real life experiences. That's kind of interesting. Thanks for giving me some insight I'd never thought of before. Whether this is true or not, it's the brain work that makes it interesting.

[Merry]

I agree, Philipa--Tolkien doesn't stop giving me things to think about! And the idea of his writings being mythologized accounts of his real life events belongs to Garth. I keep lending out his book and never getting it back--my third copy has disappeared and I can't remember to whom I loaned it. I guess that's the sign of a good book! But I remember that Garth showed us side-by-side passages from Tolkien and other WW1 authors and the similarities were striking. I think it is this mythologizing quality that gives Tolkien's work that air of reality.