/lit/ - Literature

>>14654896
Tolkien was referring to the book taken as a whole. That is, responding to claims that the story itself represents X Y or Z. But it is absolutely full of multiple overlapping inner meanings. We can still discuss what LOTR might be 'about' if we keep things suitably abstract so it doesn't encroach on 'allegory'. For example, many have said that the book is broadly 'about' death and loss. Similarly, we can also see the influence of his experiences on the western front 1916 in his descriptions of the dead marshes, or the wasteland around Mordor, again without this being accused of being 'allegory'.

>>14586917
Unfortunately not friend. Was blown away by Tolkien when I was younger so went trawling for other writers like you are, not knowing how unique Tolkien really was. Wheel of time, sword of truth, runelords, shannara, drenai saga, and so on. All shit. Absolute shit. Cringeworthy American shit. High fantasy began and ended with Tolkien, a man so based he accidentally gave birth to an entire genre of piss-poor imitations.