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Irish Times redeems itself with a great Tolkien retrospective - Lord of the Rings news - J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

December 24, 2000 at 22:11:56

We can dish out the complaints, we'd better dish out the compliments, too. The Irish Times blew it back in August when Edward Power obliterated Tolkien factuality with a story about the upcoming movies. But now writer Eileen Battersby has produced one of the best Tolkien retrospectives we've seen in a long time.

Battersby is moved by Tolkien's high and low moments, and she shares her joy at seeing children discover Tolkien and eagerly plead with their parents for just the right version of The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas present.

The article recounts Tolkien's life and career and it shows that Battersby cared enough to look up her facts. Or maybe she has committed them to heart. A couple of minor foibles are not worth quibbling over. If you have a friend or loved one who cannot decide whether to try out a Tolkien book, print Battersby's article and give it to them.