Reading Tolkien

This show examines Tolkien's work from a variety of literary perspectives. We examine Tolkien's lesser known works, his well known novels and his thematic and philosophical preoccupations and sentiments. Please join us!

The Silmarillion Sessions: Chapter 11 - Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor 07/02/2023

The Silmarillion Sessions: Chapter 11 - Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor In this minisode I discuss the myth of the Sun and the Moon in The Silmarillion. I jump right into my thoughts so it is recommended that you have read the chapter recently. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/27346425

The Silmarillion Sessions: Chapter 10 - Of the Sindar 05/27/2023

The Silmarillion Sessions: Chapter 10 - Of the Sindar In this episode I discuss the Sindar in Chapter 10 of The Silmarillion, and offer brief thoughts on my recent re-read of The Lord of the Rings. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/26966130

Silmarillion Sessions: Chapter 7, 8 & 9 01/29/2023

Silmarillion Sessions: Chapter 7, 8 & 9 We discuss Fëanor (somewhat drunkenly!) in this new podcast, our first for 2023! For those who think Fëanor 'did nothing wrong' this is the podcast for you! We defend the great Elf's actions and discuss the bias of The Silmarillion narrator at this part of the story. But did Tolkien intend us to read his 'Bible' in this way! For answers to these and other questions please join us! Find Reading Tolkien on twitter: @PodReading, and on /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/25758888

The Rings of Power discussion: Episodes 1 & 2 09/08/2022

The Rings of Power discussion: Episodes 1 & 2 Sridhar and Ben discuss the first two episodes of the new Amazon series, The Rings of Power. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/24308445

JRR Tolkien, George RR Martin, and writing morally dubious characters 05/08/2022

JRR Tolkien, George RR Martin, and writing morally dubious characters In this episode Sridhar and I discuss the upcoming Amazon show, Rings of Power, and the prequel to Game of Thrones - House of the Dragon. The discussion turns to the variant means by which Tolkien and Martin approach morally dubious characters like Gollum, or the Lannisters. Both of us are unrepentent in our bias to Tolkien, and I frequently argue that much of what is said to constitute Martin’ s genius is done better elsewhere, and frequently with much greater nuance. So, if you’re a Martin fan, you will probably find a lot here to argue with. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/23039582

Silmarillion Sessions 2: Chapters 1-4 03/13/2022

Silmarillion Sessions 2: Chapters 1-4 Join Ben and Sridhar as they discuss Chapters 1-4 of the Quenta Silmarillion. They touch on the nature of the Valar, the status of The Silmarillion as a text within the world of The Lord of the Rings, the various theodicies presented in the text, and the efficacy of mythological vs. theological approaches to the text. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/22428440

Interview: Brian Rosebury 03/06/2022

Interview: Brian Rosebury Join Professor Brian Rosebury (Tolkien: A Cultural Phenomenon) and myself as we discuss Tolkien and tragedy, morality and moral judgement. Brian's details can be found here: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/academics/dr-brian-rosebury /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/22352816

The Nature of Middle-earth with Daniel Stride 01/10/2022

The Nature of Middle-earth with Daniel Stride Join us for a new episode in which we review the Nature of Middle-earth with Daniel Stride. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/21725168

Silmarillion Sessions 1 12/13/2021

Silmarillion Sessions 1 Join us for the inaugural episode of the Silmarillion Sessions. We begin with the myth of Creation, the Ainulindalë. We touch on the importance of beauty and goodness, and ask whether these two concepts can be equated in the story, and we consider the role that Plato’s ideas about the Forms might play in comprehending the nature of Tolkien’s creation myth. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/21462440

Interview: Tom Emanuel 09/05/2021

Interview: Tom Emanuel Here I discuss Tolkien with @RealTomEmanuel, a minister and Tolkien Scholar. We touch on recent trends in the reception of Tolkien, Tolkien studies, and beauty of The Lord of the Rings. Please join us for a great discussion! /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/20370587

Of the Rings of Power 08/04/2021

Of the Rings of Power Listen in as Ben and Sridhar discuss the Rings of Power in Tolkien's world. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/20030807

Interview: Dawn M. Walls-Thumma 06/18/2021

Interview: Dawn M. Walls-Thumma Today I present an interview with scholar and writer Dawn Walls-Thumma. We discuss Dawn's essay 'Attainable Vistas: Historical Bias in Tolkien's Legendarium as a Motive for Transformative Fanworks' published in Volume 3 of the Journal of Tolkien Research. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/19519679

On Ross Douthat, Amazon and Adaptation 06/02/2021

On Ross Douthat, Amazon and Adaptation Join Benjamin and Shridhar for the 13th episode of the podcast. They discuss Ross Douthat's recent Substack article on the upcoming amazon show, where he muses about the fate of the story and the likelihood of success. A number of (potentially) controversial hot takes ensue in the discussion! Your hosts also touch on the nature of Tolkien's storytelling, The Children of Hurin, and issues of adaptation more generally. Join them! /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/19326518

Interview: Dr Holly Ordway 05/01/2021

Interview: Dr Holly Ordway In this episode, I interview the great Tolkien scholar Holly Ordway, who has recently published the book Tolkien's Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages, published by Word on Fire. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/18933632

Interview: Dr Vladimir Brljak 04/20/2021

Interview: Dr Vladimir Brljak In this episode, I interview literary scholar Vladimir Brljak, who published an article in 2010 entitled The Book of Lost Tales: Tolkien as Metafictionist. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/18791126

Aldarion and Erendis: Part Deux 04/17/2021

Aldarion and Erendis: Part Deux In this episode, Ben and Sridhar return to 'Aldarion and Erendis' from Unfinished Tales. They discuss the characters and themes, with a particular focus on the slowly growing imperial ambitious of Aldarion and the quietly stoic, if bitter, character of Erendis. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/18757568

On The Hobbit 04/03/2021

On The Hobbit Ben and Sridhar discuss Tolkien's first classic, The Hobbit. They look at Bilbo's journey, the place of moral theory in Tolkien's work, the differences between modern and ancient worldviews, and the place of The Hobbit in Tolkien's wider legendarium. Join them for this in depth and (by the end) raucous podcast. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/18588050

Talking about Tolkien's darkest tale 03/22/2021

Talking about Tolkien's darkest tale In this episode, Sridhar and Benjamin discuss Tolkien's darkest work, The Children of Húrin. Join us as we delve into issues of fate, free-will, and theodicy. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/18429590

Interview: Tolkien scholar Gergely Nagy 03/22/2021

Interview: Tolkien scholar Gergely Nagy In this episode, I interview Hungarian Tolkienist Gergely Nagy, who has written a plethora of (admittedly heavy!) papers on Tolkien and theory, Tolkien and metafiction, and other topics. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/18429140

On The Lord of the Rings in the 21st Century 02/16/2021

On The Lord of the Rings in the 21st Century In this, the inaugural episode with my brilliant new cohost Sridhar Bhagavathula, we discuss the place of The Lord of the Rings in the 21st century over a glass of wine (well, one of us, at any rate). Topics range from the reception of the Jackson films, adaptation, to Tolkien's Catholicism, a queer readings of Tolkien. Join us as we begin a new epic phase of the podcast! /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/17965220

Thoughts of Amazon synopsis 01/18/2021

Thoughts of Amazon synopsis In this episode, I offer brief thoughts with regard to the recently released synopsis for the Lord of the Rings on Prime show. I also update listeners on a few matters. During my remarks, I refer and quote from Daniel Stride's blog on the Amazon show, available at: /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/17586137

Interview: Dr Dennis Wise 12/20/2020

Interview: Dr Dennis Wise In this fascinating discussion, Dr Dennis Wise (University of Arizona) and I talk about a range of topics related to Tolkien studies, including the state of the academic field, the place of Critical Theory in the reception of Tolkien, theories about metafiction in Tolkien's fiction, the 'ontological' status of Tolkien's creation myth, and how we can approach Tolkien through the theories of Leo Strauss. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/17263442

Episode 3 - Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife 12/06/2020

Episode 3 - Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife In this, our third episode at Reading Tolkien, we explore Tolkien's little known but fascinating and often moving unfinished novel, 'Aldarion and Erendis'. Join us as we discuss Tolkien's writing process, the effect that this story has (retrospectively) on the moral character of The Lord of the Rings, and other topics. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/17078858

Interview with Daniel Stride 11/05/2020

Interview with Daniel Stride Here, I interview blogger and SF writer Daniel Stride, who blogs at https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/ /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/16691876

Reading Tolkien Podcast - Episode 1 11/03/2020

Reading Tolkien Podcast - Episode 1 In this, our premier episode, I explain the intent of the podcast and Razib and I discuss the latest news in regards to the upcoming Amazon Second Age show. /episode/index/show/readingtolkienpod/id/16663886

Reading Tolkien

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