J.R.R. Tolkien on the Tragedy of Good Doing Evil

This episode highlights a rare 1968 interview with J.R.R. Tolkien that was fully rediscovered in 2019, offering unique insights into his creative process and personal life. The author discusses how his own youthful hiking adventures in Switzerland and his fascination with Finnish linguistics shaped the landscapes and languages of Middle-earth. He also admits that he personally would have avoided a wizard's quest due to his cautious upbringing. Perhaps most notably, Tolkien identifies the failed redemption of Gollum as the story's most heartbreaking moment, illustrating his belief that well-intentioned actions can inadvertently cause harm. Ultimately, the source reveals that Tolkien viewed his work as a complex moral study where the line between good and evil is frequently blurred.

"Open a book. Discover a world."

This episode includes AI-generated content.