The Broken Scythe: Death and Immortality in the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien

Qual il tema centrale de "Il Signore degli anelli"? A questa domanda apparentemente semplice, Tolkien ha risposto in maniera "Nemmeno il potere o il dominio sono il vero nocciolo della mia storia. [...] Il tema centrale per me riguarda qualcosa di molto pi eterno e morte e immortalit". Nonostante ci questi temi sono trascurati dai ricercatori anche pi accreditati. Difficile dire se questa situazione sia uno dei tanti effetti della "morte proibita" di cui parla Aris nella sua "Storia della morte in Occidente": in ogni caso una mancanza che questo libro vorrebbe contribuire a colmare. Title page Contents Series Editor's Preface List of Abbreviations Preface, by V. Flieger Introduction, by R. Arduini, C. A. Testi Eulogy of Finitude: Anthropology, Eschatology and Philosophy of History in Tolkien, by F. A. Manni Tolkien s Legendarium as a meditatio mortis, by C. A. Testi Tolkien, Death and Time: the Fairy Story within the Picture, by R. Arduini On the Edge of the Perilous Realm, by L. Gammarelli The Wrong Path of the Sub-creator: from the Fall to the Machine and the Escape from Mortality, by A. Ladavas "In the Mounds of Mundburg": Death, War and Memory in Middle-earth, by S. Bonechi Death, Immortality and their Escapes: Memory and Longevity, by A. Monda Logic and Theology in Tolkien's Thanatology, by C. A. Testi A Misplaced Envy: Analogies and Differences between Elves and Men on the Idea of Pain, by G. Canzonieri Bibliography Index Tolkien famously rejected comparison of his Ring with Wagner's, through there is good evidence that Tolkien knew much more about Der Ring des Nibelungen than he let on after the publication of The Lord of the Rings. Analysis of that work from a Wagnerian point of view enables consideration of it in a new way. By exploring the parallels between Wagner's Ring and Tolkien's, a fresh interpretation of Tolkien's work emerges, one that hinges on associating Gandalf with Wotan. Like Wagner's god, Gandalf has to find a way of solving the problems posed by the Ring and like Wotan he cannot succeed without other people. When the plots of The Lord of the Rings (and The Hobbit) are examined in this way it becomes apparent how much they owe to Wagner's music-drama, and the role of Gandalf is opened to new explanation" --Back cover