Since I'm Being Pestered by Tolkienophobes ...

Assorted retorts from yahoo boards and elsewhere: Tolk Lang QQ · Tolkienophobia · As Tolk Lang QQ Keep Dropping In · Φιλολoγικά/Philologica: I'm Not the First to Ask · New blog on the kid: Since I'm Being Pestered by Tolkienophobes ...

Here is a question I got on Quora:

What are some criticisms of Tolkien's writing style? How does he address these criticisms, if at all?
https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-criticisms-of-Tolkiens-writing-style-How-does-he-address-these-criticisms-if-at-all/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Here is my answer (not repeating the administrative details), here:

The most probable criticisms of his writing style are by people unfortunately allergic to Edwardian prose, or sth …

One criticism he did adress in a letter, about “Helms too they chose” and his response was basically that if modern English had unlearned the art of inversion for emphasis, modern English had better learn it again.

I obviously agree.

My intention is not to write for those who are allergic to Edwardian prose, or to other aspects of Tolkien. A baker baking normal bread isn’t doing that as specifically catering for gluten allergics. My writing also isn’t done to please Tolkienophobes.

Now, I hope Gluten allergics don't feel too offended by being compared to Tolkienophobes!

The big difference is, Gluten allergics are usually not trying to ruin bakers who use normal white flour, but some Tolkienophobes are taking their Tolkienophobia as an excuse to ruin me as a writer under pretext of giving me advice so as to help me mature.

I don't need that advice. A painter who learned his style from Jean-Honoré Fragonard doesn't need advice from people who prefer Picasso. A composer who learned from Wagner or Mozart may feel annoyed if someone preferring rap is constantly annoying him. I am equally annoyed by Tolkienophobes who are trying to put a wedge between me and Tolkien, whether it's to change my writing style or to deter me from staying loyal to the Catholic values and truths he taught me, before my conversion.

I have been plagued by people who think they know better than I do what I should do with my life, and they have succeeded in getting my projects ruined or delayed or both, one after another, by posing as my benefactors and by pretending to others who might be interested that I'm willing to learn from them. I am very much NOT that.

I made that clear already, to anyone who knows how to read.

deretour: Notes on Asimov, Isaac
https://hglundahlsblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/notes-on-asimov-isaac.html

More than 12 years and 7054 page views ago.

On my mother's last birthday on this earth, more than a year ago, I think I repeated what I had said:

Assorted retorts from yahoo boards and elsewhere: Enemies of C. S. Lewis
https://assortedretorts.blogspot.com/2023/03/enemies-of-c-s-lewis.html

For some reason, that's less viral. Just 41 views ago. My enemies seem to have supervised access to my blogs, some. But that certain someones missed this repeat doesn't mean I have changed my mind one little bit from 12 years ago on the matter at hand.

This applies to the truths, this applies to the morals, and this even applies to the style. If you don't like what I do, I am not writing for you. Get out of my way and leave it to people with some decent taste!

Hans Georg Lundahl
Paris
Dedication of St. Peter in Chains
1.VIII.2024

Romae, in Exquiliis, Dedicatio sancti Petri Apostoli ad Vincula.