MIDDLE-EARTH AS A LITERARY MYTH: J. R. R. TOLKIEN AND NICK PERUMOV – A DIALOGUE ACROSS THE AGES
Keywords:
Middle-earth, phenomenon, mythology, anthropology, eschatology, narrative strategy, philosophy, fantasy.Abstract
In this article, we conduct a systematic comparative analysis of two versions of Middle-earth – J. Tolkien’s original and N. Perumov’s – based on key parameters: mythology, anthropology, eschatology, narrative strategy, and philosophy. We argue that N. Perumov’s text is not merely “fan fiction” or an epigonic imitation, but an independent philosophical gesture – a polemic with J. Tolkien on the nature of power, good and evil, and the meaning of history. The phenomenon of literary sequels set in someone else’s universe has become a widespread practice in the 21st century and requires theoretical analysis. The dialogue between J. Tolkien and N. Perumov reproduces the fundamental dispute between Western and non-Western traditions in the perception of myth. Middle-earth continues to live on in films, TV series, games, and the readers’ consciousness, and the question of its canonicity is not an academic one, but a living one.
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