May 1, 2002

Tolkien vs. Lewis: In 3 Rounds
Match of the Century

Despite one's hopeful sentiment, Tolkien became embittered and basically ruined the friendship with Lewis. Both Tolkien (ungraciously) and Lewis (graciously) cede this fact (Tolkien's Letters show his side).

The obvious reasons as I see them:

1. Lewis knowingly plagiarized a few of Tolkiens mytholigical ideas, or at least place-names. Considerable evidence is in the Narina books. As well, Lewis wrote (a not-too strict) allegory, but at least several of the works in the Chronicals of Narnia are allegory. Tolkien HATED allegory and plagarism (at least of his own ideas, even while he plagarized many others).

2. After Tolkien helped convert Lewis to Christianity, Lewis didn't bow to Rome for his faith, instead he became an Anglican Protestant. Tolkien, raised by a Roman Priest, being a devout Roman Catholic, was considerably upset with this as well.

As absurd as this seems to an average person, (especially post Vatican II), it is a sad truth. If you don't understand why a Papist would dislike a non-Papist or vice-versa, you have never spoken frankly with a conservative Roman Catholic and/or you have never really studied European Reformation history. Not too long ago they were murdering each other (and still do in Ireland, for instance).

3. Like most of mankind, and despite their charming congenial appearances in published writing, both men could get brittle, unpleasant and testy -- Tolkien apparently more so than Lewis (again, read both of their correspondence for evidence).

Regardless of their earlier friendship, their "strong" characters eventually got in the way. Tolkien virtually stopped going to the Inklings meeting YEARS before Lewis' death, with Lewis' presence being one the reasons. When LOTR was being "test-driven" at Inklings meetings, Tolkien typically did not show, instead sending his son, Christopher. JRR's "excuse" was that his son had a better reading voice, although again, he made clear the real reason. Even more depressing to Tolkien fans, is that Tolkien even stooped to disparaging remarks about Lewis' kind and charitable marriage with a dying woman, Joy Davidson.

It may come as a small relief, that after Lewis' death (too late by far), Tolkien wrote a short note and expressed a sense of great loss at the passing of his old friend.

Postscript: As a great fan of Tolkien, whatever the ultimate truth, the works of Tolkien are not Tolkien's personality quirks. At the *very least* they reflect his best ideas, visions and dreams, his faith's best teachings, Northern Eurpope's best culture, the best of the English character, and one of our greatest stories.

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Lennon vs. McCartney