The Modern Scholar

Rings, Swords, and Monsters: Exploring Fantasy Literature

By: Professor Michael D.C. Drout

Narrated by: Professor Michael D.C. Drout

The overwhelming success of the Lord of the Rings films and the Harry Potter series aptly demonstrates that the fantasy genre is alive and well in the new millennium. The names of authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Terry Brooks evoke ripe tales of heroism and the clash of good versus evil in magical, faraway lands. The rich collection of King Arthur tales have also captured the imagination of millions and resonates with audiences to the present day.

Should fantasy be considered serious literature, or is it merely escapism? In this course, the roots of fantasy and the works that have defined the genre are examined. Incisive analysis and a deft assessment of what makes these works so very special provides a deeper insight into beloved works and a better understanding of why fantasy is such a pervasive force in modern culture.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2006 Michael D.C. Drout (P)2006 Recorded Books

Just ok

The author means to discuss fantasy literature as a genre, from medieval stories up to the modern era. Much of it is a summary of the plot of The Lord of the Rings. There is an interesting (possibly or possibly not justified) analysis of The Hobbit, suggesting strong classist tons in Tolkien's writings.

Still, overall this comes off as a bit haphazard, bouncing around from King Arthur to Harry Potter and more, mentioning bits and pieces of a variety of fantasy works across the ages.

For a fantasy buff, it's mildly interestnig, but not as much as actually reading a fantasy novel.

Great overview of Tolkien

What made the experience of listening to The Modern Scholar the most enjoyable?

Professor Drout is very knowledgeable, and is able to convey this knowledge and his theories in a very clear way.

Any additional comments?

One thing I would have liked to see (hear?) is more discussion of other authors besides J.R.R. Tolkien. There are a couple sections where other authors are mentioned, but even then it's really only 8 or so compared to 7 lectures on Tolkien.

Sometimes the Obvious isn't Apparent

Where does The Modern Scholar rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is among my top ten, surprising in its observations.

What other book might you compare The Modern Scholar to and why?

Why take the time to have someone point out what is all around you, always? It's that kind of book, an "actually that makes sense" experience. Power of a Positive No is the nearest equivilant.

An Informative, Stimulating, and Enjoyable Class

I enjoyed Professor Michael D. C. Drout's 14-lecture class on modern fantasy, which mainly focus on J. R. R. Tolkien, which is fine, because Tolkien is a major figure in modern fantasy. Professor Drout has a pleasing enthusiasm and a comprehensible clarity as he lectures.

After discussing the fantasy genre (a hybridization combining oral epics with novelistic techniques and concerns), Drout limns the origins of modern fantasy (Victorian works like the Alice books, The Waterbabies, and The Princess and the Goblin), and then dives into Tolkien, depicting relevant facts about his life and philological study before assessing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as well as difficult work like The Silmarillion and important scholarly essays on Beowulf and fantasy. Drout next covers two followers of Tolkien, Brooks the imitator and Donaldson the reactor, as well as two "worthy inheritors" who create fantasy as aesthetically and thematically consistent and compelling as that of Tolkien: Ursula K. Le Guin and Robert Holdstock. He then discusses children's fantasy (Narnia, The Dark is Rising, Prydain, and a bit of Rowling and Pullman) and then the Arthurian genre (T. H. White, Mary Stewart, and Marion Zimmer Bradley). He concludes with a chapter on magical realism (Borges and Garcia-Marquez), arguing that, unlike most modern fantasy, it denies rather than provides healthy escape and is oriented around tragedy rather than Tolkieniean eucatastrophe.

I like the many insights that Drout provides as he lectures, like about Le Guin's solution to death in The Other Wind or about class in The Hobbit or about the way in which Peter Jackson's movies make Tolkien's world smaller. Sure, I wish he'd have covered more authors (like L. Frank Baum, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, Robert E. Howard, Mervyn Peake, or Michael Swanwick) and to have gone into more detail in non-Tolkien chapters, but that only shows how much I enjoyed his "class" and wished it could have been twice as long.

A partial look at the fantasy genre.

What did you love best about The Modern Scholar?

On his preferred subjects, Professor Drout had a lot of insight and knowledge to offer.

What does the narrator bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His enthusiasm spills over in his speaking. His occasional readings from the texts were a bit hammy for my tastes, but that's just me.

Any additional comments?

No mention of Mervyn Peake? And Robert Howard dismissed with a snide remark?

It's like a critical history of Rock music that goes on and on and on about Elvis and the Beatles, but never mentions the Velvet Underground or the Sex Pistols, and dismisses the Rolling Stones with a contemptuous wave of the hand. C'mon.

Good for Fantasy Enthusiast

Really interesting for anyone interested in fantasy literature. The material gave context to the arch of fantasy literature.

I love all of Drout's audiobooks

I have listen to almost all of the Drout Modern Scholar lectures. They are all very informative and I have learned much from them. This book talked about several fantasy books and give lots of analysis of the books. There is a big focus on Tolkien, but it is a merited one. I was very happy with the book.

Great Audio Book!

Would you listen to The Modern Scholar again? Why?

This is the third or fourth book that I've purchase from Michael Drout. He's a fascinating guy with a great perspective. This book is excellent. I wish he would update it with a few things...
First, the Harry Potter series wasn't done when the book came out, and he said he was withholding judgement on it until book seven came out. Now it's out, so I'd love to hear what he has to say.
Second, I would love it if Professor Drout would read Raymond Fiest's books, Magician Apprentice, Magician Master, Silverthorn and Darkness at Sethanon, which is by far my favorite series and comment on them. Then, even better are the Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of the Empire.

Good

Overall I enjoyed the course. Am interested in the genre and learned a great deal, which is the main objective. Good overview of the fantasy genre and how it's themes have changed and influenced the culture. There was a tendency for the author to be defensively critical of works he considered to be an affront to the Christian story as had been woven into much fantasy literature (specifically the "his dark materials" books, which convinced me that I need to read them). Similarly, the question of whether the classic fantasy literature of Tolkien was sexist and racist (not overtly so, in the "birth of a nation" propaganda manner) was addressed but glossed over a bit too quickly. "Yes there are no major characters that are women, but there is this one character that was a woman and she had some interesting aspects", and "all the villains are dark, but they aren't human so they aren't reflecting of dark people" smacks of apologetics more than deeply honest evaluation. A great defense of fantasy literature is made here, overall, and I learned quite a few things, and that's they goal, so overall this was a good listen.

For all the bibliophiles out there.

This is just some nerd talking for hours about his collection of Fantasy novels!
Highly recommend.