Many people consider fairy stories as kid’s stuff at best, a way to escape reality at worst. They’re for people who aren’t ready or willing to step forward and take on life. Louis Markos disagrees with that conclusion, and explains how fairy stories can be helpful in conveying timeless messages to everyone in On the Shoulders of Hobbits.

Tolkien and Lewis had clear intentions in writing both The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia books. There was an element of entertainment, but they were intended to illustrate and pass on virtues. Markos says that many people do not see virtues like courage, wisdom and faith as important. They are not considered to be worth striving for. He tells how these and other virtues were woven throughout both stories, and that there is much for both children and adults to learn from them.

Markos begins by telling why we all travel a Road, and that it isn’t bad to do so. He then describes each of the virtues, split into classical and theological groups, and where they are found in each story line. He ends by showing how evil is illustrated, and what we can learn from those illustrations.

I have been a fan of both series since I first read them, and I never thought about how some people probably think of them as escapes from reality. However, I am glad that Markos shows how they are not to get out of reality, but they are about we we can put into reality.

I received a free copy from Moody Publishers in exchange for this review.