Brian Jacques: Children’s Fantasy Author
James Brian Jacques (known as Brian), was born in Liverpool, Lancashire on the 17th of June 1939. One of his earliest memories was of the Second World War, and his memories of the German bombing…
Category: Literary & Media Analysis
The Children of Iluvatar
~by Martina Juričková Probably one of the most controversial things to discuss about the Christian motives within The Silmarillion is the understanding of so-called Ilúvatar’s children, the Elves and Men. The likeness of the term…
The Secret Fire: An Image of the Holy Spirit
In the previous article I discussed the parallel between the Christian and Tolkien’s version of the myth of creation. Another point to consider about it is how the world actually came into existence according to…
Castle Warlock: A Translator’s Preface
In my introductory remarks to Robert Falconer, my first MacDonald translation, I claimed that the hero's search for a father was the novel's central theme. The reason I have chosen Castle Warlock as its successor…
Tolkien and Restoration: A Look at Catholicism in England during the 19th and 20th Centuries
In his time the City was made more fair than it had ever been, even in the days of its first glory; and it was filled with trees and with fountains, and its gates were…
Glorying in Glass: A Review of Snow White and the Huntsman
Filming: Color Length: 127 minutes Genre: Drama/Adventure/Fantasy Maturity: PG-13 (for intense themes, scary images, and fantasy violence) Cast: Kristen Stewart (Snow White), Chris Hemsworth (the Huntsman), Charlize Theron (Ravenna), Sam Claflin (Prince William), Sam Spruell…
Black Dogs and the Wild Hunt
Wisht Hounds and Black Shuck In Greek myth, the goddess Hecate roams the earth on moonless nights with a pack of ghostly, howling dogs. Similarly, the Old French term for the Wilde Jagd is…
Breathless Horror: Frankenstein and the Monster Within
In Mary Shelley's classic novel, "Frankenstein: or the Modern Prometheus," Victor Frankenstein wishes to create life using a sewn-up body made from pieces of corpses as the shell. Though Victor manages to actually bring it…
Les Miserables… The Title Says It All
For most of my life I had heard good things about Les Miserables the musical. And I greatly enjoy a good musical. For the last few years I’ve kept a lookout at the library for…
Beauties, Beasts, and Phantoms: A Brief History of Beauty & The Beast
The perennially beloved tale of Beauty and the Beast has been told in dozens of different ways throughout the years. From its origins in far off days as a myth of a god and a…