The Two Greatest Novels Ever Written
The Two Greatest Novels Ever Written
The Wisdom of The Lord of the Rings and The Brothers Karamazov
by Peter Kreeft
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The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky are both widely regarded as two of the greatest novels ever written. The former, originally published in English between 1954 and 1955, is an epic fantasy set in an ancient world painted with cosmological breadth, while the latter, originally published in Russian in 1880, is a gritty mystery set in a modern world fathomed with psychological depth. Yet both sprawling narratives continue to receive high acclaim and inspire countless readers around the world.
In this philosophical exploration, Peter Kreeft argues that The Lord of the Rings and The Brothers Karamazov are not just two of the greatest novels but simply the greatest two—and not primarily because of their distinct plots, characters, settings, and styles, but because of the metaphysical, anthropological, and moral themes that unite them. Examining the writers’ treatments of good and evil, power and weakness, and virtue and vice, Kreeft shows how both Tolkien and Dostoevsky, by writing with the mind of Christ, reveal the deepest truths of reality.
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What People are Saying
“Tolkien and Dostoevsky wrote in very different genres and styles; they lived and wrote in different centuries and very different cultural contexts; and while Tolkien's Christian faith is present implicitly and indirectly in The Lord of the Rings, Dostoevsky's discussion of Christ is present explicitly in The Brothers Karamazov. But as any chef knows, the right pairing of contrasting flavors can bring out the highlights of each. Peter Kreeft's exploration of these two novels is such a pairing. He writes as a philosopher but also with a deep appreciation of the literary merits of each book, and the resulting 'tasting menu' of themes has much to offer readers.”
—Holly Ordway, author of Tolkien's Faith: A Spiritual Biography
“We've lived so long now thinking about Christianity as a collection of opinions or a system of thought that coming back to our religion as presented in great works of literature is shocking. It causes us to wonder. We both recognize it and feel that we’ve never fully seen it before. And this is what Kreeft identifies as the secret heart that unites Tolkien and Dostoevsky: they were both interested in this ‘higher realism’ in which our ordinary time and lives are pervaded by death, life, God, repentance, and eternity.”
—Jason M. Baxter, Professor and Director of the Center for Beauty and Culture, Benedictine College, and author of Dostoevsky’s Icon: The Spiritual World of “The Brothers Karamazov”
“What would happen if one of the world's greatest philosophers were to share his wisdom on two of the world's greatest works of literature? What would happen is this book. Peter Kreeft, surely one of this century's greatest philosophers, takes us deep into two of the deepest works of the past two hundred years. This is a journey into the heart of wisdom that everybody on the quest for truth will want to take.”
—Joseph Pearce, author of Tolkien: Man and Myth and Twelve Great Books: Going Deeper into Classic Literature
