Thanks for the link to the essay. Thought provoking; and, most of my thoughts are in agreement. The author clearly knows his Tolkien, I only had one or two minor quibbles with his Tolkien lore.

So what is it that appeals to the reader of Tolkien's Middle Earth. The feudalism is obvious but that is not, in my opinion, what appeals to the young reader. I first read LOTR when I as 15. Looking back, I try to recall what appealed to me on that first read, and why I decided to read it again, and again, and again, every summer.

As a teenager, I craved adventure. My favorite literary diversions, and movies too, followed the classic hero story. There was also the appeal of the Western Genre. I was interested in tales of explorers - out in the wilderness, depending on the resources of the land and their own skill to stay alive. But not only survival, the discovery of new places and things.

This, I believe, is what drew me to Tolkien. The journey of the hobbits is one of constant revelation of a bigger world. Tolkien was careful in his craft to create a world that was mostly ordinary, and occasionally extra-ordinary. Middle Earth seemed like a place I could discover on one of my hikes in the Rocky Mountains, but the next valley might have elves in it. Science fiction I also enjoyed, but the chance of me having a space-ship was impossible. Who knows what I might find in my own explorations in the forest?

It was only later that I came to examine the politics of Middle Earth, its culture and beliefs.

Do we have a learned yearning for feudalism, as most of our culture, as Brin points out, has been cast in a caste system for most of its history? Do crave the surety of hierarchy, the comfort of having a monarch, and if she dies, we know her son will take her place? Elections are full of uncertainty.

Okay. I'm just writing off the top o' my head right now. Interesting topic, though, just the sort of conversation good literature should inspire.

Oh, perhaps my favorite character is Galadriel. I've always had a bit of a crush on her. She's a kick-ass warrior elf that's thousands of years old, crossed the arctic, learned magic from a goddess, was there for the all the triumphs and tragedies of Middle Earth. I know Tolkien is chided for not have enough female characters, but when he does, they are very strong.