Junot DÃ*az - essential reading for Tolkien fans

***IronParrot*** · 09-17-2008, 04:20 PM

I just read Junot DÃ*az's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao last week. You should too. It won just about every major book prize last year, and the prize committees weren't kidding.

You should read it not least because it presents what is, among books that are outside the fantasy genre, the most thorough and open display of Tolkien's influence I've seen in current literature. One of the recurring ideas in the novel is that the Rafael Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic from the 1930s to '60s was equivalent to Sauron's Mordor. Tolkien is all over this book.

Full review here.

Has anyone else here read it? What did you think?

09-17-2008, 04:20 PM	#1
*IronParrot* Fowl Administrator Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Calgary or Edmonton, Canada Posts: 53,420	*Junot DÃaz - essential reading for Tolkien fans** I just read Junot DÃaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao* last week. You should too. It won just about every major book prize last year, and the prize committees weren't kidding. You should read it not least because it presents what is, among books that are outside the fantasy genre, the most thorough and open display of Tolkien's influence I've seen in current literature. One of the recurring ideas in the novel is that the Rafael Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic from the 1930s to '60s was equivalent to Sauron's Mordor. Tolkien is all over this book. Full review here. Has anyone else here read it? What did you think? __________________ All of IronParrot's posts are guaranteed to be 100% intelligent and/or sarcastic, comprising no genetically modified content and tested on no cute furry little animals unless the SPCA is looking elsewhere. If you observe a failure to uphold this warranty, please contact a forum administrator immediately to receive a full refund on your Entmoot registration. Blog: Nick's CafÃ© Canadien