The Broken Scythe

What is the central theme of The Lord of the Rings? J.R.R. Tolkien's answer to this apparently simple question may surprise some readers: "I do not think that even Power or Domination is the real centre of my story ...] The real theme for me is about something much more permanent and difficult: Death and Immortality" (Letters no. 186). Despite this very clear statement, only a small number of published studies have focused on these two themes. This collection of essays by Italian scholars aims at filling this lacuna in the critical scholarship. The nine papers, introduced by Verlyn Flieger's preface, are the result of a two-year interdisciplinary project that concentrated on death and immortality and provide a fascinating, multi-facetted exploration of these fundamental aspects of Tolkien's work.