Dear stlukesguild: I have a question I know you admire Harold Bloom and think he is a great critic. So I have a question: what do you think of his approach to "anxiety of influence," "anatomy of influence," and his interpretation of the Western Canon? I personally happen to agree with most of what he says, while at the same time I disagree with his blanket condemnation of popular fiction. Also, would you think Tolkien deserves a place among the "great writers" such as Hugo, Dostoevsky, McCarthy, Milton, Tolstoy, Roth, Dickens, etc.? And is THE LORD OF THE RINGS a true literary classic, or is it, according to Harold Bloom, a mere overwritten "period piece"? Sincerely, Ajvenigalla
