Since it's the best source on Tolkien's view of his stories, let me recommend his "On Fairy Stories" for those who have not read it: http://idiom.ucsd.edu/~bako

Since it's the best source on Tolkien's view of his stories, let me recommend his "On Fairy Stories" for those who have not read it: http://idiom.ucsd.edu/~bakovic/tolkien/fairy_stories.pdf http://idiom.ucsd.edu/~bakovic/tolkien/fairy_stories.pdf