Fantasy, myth, and the measure of truth. Tales of Pullman, Lewis, Tolkien, MacDonald and Hoffmann (review)

In his complex academic study, William Gray examines the way in which the works of some of the most important British fantasy writers have been heavily influenced by literary and philosophical ideas of the Romantic Movement in Europe and by German Romantic writers in particular. After suggesting in his prelude that Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy "may be seen as in certain respects the culmination of this tradition of mythopoeic fiction infused with (or contaminated by) a particular kind of Romanticism" (p.1), he sets off to discuss German Romanticism by providing background information and comparing the works of various German authors such as Ludwig Tieck, Novalis, and E.T.A. Hoffmann. The following three chapters offer an in-depth analysis of selected writings by George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis respectively. Gray stresses their connection with German and British authors of the Romantic period, especially evident in these writers' aim to create and invent their own fantasy worlds as well as in their treatment of central religious questions. In chapter five, Gray returns to Philip Pullman, convincingly arguing that Pullman – despite his frequently quoted "explicit disavowal of fantasy" (p.152) – undoubtedly writes within the tradition of the earlier creators of fantasy fiction and is thus connected to the Romantic period. The concluding postscript briefly touches upon the question of whether J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series can be seen as belonging to the same tradition. Scholars of fantasy fiction will find this book an insightful and well-researched addition to the existing criticism in that field.