Why was J.R.R. Tolkien Denied a Nobel Prize for Literature?

COMMENTARY | While the selections for the Nobel Peace Prize have occasionally caused outrage, some of those who are given -- and more importantly not given -- the Nobel Prize for Literature have occasioned head-scratching on the part of people who like to read.

No more illustrates that than the story published in The Guardian about why J.R.R. Tolkien was nominated for the Nobel Prize of Literature by his friend C.S. Lewis in 1961. Some investigative journalist by a Swedish reporter revealed why Tolkien, as well as Lawrence Durrell, Robert Frost, Graham Greene, and EM Forster, were passed over in favor of an obscure Yugoslavian writer named Ivo Andric. Apparently the Nobel Committee believed that Tolkien's prose was poor. And committee member Anders Österling opined, "... has not in any way measured up to storytelling of the highest quality."

The judgment is breathtaking to anyone who has enjoyed the epic sweep of Tolkien's work about the struggle of good vs. evil, not to mention the use of language, including -- ironically -- the creation of a made up Elvish language based upon Finnish, a Scandinavian tongue.

Tolkien's work, not only including his beloved "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit," but also more obscure works such as "The Children of Hurin" is some of the most widely read in English literature. He is very likely one of if not the most widely read writer in English of the 20th century. Clearly there is something about his prose that appeals to readers that somehow the Nobel committee missed.

The non-selection of Tolkien calls into question the idea that the most prestigious prize for writing is in the hands of a secretive committee of Scandinavians who clearly lack the judgment to determine what writing is great and what is not. The revelation of this fact should serve to dilute the value of the Nobel Prize for Literature, just as the selection of a number of unworthy people such as Yassir Arafat and Barack Obama have sullied the reputation of the Nobel Peace Prize.

The denial of the Nobel Prize for Literature is the ultimate example of how critics sometimes just do not get the value of works of art. In life, Tolkien was able to experience the satisfaction of being widely read, which is something that any writer aspires to. The fact that the Nobel Committee did not recognize Tolkien's worth reflects more on it than the writer.

Sources: JRR Tolkien's Nobel prize chances dashed by 'poor prose', Alison Flood, U.K. Guardian, Jan 5, 2011