"A quest dynamic with an unworthy and somewhat unwilling hero and an object of mighty plot power" is "poor narrative model?" Tell that to Homer, Vergil, and Dante. I find this sort of attempt to redefine what constitutes a good plot to be distinctly unimpressive and wholly unconvincing. At worst, it smacks of the sort of historical absolutism that makes people denounce the fact that Jefferson owned slaves. Particularly egregious is the attack against Tolkien's "romanticization" of the countryside, as though we should additionally throw Shelley, Keats, and Bryant under the train of the twenty first century.

Look, I agree Tolkien's work isn't perfect. But it's a sore spot of mine when people categorically ignore the context in which something was done. In fairness, this applies to appreciation just as strongly, and someone not recognizing the role of history in Tolkien's women is definitely cause for concern. And frankly I agree with Camilla; the vast majority of criticism seems spurred on by its being in vogue.