The book follows Tolkein's story, at various points stopping the narrative to discuss a virtue illustrated by that point in the story. These are chosen and presented well, as Eddy obviously knows his material and picks his examples well.
The bad news is that while Tolkein had a very distinct style, Eddy does not. Tolkein had a gift for high-flown, old-fashioned language, and Eddy's more pedestrian work suffers for it. There's no shame in falling short of a great writer, but it doesn't help to be juxtaposed with one either.
The issue of style aside, this is a good book, looking at literature from a different angle. I recommend it.
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