Quote by J.R.R. Tolkien: “Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a man is in prison, he should try to escape.”

This quote defends fantasy literature, arguing that its power lies in offering a necessary escape from reality. It suggests that such escape isn't avoidance, but a vital human need, like a prisoner seeking freedom.

Published in his seminal essay 'On Fairy-Stories,' this statement was a response to critics who dismissed fantasy as mere escapism. Tolkien argued for the profound value of imaginative literature, especially in the aftermath of World War II.

English writer, poet, philologist, and academic, best known as the author of the high fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He served as the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford.