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Writing is creative and typically produces a final product that is subjective. However there are components of writing such as spelling that are not subjective. It seems reasonable to me to say that he is a popular writer and subjectively good and that he is an objectively good speller.
Yes, as long you properly define what it means to be good and make sure it's measurable. Tolkien is a good writer when we define 'good writer' as a writer whose stories are enjoyed by millions of people, or a writer who is capable of supporting themselves financially by writing fiction. One of the definitions of good is 'having the qualities required for a particular role', which is pretty explicit in requiring someo…
In this case it's no longer about being "good", it's just about "how does it measure according to a rule?"
See Vincent van Gogh.
Writing is creative and typically produces a final product that is subjective. However there are components of writing such as spelling that are not subjective. It seems reasonable to me to say that he is a popular writer and subjectively good and that he is an objectively good speller.
counterpoint: intentional misspelling to convey a specific dialect or affect.
In the case of literature you can't stop someone from having a crackpot opinions such as "Tolkien sux because stories about 'other worlds' are escapist and distract workers from class struggles" or "I hate Tolkien because he inspired DanMachi and other sick anime that my boyfriend watches".
The value of Tolkien as a writer goes beyond "he sold a lot of books" to the influence he had with other writers. He was a pagan but certainly had common cause with his Christian friend C.S. Lewis when it came to the books they wrote. Whether or not you think Tolkien's influence is good or fair, it is objective that the influence was vast.
Only if that something that someone does is objectively measurable. Usain Bolt, Michael Jordan, objectively the best at what they do.
Some kinds of performance are measurable. Tell me how long it takes you to run a 5K race and I can tell if you are a "good" runner. In the case of literature you can't stop someone from having a crackpot opinions such as "Tolkien sux because stories about 'other worlds' are escapist and distract workers from class struggles" or "I hate Tolkien because he inspired DanMachi and other sick anime that my boyfriend watche…
This gave me pause.
"Tolkien's Roman Catholicism was a significant factor in C. S. Lewis's conversion from atheism to Christianity, although Tolkien was dismayed that Lewis chose to join the Church of England."[0]
[0] - https://www.wikiwand.com/en/J._R._R._Tolkien#/Religion