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The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien - Hardcover

 
9780048260055: The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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One of the most prolific letter writers of this century, Tolkien wrote to his publishers, to members of his family, to friends and to fans of his books, a mass of letters which often reveal the inner workings of his mind, and which record the history of composition of many of his stories. This selection represents, in Tolkien's own words, a highly detailed portrait of the man in his many aspects; storyteller, scholar, Catholic, parent of a large family and observer of the world around him. The letters include fresh information about Middle-earth and its inhabitants as well as analyses by Tolkien himself of the meanings of his stories. Finally, this book will entertain anyone who appreciates the art of letter-writing, of which Tolkien was a master.

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Review:
Scholars and fans of the great mythologist will find a rich vein of information in Humphrey Carpenter's The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien was a prodigious letter writer all his life; the sheer mass of his correspondence would give pause to even the most stalwart archivist (one shudders to think what he would have done with e-mail). But with the able assistance of Tolkien's son Christopher and a healthy dose of determination, Carpenter manages find the cream of the crop--the letters that shed light on Tolkien's thoughts about his academic and literary work, as well as those that show his more private side, revealing a loving husband, a playful friend, and a doting father. The most fascinating letters are, of course, those in which he discusses Middle-Earth, and Carpenter offers plenty of those to choose from. Tolkien discussed the minutia of his legend--sometimes at great length--with friends, publishers, and even fans who wrote to him with questions. These letters offer significant insights into how he went about creating the peoples and languages of Middle-Earth.

I have long ceased to invent (though even patronizing or sneering critics on the side praise my 'inventions'): I wait till I seem to know what really happened. Or till it writes itself. Thus, though I knew for years that Frodo would run into a tree-adventure somewhere far down the Great River, I had no recollection of inventing Ents. I came at last to the point, and wrote the 'Treebeard' chapter without any recollection of any previous thought: just as it is now. And then I saw that, of course, it had not happened to Frodo at all.

This new edition of letters has an extensive index, and Carpenter has included a brief blurb at the beginning of each letter to explain who the correspondent was and what was being discussed. Still, we strongly recommend buying the companion volume, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, in order to better understand the place these correspondents had in Tolkien's life and get a better context for the letters. --Perry M. Atterberry

About the Author:
Humphrey Carpenter, the author of THE BRIDESHEAD GENERATION and THE INKLINGS, among other books, was given unrestricted access to all of Tolkien's papers for his biography of Tolkien, J.R.R. TOLKIEN: A BIOGRAPHY.

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  • PublisherAllen & Unwin
  • Publication date1981
  • ISBN 10 0048260053
  • ISBN 13 9780048260055
  • BindingHardcover
  • Number of pages463
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. A Fine tight copy in a Fine unclipped dust jacket. The selection of the writer's correspondence contains 354 letters, dating between October 1914, when Tolkien was an undergraduate at Oxford, and 29 August 1973, four days before his death. Two notable exchanges concern Nazi Germany and war.in letters 29 and 30, it appears that a German translation of The Hobbit was being negotiated in 1938. The German firm enquired whether Tolkien was of Arisch (Aryan) origin. Tolkien was infuriated by this, and wrote two drafts of possible replies for his publisher to choose.[1] The first one is not present in it Tolkien is assumed to have refused to give any declaration whatsoever of his racial origins. The second, surviving, draft included: Thank you for your letter . I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people.A former signals officer at the Battle of the Somme, Tolkien frequently expressed his great dislike for war, whatever the cause. This is evident in a great many letters which he wrote during the Second World War to his son Christopher, which often invoke a sense of gloom. Notable among these is his reaction to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, in which he refers to the bombmakers of the Manhattan Project as "lunatics" and "Babel builders". Seller Inventory # 28215

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