The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter

Non-fiction
7.4 / 10
22 ratings

Edited by Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien.

A comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life (1914-1973) of one of the world’s most famous storytellers.

‘It is not possible even at great length to "pot" The Lord of the Rings in a paragraph or two. It was begun in 1936, and every part has been written many times… the labour has been colossal; and it must stand or fall, practically as it is.’

J.R.R. Tolkien was one of the most prolific letter writers of this century. Over the years he wrote to his publishers, his family, to friends (including C.S. Lewis, W.H. Auden and Naomi Mitchison) and to fans of his books. The letters present a fascinating and highly detailed portrait of the man in many of his aspects: as storyteller, scholar, Catholic, parent and observer of the world around him. They also shed much light on his creative genius and grand design for the creation of a whole new world – Middle-earth.

This collection will appeal not only to the legions of Tolkien fans, but will entertain anyone who appreciates the art of letter-writing, of which Tolkien was a master.

‘I am nearly always written to as Tolkein (not by you): I do not know why, since it is pronounced by me always -keen.’

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Published
1981
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Author

J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien, the creator of Middle-earth, was not just a writer; he was a weaver of worlds, a philologist whose deep understanding of language and mythology breathed life into epic landscapes, timeless characters, and legends that still captivate readers around the world. Born in 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Tolkien’s early years were marked by tragedy—his father’s untimely death and the loss of his mother, both of which shaped the tone of his writing. His roots in the English countryside, where he moved as a child, became the fertile ground for the stories that would define an entire genre. A professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford,…