Tag Archives: J.R.R. Tolkien

“I am not Gandalf…”

Posted on January 13, 2004 by sheila

Tolkien wrote a draft to an unidentified reader, and in it he describes his affinity to Faramir. (Or should I say, his affinity “with” Faramir? Patrick, Grammar Guru, care to comment?)

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Where Orcs Come From

Posted on January 11, 2004 by sheila

In the film, we see Orcs being “born” out of the mud of the earth. It is as though Sauron is creating them, it seems as though the Orcs are being genetically engineered by the Dark Power, to be his … Continue reading →

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Tolkien, January 30, 1945: “But why gloat!”

Posted on January 10, 2004 by sheila

The letters Tolkien wrote to his son Christopher during WWII, while Christopher was stationed in South Africa are amazing. He sent him chapters of LOTR for Christopher’s comments – It seems to me that Tolkien survived those very dark days … Continue reading →

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“That noble northern spirit”

Posted on January 10, 2004 by sheila

This is from a letter JRR Tolkien wrote to his son, Michael, in June of 1941 “People in this land seem not even yet to realize that in the Germans we have enemies whose virtues (and they are virtues) of … Continue reading →

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“The sequel to the Hobbit”

Posted on January 10, 2004 by sheila

“I have begun again on the sequel to the ‘Hobbit’ – The Lord of the Ring. It is now flowing along, and getting quite out of hand. It has reached about Chapter VII and progresses towards quite unforeseen goals. I … Continue reading →

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“Impertinent and irrelevant inquiries”

Posted on January 9, 2004 by sheila

The German publishing firm of Rutten & Loening contacted Allen & Unwin in 1938 (the publishers of The Hobbit) and wanted to negotiate with them for a German translation of the book. But first and foremost, they wanted to know … Continue reading →

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The Hobbit of Oxford

Posted on January 9, 2004 by sheila

I have begun the letters of JRR Tolkien. I love reading letters of writers. To hear a writer discuss what will end up being a great or a classic work of literature – and the writer has no idea of … Continue reading →

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The Ring Trilogy: Eowyn

Posted on January 7, 2004 by sheila

One brief comment: The character of Eowyn in the film is completely unrecognizable from the character that Tolkien wrote. So far as I can tell, this is the most extreme example, when comparing the movie and the book. I’m not … Continue reading →

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The Dwarf Family Tree

Posted on January 1, 2004 by sheila

I am re-reading The Ring Trilogy at a feverish rate and today I found myself poring through all of the Appendices in the back of the book, where all the language information is, and the calendar information, and the lines … Continue reading →

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“… and that means comfort.”

Posted on December 21, 2003 by sheila

I have picked up The Hobbit again after, it must be 25 years. I haven’t read it since I was a kid. I am having the time of my life. I found that I still had the first paragraph in … Continue reading →

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