If Tolkien wrote a ransome note, I would read it. I would hope that it would be as funny as the rest of his letters, though.

I expected the letters to be boring. They were not, to summarize. Tolkien is so full of life and energy, which made the letters so much more interesting to read. Tolkien is hilarious. He’s charming. It was so cool to get to read his process. To watch him stress out over details that I know will be changed, or that will stay the same.

It was also fun to foreshadow his epiphanies.

One thing though, Tolkien just, like, ravaged Americans. As a somewhat proud red white and blue fan myself, it was interesting and somewhat insulting to read him calling us weird, or odd.

Also, apparently boys in the sixties actually said “Gee Whiz”

This book was pleasantly surprising. It has become one of my favorite books that I have ever read. The writing is so so. The writers abilities is not what you care about here. It is the treasure trove of letters the Tolkien estate let the author publish in this book. The letters that are shared here are wonderfully thought out. Tolkien must have pondered for days before writing letters to his children. The orderliness of his mind and the way he expressed his heart when his son was at war talking of the virtues of women and treating them with respect was wonderful. When I put this book down.
I really felt as if I knew JRR Tolkien.
An enthusiastic thumbs up my friends.

Review originally posted 4 January 2013 on Falling Letters.

I thought I would breeze through this book and finish it in two days maximum. Not because it would be an 'easy' read, but because I had lots of time to read and I am highly interested in the subject matter. Not so! The book contains 430 pages of letters so dense and filled with so much that it took me much longer to read. This is not at all a complaint. I was absolutely delighted to have so much to sink my teeth into.

I don't read books about Tolkien to think 'Oh, so that's why he wrote it like this!' I agree with him (in this instance, at least) that an author's life should not be examined with intention of gaining insight with regards to authorial intent (have I phrased this sentence correctly?). I simply find him a fascinating person, for having created such a detailed and vast mythology. It really does delight me to read about someone so seemingly normal and yet so extraordinary. To be able to read hundreds of his letters, to read his thoughts, is a treat in itself. I would have read them even if they had been more dull! But this collection is not at all boring, it is a treasure trove. The letters cover so many topics, from troubles with translators, family matters, C.S. Lewis, religious debate, and of course, much on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and Middle-Earth lore in general.

I didn't make any notes while reading this. I was wholly absorbed in letting Tolkien's words wash over me. Note taking will come on the reread. But there are a few letters that still stuck in my memory, such as an unsent response (Tolkien sent two versions to his publisher to forward; they did not use the one that appears in the book) to a publisher looking to do a German translation of The Hobbit inquiring if Tolkien is Aryan. He writes a clever and pointed response, not confessing any Aryan lineage and refusing publication. Of course, the lengthy letter he wrote to another publisher who expressed interest in publishing The LotR and The Silmarillion, was fascinating. I also especially enjoyed the letters he wrote to inquiring fans - I doubt there any authors today who would put so much thought into their responses (let alone have that much information to impart about their imaginary worlds). These letters are chockful of highly valuable information to any fan of Middle-Earth I do have to add a caveat - I've not yet read any of Tolkien's writings besides the LotR and The Hobbit, so I can't say how much of this information is exclusive but to read Tolkien's own words feels very special indeed.

This review consists mostly of me gushing...I might be a bit of a fangirl. But really, needless to say, this tome is a highly valuable read for anyone interested in Tolkien or his works.

[Originally read 20 Dec 2012 to 3 Jan 2013]

Reading Tolkien's letters has to be fascinating for anyone interested in the man and/or his works. He reflects on what he wrote, gives advice to his sons, reports on the progress of his work, and sends irritated letters to Germans who have asked if he's of Jewish descent. It's a pretty exhaustive collection, with an index and little bits of context to go with each letter. Worth reading!

Skimmed toward the end but Bellissima!! The part about how world war 2 was a war of machines and how machines would take over the world touched this computer girlie. There were so many charming parts, little warm reflections on his simple life and the academic politics of his day… I loved his Catholic stuff best of all obviously.

This is a fantastic collection, and special kudos to Carpenter and Tolkien's son Christopher for making it so amazing; probably there is little time for Christopher left in this world (I write in 2019) although he continues to produce book after book after book. Still it would be nice to have more letters. What we have here is an amazing curation.

Whereas there are a lot of letters in the three volume collection of Lewis' letters that are filler (a lot of letters to his father with typical school updates), Tolkien had a family (which meant a lot of stuff got taken out for good reason) and he lived longer after the success of his work (and thus his celebrity rose higher than Lewis and in fact he lived in relative luxury at the end of his life, which Lewis certainly never did; but he had to get out of the phonebook).

From these letters, it does appear that Tolkien was a regenerate Christian, but part of that annoying set of 1950s culture that was not touched by Evangelicalism or pietism and thus it's not surprising that he says in one letter that he watched some of his children walking away from the faith; I don't know which ones, but some of the stories are very disheartening. At the same time, it's clear that his Catholicism is skin-deep. He gives a pitiful defense of Rome (based mostly on their defense of the Lord's Supper!), and seems to have held Lewis and other Protestants as largely Christians. Also kudos to the editors for never releasing Tolkien's slasher on Lewis' Letters to Malcolm, although you will find dismissive remarks on That Hideous Strength, Studies in Words, and of course Narnia; at the same time you will find super kind remarks on Lewis, particularly on Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra (which somehow everyone forgets) and on Lewis as a human being and indeed only now did I realize how, if Lewis hadn't constantly cheered on Tolkien by hearing The Lord of the Rings, it probably never would have been published. God truly used Jack.

As far as the books go, there are a lot of very helpful bits in this book. The quote on the back which describes how Tolkien didn't know what was going on when Gandalf didn't show up is ever so slightly misleading (the real evolution is more complicated if you look at Return of the Shadow). Still, some of the pieces here are very helpful. One of my favorite bits is Tolkien's letter about what would have happened had Frodo confronted the nazgul in Mount Doom. According to Tolkien, they would have been at Frodo's command to an extent (due to Frodo's increased strength of will in enduring the ring) and that they would have obeyed him but tried to lure him out of Mount Doom, and they would have destroyed the opening to the fire, and worked at Frodo's o so beneficient plans at "managing the world" until Sauron could get there and take the ring from Frodo (there would have been no contest between them). Tolkien says that Aragorn could never have beat Sauron. Elrond, Galadriel, and Gandalf were the only ones who could have stood a chance, and Tolkien speculates that under the right circumstances Gandalf could have won. In the same letter, I think, he speculates on how if Sam had not been rude to Gollum, the poor creature could have gone with them to the end and might have even won out over his hatred and ended up throwing himself into the crack of doom to destroy the ring. Intriguingly, and insightfully, he points out that Sam had a kind of prejudice and overly high view of his own commonsense knowledge that the lower class tends toward; a very helpful point, given our times, though of course the "managers" and "interferers" are far more dangerous and more important for us to keep guard against.

Equally important and perhaps in a similar letter is a statement of Tolkien's about how by going to the west Frodo, Sam, and Bilbo were not granted immortality; they enjoyed a kind of purgatorial cleansing. Tolkien intended for Frodo's sickness to be partially a longing to go back to the way things were, as well as a desire to have the ring back at times. When Arwen said that he should take her place on the ship, it wasn't a straightforward handing over of a ticket, but a way of Arwen interceding for Frodo; at this point though, Gandalf and the other wise ones knew Frodo would need to go and he just needed to figure it out and after a few more bouts of illness he figured it out. Bilbo was allowed to go so that Frodo would have a companion in the other world, as well as Bilbo being healed from his long possession of the ring (which he never quite repented of and even asks for in Rivendell at the end). I don't think Tolkien says this but Sam's own crossing would seem to be a similar case.

There's also a lot of helpful clarification on what the elves and men were for. The men were specifically meant in middle earth to die (a point which Tolkien acknowledges might be heretical). They represent man's mortality and typical weakness. The elves represent man's artistic mindedness and his need to create and even to be resistant to change. Which brings me to Tolkien's various statements throughout of the theme of the book: while Tolkien sees the themes of power, renunciation, and tyranny as important parts of Lord of the Rings, they are not the central theme. The central theme is death (as he says in a documentary for the BBC), and the refusal to let go of the past. The elves' departure and their desire to prevent death is utterly and completely important.

There's a lot more to be said, but those are the most important bits from the book, which I would say is accessible to general readers, unlike Christopher Tolkien's History of Middle Earth Series. There is also, in my opinion, a preview of how Tolkien would have reacted to Peter Jackson's movies: he was given a script, and his reactions are surprisingly mild in some ways (he thought that certain things could indeed be left out and modified) and as we might expect perfectionistic in some ways (he thought there could be no back and forth between the Frodo/Sam/Gollum and the rest of the fellowship's journeys). In general, I get the impression that Tolkien was incredibly pedantic, but also self-aware of that fact (he acknowledges the publishers would never accede to some of his nigglings) and that in many ways Leaf by Niggle is a good measure of the man.

Listy Tolkiena to książka, której trochę się obawiałam. Listy to bardzo intymna forma poznawania drugiej osoby, możemy w nich zobaczyć uczucia, motywacje, rozterki, kotłujące myśli, które zostały przelane na papier, jednak już na początku jest napisane, że te bardziej intymne, mające "...bardziej osobisty charakter" listy zostały pominięte, lub wyciągnięte z nich zostały tylko elementy związane z twórczością. Wyjątkowe i unikatowe, takie są listy Tolkiena. Niezwykły zbiór, który chwyta za serce i dostajemy unikatowy wgląd w umysł autora. Bardzo wybitnego autora.

Nie jestem w stanie oceniać tego zbioru listów, nie były one kierowane do mnie, ale jestem ogromnie wdzięczna i szczęśliwa, że mogłam je przeczytać. a co najmniej część z nich :)

Zrozumienie w jaki sposób Tolkien tworzył, jaką był osobą, najważniejsze jakim był twórcą i jakie miał relacje z innymi jest bardzo interesujące, dodatkowo forma w jakiej zostało to wszystkie zaprezentowane jest rewelacyjna.

Przede mną jeszcze sporo dzieł Tolkiena z którymi chcę się zapoznać i Listy sprawiły tylko, że chcę to zrobić jak najszybciej. Polecam każdemu z zapoznaniem się z tym zbiorem. WAARTO!

Muszę jeszcze wspomnieć o wydaniu od Wydawnictwa Zysk ta okładka jest niesamowita. Bardzo dziękuję za ten egzemplarz.

I really enjoyed delving into Tolkien's mind, seeing how he thought through aspects of Lord of the Rings and all related works, as well as insight to the publishing process, and of, course, his personal relationships. The language is definitely sophisticated--expected, given his literary works.

Highly recommend for anyone who is a big fan of his work!

I read this ages ago while doing some research on The Inklings. It was more enjoyable than I expected and got me interested in reading the personal correspondence of historical figures and artists/writers much the same way May Sarton's journals got me hooked on reading published diaries.
JRRT had an interesting and complex mind.

These letters by Tolkien were selected and edited by Humphrey Carpenter who has written other books about Tolkien. Most of Tolkien's letters in this collection, particularly ones referencing his books, are from the period after 1937 until the end of his life.

Some of the most interesting letters are those that were written in the fall of 1954 with the publication of The Fellowship of the Ring. [The first volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, was published on 29 July 1954.]

From a letter to Christopher Tolkien 24 December 1944: Cert. Sam is the most closely drawn character, the successor to Bilbo of the first book, the genuine hobbit. Frodo is not so interesting, because he has to be highminded, and has (as it were) a vocation. The book will prob. end up with Sam. Frodo will naturally become too ennobled and rarefied by the achievement of the great Quest, and will pass West with all the great figures; but S. will settle down to the Shire and gardens and inns.

153 To Peter Hastings (draft), September 1954: Are there any ‘bounds to a writer’s job’ except those imposed by his own finiteness? No bounds, but the laws of contradiction, I should think. But, of course, humility and an awareness of peril is required. A writer may be basically ‘benevolent’ according to his lights (as I hope I am) and yet not be ‘beneficent’ owing to error and stupidity.

183 Notes on W.H. Auden review, 1956: To a story-teller a journey is a marvellous device. It provides a strong thread on which a multitude of things that he has in mind may be strung to make a new thing, various, unpredictable, and yet coherent.

188 Letter to Allen & Unwin, April 1956: Of course, I wish you to pursue your efforts with regard to foreign editions. . . . . It is however surely intelligible that an author, while still alive, should feel a deep and immediate concern in translation. And this one is, unfortunately, also a professional linguist, a pedantic don, who has wide personal connexions and friendships with the chief English scholars of the continent.
No alterations, major or minor, re-arrangements, or abridgements of this text will be approved by me – unless they proceed from myself or from direct consultation. I earnestly hope that this concern of mine will be taken account of.

213 Letter to Deborah Webster, 25 October 1958: I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size). I like gardens, trees and unmechanized farmlands; I smoke a pipe, and like good plain food (unrefrigerated), but detest French cooking; I like, and even dare to wear in these dull days, ornamental waistcoats. I am fond of mushrooms (out of a field); have a very simple sense of humour (which even my appreciative critics find tiresome); I go to bed late and get up late (when possible). I do not travel much.

215 To Walter Allen, New Statesman (drafts), [Not dated; April 1959.]: Life is rather above the measure of us all (save for a very few perhaps). We all need literature that is above our measure – though we may not have sufficient energy for it all the time. But the energy of youth is usually greater. Youth needs then less than adulthood or Age what is down to its (supposed) measure.
A good vocabulary is not acquired by reading books written according to some notion of the vocabulary of one’s age-group. It comes from reading books above one.

235 From a letter to Mrs Pauline Gasch (Pauline Baynes), 6 December 1961:
Footnote [235] 1. ‘However good in themselves, illustrations do little good to fairy-stories. The radical distinction between all art (including drama) that offers a visible presentation and true literature is that it imposes one visible form. Literature works from mind to mind and is thus more progenitive.’ (‘On Fairy-Stories’, Note E.)

236 To Rayner Unwin, 30 December 1961: This is a Fell Winter indeed, and I am expecting White Wolves to cross the river. At present dead calm reigns, as the only car to appear in my road slid backwards downhill and disappeared.

238 To Jane Neave, 18 July 1962 [Tolkien’s aunt]: Saving universal catastrophe, I am not likely to be hard up again in my time. This is the advice of a very shrewd old publisher. Also I gather that he told Edmund Fuller [an American critic] that my books were the most important, and also the most profitable thing that he had published in a long life, and that they would certainly remain so after his time and his sons’ time.

246 From a letter to Mrs Eileen Elgar (drafts) September 1963: ... it became at last quite clear that Frodo after all that had happened would be incapable of voluntarily destroying the Ring. Reflecting on the solution after it was arrived at (as a mere event) I feel that it is central to the whole ‘theory’ of true nobility and heroism that is presented.

250 To Michael Tolkien 1 November 1963: I was never obliged to teach anything except what I loved (and do) with an inextinguishable enthusiasm.

328 To Carole Batten-Phelps (draft) [Autumn 1971: Of course The L.R. does not belong to me. It has been brought forth and must now go its appointed way in the world, though naturally I take a deep interest in its fortunes, as a parent would of a child. I am comforted to know that it has good friends to defend it against the malice of its enemies.

This is an intriguing collection and gives us many insights into Tolkien's thinking as a scholar, writer, and early 20th century Englishman. I consider it a valuable resource and should interest any Tolkien fan that wants more background on the works of JRRT and the author himself.

This was honestly very interesting to read, sometimes a little dry but generally intriguing. It's incomprehensible to me how much work and effort Tolkien put into his work, language, and passions. Even though he is recognised as one of the great modern English writers, I still think that his inventions and output are completely underrated, as the casual audience neglects to go deeper under the surface.
It is also ironic that he talks about his disappointment, distress and disgust of being subject to fan societies etc. and now we (the Tolkien nutjobs) can read through a bunch of his letters! Take that!

Tolkien influenced my teenage years like nobody else through his imagination and his detailed style of writing, as well as he was able to imagine a whole world and make me believe it. This book is a great way of learning more about the author and his motivation and imagination. Recommended to every Tolkien fan.