Re: Unpublished Writing by J.R.R Tolkien?

by Bluebottle Sun Feb 23, 2014 8:58 pm

I find the letters interesting.

I think George RR Martin talked somewhere about Tolkien being a prodigious letter writer who answered all his fan mail. And how he felt sorry that he hadn't written him as a kid as Tolkien probably would have answered. On the other hand he also attributed that fact as one of the reasons Tolkien didn't get around to finishing the Silmarillion.

by jon Mon Feb 24, 2014 2:05 pm

Orwell wrote:Not publishing his tanslation [sic.] of Beowulf because of publicity over the movies seems strange. You'd think while everyone is thinking about Tolkien would seem a good time to publish it. Only a few schools would be interested anyway. How many even here would buy it? Not many (any) probably.

I think it much more likely that the Estate was taking into consideration the Nobel Laureate Seamsu Heaney's translation which was published in 2000 (a really excellent one IMO - but the form is somewhat shunted for the sake of other aspects of the translation, which is unfortunate). I'm reading it right now. As for "How many would buy it?" I think it would be a fantastic sell for the publishers: the Heaney translation made the New York Time's bestseller list. I'm sure a Tolkien edition, if timed correctly, would make a huge splash in the market. I would definitely buy it. I think a lot of people here would buy it.

by jon Sat Mar 22, 2014 5:10 pm

Re: the discussion on the General Tolkien News Thread:

http://www.hobbitmovieforum.com/t887p30-the-general-tolkien-news-thread

Not to say I told you so, but.... well... I rest my case.

by halfwise Sun Mar 30, 2014 11:25 pm

I just pre-ordered the Tolkien translation of Beowulf. Cool

by Ringdrotten Sun Mar 30, 2014 11:38 pm

I hope this translation will be available as an ebook for kindles. Shipping takes ages (30 days more or less) when ordering from Amazon Mad

by halfwise Sun Mar 30, 2014 11:44 pm

Ringdrotten wrote:I hope this translation will be available as an ebook for kindles. Shipping takes ages (30 days more or less) when ordering from Amazon.

Not in America. And pre-ordering something that hasn't come out yet should make that less of a problem. There is a kindle edition though....

by Eldorion Mon Mar 31, 2014 8:50 am

Ringdrotten wrote:Shipping takes ages (30 days more or less) when ordering from Amazon

Well it does have to come all the way from South America. Shrugging

by Ringdrotten Mon Mar 31, 2014 2:38 pm

I appreciate the fact that it's a long way - it's just that I prefer instant downloads to waiting 30 days Wink

by halfwise Mon Mar 31, 2014 2:39 pm

Ha, took me a moment, but got it. Not bad for nearly 4 am - what are you up for at 4 am anyway?

by Ringdrotten Mon Mar 31, 2014 2:45 pm

It's 1545 pm here Very Happy

by Eldorion Mon Mar 31, 2014 2:47 pm

halfwise wrote:Ha, took me a moment, but got it. Not bad for nearly 4 am - what are you up for at 4 am anyway?

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Laughing

And my sleep cycle has become thoroughly re-fucked lately.

by Ringdrotten Mon Mar 31, 2014 3:33 pm

by halfwise Mon Mar 31, 2014 4:46 pm

Ringdrotten wrote:It's 1545 pm here

I was talking to Eldo.

by Ringdrotten Mon Mar 31, 2014 4:49 pm

I realised that when I read his reply Embarassed

by halfwise Mon Mar 31, 2014 4:54 pm

Eldorion wrote:
halfwise wrote:Ha, took me a moment, but got it. Not bad for nearly 4 am - what are you up for at 4 am anyway?

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

And my sleep cycle has become thoroughly re-fucked lately.

I remember once in college I had two lab reports and a 30 page paper due by the end of the week (the entire grade was 4 reports) and it was wednesday night at 3 am, which I guess should actually be called thursday morning.

It was then and there that I decided to join the Peace Corps. But aren't you already out of college? There shouldn't be any more 4 am episodes for you, at least not any that will find you by a computer...

by Mrs Figg Mon Mar 31, 2014 6:21 pm

I am in freaky dream phase at the mo.

by malickfan Sat Jan 10, 2015 4:13 pm

Came across this interesting thread on an another Forum:

http://www.thehalloffire.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2250

...In my Foreword to The Peoples of Middle-earth, pp.ix-x, I referred to the forerunner of the History as 'an entirely "private" study, without thought or purpose of publication: an exhaustive investigation and analysis of all the materials concerned with what came to be called the Elder Days, from the earliest beginnings, omitting no detail of name-form or textual variation.' This work, which I called The History of the Silmarillion, and which I began after the publication of my 'constructed' text, runs to more than 2600 very closely typed pages, and it does not even touch on the Second and Third Ages. When the possibility arose of publishing at least part of this work, in some form, it was obvious that it would have to be heavily reduced and curtailed, and the part of The History of Middle-earth dealing with the Elder Days is indeed a new presentation of The History of the Silmarillion, and a severe contraction of it, especially in respect of the sheer quantity of variant manuscript material reproduced in full...

by Tinuviel Sat Jan 10, 2015 5:10 pm

So this is something separate from HOME? Interesting!!!

by malickfan Sat Jan 10, 2015 9:45 pm

Tinuviel wrote:So this is something separate from HOME? Interesting!!!

The way I read it, it appears 'The History of The Silmarillion' was intended as a private study by C.Tolkien of the various 1st Age materials, never intended to be published, perhaps designed as a way to clear his thoughts or further his personal study after editing the published Sil? (in the HOME he mentions some of the material was not to hand when editing The Sil), the HOME being a successor and contraction of this study for the broader public, clamoring for new material. Certainly interesting to think about (and I'm sure the more hardcore fans would buy it), but I'm not entirely convinced a blow by blow, comma by comma comparison of each and very draft would be very successful, or frankly all that fun to read, the HOME is confusing and detailed enough for most people I think!, Perhaps the estate will authorize the manuscripts to be published properly at some point...

by Eldorion Sat Feb 28, 2015 12:23 am

One of the handful of Tolkien books I'm interested in adding to my collection is Hammond & Scull's Companion and Guide. Well today I was in the city visiting my brother and we went to a used record and book shop that he had heard about, and I found a copy of volume one (the Chronology) for only $12. I bought it as more of a conversation piece than anything else, but it's pretty fun. Did you guys know that exactly 80 years ago today, Tolkien attended a meeting at Pembroke College, Oxford? Neither did I, and there is absolutely nothing useful to that information whatsoever, aside from getting to bolster my nerdy credentials with it. Razz

I also picked up a copy of Paul's Boutique for only $5 so all in all it was a pretty rewarding trip. Thumbs Up

by Mrs Figg Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:38 am

Eldorion wrote:
halfwise wrote:Ha, took me a moment, but got it. Not bad for nearly 4 am - what are you up for at 4 am anyway?

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

And my sleep cycle has become thoroughly re-fucked lately.

join the club. its way past my bedtime

by Mrs Figg Sat Feb 28, 2015 3:52 pm

ugg so tired

by malickfan Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:35 pm

Eldorion wrote:One of the handful of Tolkien books I'm interested in adding to my collection is Hammond & Scull's Companion and Guide. Well today I was in the city visiting my brother and we went to a used record and book shop that he had heard about, and I found a copy of volume one (the Chronology) for only $12. I bought it as more of a conversation piece than anything else, but it's pretty fun. Did you guys know that exactly 80 years ago today, Tolkien attended a meeting at Pembroke College, Oxford? Neither did I, and there is absolutely nothing useful to that information whatsoever, aside from getting to bolster my nerdy credentials with it.

I also picked up a copy of Paul's Boutique for only $5 so all in all it was a pretty rewarding trip.

I have those books, nerdy yes, but brilliant (and slightly infuriating...why no contents page?) all the same (weirdly enough I received an new, American first edition boxset, despite ordering a second hand British edition, not complaining, but still, amazon marketplace is a funny thing at times...). Track down the Readers Guide Volume if you can, it's fascinating.

Wayne G Hammond and Christina Scull keep an Addenda and Corrigenda page on their website, listing additions and corrections to all their books:

http://www.hammondandscull.com/addenda.html

I seem to recall reading they were planning on producing a new, expanded edition of #J.R.R Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography' as well, at some point.

I have to say, Used Book Stores don't really seem to be a big thing in the UK, you can everything cheap online anyway.

You are an admin on a Tolkien Forum, did your nerdy credentials really need boosting Eldo? Wink

by Eldorion Mon Mar 02, 2015 4:30 am

The Reader's Guide is the volume that interests me more, but I don't do enough reading of hardcore Tolkienalia anymore to justify dropping $50 or whatever on it. Hopefully there will be another serendipitous moment where I stumble across a cheap copy, though. Smile

malickfan wrote:I have to say, Used Book Stores don't really seem to be a big thing in the UK, you can everything cheap online anyway.

You are an admin on a Tolkien Forum, did your nerdy credentials really need boosting Eldo?

True that; used bookstores have been hit at least as hard as the regular kind by e-commerce. They do have their own distinct indie feel to them, though. It can be pretty fun. Smile

And no, I suppose my nerdy credentials don't really need any help. Laughing

I'm usually more comfortable showing off books than I am bringing up online stuff IRL though, for whatever reason.

by Sinister71 Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:35 pm

I found some really good Tolkien books at used bookstores and bought them for next to nothing. It's almost like a treasure hunt to me