The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded Edition

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien is a revised and expanded edition of a comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life of one of the world's greatest storytellers, including more than 150 previously unseen letters. It provides revealing new insights into The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, as well as into Tolkien's mind, works, and reaction to subsequent events. Enthusiasts for his writings will find much new information, and anyone who appreciates the art of letter-writing will enjoy this new selection.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 720 pages
Publication date: 09 November 2023
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

The comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life of one of the world's greatest storytellers, now revised and expanded to include more than 150 previously unseen letters, with revealing new insights into The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.

J.R.R. Tolkien, the creator of the languages and history of Middle-earth as recorded in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, was one of the most prolific letter-writers of this century. Over the years, he wrote a vast mass of letters – to his publishers, to members of his family, to friends, and to fans of his books – which often reveal the inner workings of his mind and which record the history of composition of his works and his reaction to subsequent events.

A selection from Tolkien's correspondence, collected and edited by Tolkien's official biographer, Humphrey Carpenter, and assisted by Christopher Tolkien, was published in 1981. It presented, in Tolkien's own words, a highly detailed portrait of the man in his many aspects: storyteller, scholar, Catholic, parent, friend, and observer of the world around him.

In this revised and expanded edition of The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, it has been possible to go back to the editors' original typescripts and notes, restoring more than 150 letters that were excised purely to achieve what was then deemed a 'publishable length' and present the book as originally intended.

Enthusiasts for his writings will find much that is new, for the letters not only include fresh information about Middle-earth, such as Tolkien's own plot summary of the entirety of The Lord of the Rings and a vision for publishing his 'Tales of the Three Ages,' but also many insights into the man and his world. In addition, this new selection will entertain anyone who enjoys reading about the lives and works of great authors.

Weight: 984g
Dimension: 156 x 230 x 52 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780008628765