"The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien"

[BeardofPants]

Letters made things a lot clearer for me. I read it just after I muddled my way through the Sil, and it clarified quite a few things. However, I read a library copy, so I suffered huge heartbreak when I had to return it! (It is for that reason that I'm buying HoME, not borrowing!)

[Earniel]

Letters indeed makes a lot of things clearer. I remember going "Oh really? Never thought of that" once in a while during reading.

[Artanis]

Originally posted by Snowdog
I dont have the HoME series yet, and have withheld getting them for awhile now. I seem to be of the opinion that 'too much information' can muddy the water of the story of Middle Earth as a whole. This happened with the quandry of Galadriel and Celeborn in Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales... Maybe someday....

I see your point, it happened to me as well. I had my theories, and my imagination filled in the holes, and then I read the Sil and UT and everything was turned upside down.
I've just started reading Letters now, I've only reached 1937, the time when The Hobbit was first published. It's funny to see how Tolkien didn't believe people in general would have any interest in his stories. Luckily his publisher didn't agree with him.

[Rían]

Any updates from you first-time "Letters" readers? BTW, it's a great "car" book - keep it in your car ready to grab up and read a letter or two when you have a few minutes, like in line at a bank, etc. (and I feel so clever and proud of myself when I am reading a good book in line somewhere and not just staring aimlessly around, terribly bored. Of course, it's times when you have a great book that the line moves really fast....)

[crickhollow]

I know the feeling. hehe, last weekend, I was reading Canterbury Tales in line at the US border...the border official was really impressed

[Rían]

aren't we clever!! *hee hee* Too bad we can't be on Entmoot while in line somewhere! But I suppose we could if we had those newer "cordless" computers... But I could think of a zillion better ways to spend the money, and typing while standing up is hard (I suppose it would work in a car, though), and there's really nothing like the pleasure of a good book in your hands, IMHO!

Have you read "Letters of JRR Tolkien", crickhollow? I don't recall offhand if you had.

[Artanis]

Originally posted by RÃ*an
Any updates from you first-time "Letters" readers?

I'm proceeding. It takes some effort to read it, it requires excessive use of my dictionary. Not a good idea to read in line with Letters in one hand and dictionary in other, wouldn't impress anyone. I've reached 1944, the period when Tolkien wrote all those letters to Christopher in South Africa.

There was a letter where Tolkien expressed his view on marriage, and another letter where he wrote about relations between man and woman. They seemed interesting, but I only skimmed through them, not having enough peace right there and then to dig into them. I'm going to read them again sooner or later, when I get some time on my own.

[Treebeard's apprentice]

I've heard of "Letters" but have never been able to find it anywhere. Recently, though, it came to my attention that one of the girls who lives on the same floor as I has a copy of it. I think I'll ask her if I can borrow it as soon as I finish reading the book I'm wrapped up in now ("It" by Stephen King).

[Sister Golden Hair]

Out of all the Tolkien books and reference material that I own, "Letters" is not among them. It is my next and probably last Tolkien book I have left to buy. I'll have a birthday in a couple of days and plan on dropping some hint to friends and family. We'll see.

[BeardofPants]

Good idea SGH: my b'day's in a couple of days as well... Will start with the leaving hints all over the place trick.

[Earniel]

Originally posted by Artanis
I'm proceeding. It takes some effort to read it, it requires excessive use of my dictionary. Not a good idea to read in line with Letters in one hand and dictionary in other, wouldn't impress anyone.

That's one of the reasons that I bought 'Letters' in the Dutch translation. The other reason was because the cover of the translation fitted better with my other Tolkienbooks.

[crickhollow]

Originally posted by RÃ*an
there's really nothing like the pleasure of a good book in your hands, IMHO!

Have you read "Letters of JRR Tolkien", crickhollow? I don't recall offhand if you had.

That's why online books with never replace the real thing...as C.S. Lewis said, "There isn't a cup of tea large enough, nor a book long enought to suit me."

*sigh*the Letters is on my ever-expanding booklist...one day I'll get to it, but right now I'm still a first-time Silmarillion reader.

It is a terrible feeling to know that no matter how many books you read, you will never be able to read all of the good books out there, because they've had so many years to accumulate, and you'll never catch up...However, I suppose it would be much, much worse to come to the end of all good books ever written, and know that there aren't anymore left.

[Sister Golden Hair]

Originally posted by BeardofPants
Good idea SGH: my b'day's in a couple of days as well... Will start with the leaving hints all over the place trick.

Sounds good to me BoP.