Interview with Christopher Tolkien

[geordie]

Here's a link to a Harper Collins page which features an interview with Christopher, from 2009.

https://www.tolkien.co.uk/interview-chr ... r-tolkien/

[Dorwiniondil]

Thanks, geordie!

[KingODuckingham]

Wow, thank you for the link, I had not seen this before. The whole interview is fascinating, but particularly this:

"In his later writing mythology and poetry sank down behind his theological and philosophical preoccupations: from which arose incompatibilities of tone."

I wish he had given an example or elaborated at all, I am intensely curious how this was reflected in the Silmarillion's drafts.

[Aodh Hammerhelm]

A great read, thanks @geordie . I'm very partial to The Children of Hùrin, and very pleased that Christopher presented it as a separate book

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Wow, thank you for the link, I had not seen this before. The whole interview is fascinating, but particularly this:

"In his later writing mythology and poetry sank down behind his theological and philosophical preoccupations: from which arose incompatibilities of tone."

I wish he had given an example or elaborated at all, I am intensely curious how this was reflected in the Silmarillion's drafts.

I think you can get an impression of what he means simply by comparing the earlier HOME volumes with the last three volumes. The shift is apparent in the appearance of grand discourses like that between Finrod and Andreth (Morgoth's Ring, Part IV) and also in the reworking of details such as the making of the Silmarils, where the Silmarils are now - and only now - likened to an incarnate soul in a body. This latter gives a clue, I think, what was going on: in composing The Lord of the Rings Tolkien was compelled to work out the relationships between a mortal, an elf, and a Ringwraith, with the latter a mortal who escaped the doom of his kind by becoming a sort of counterfeit elf - undead rather than undying, and this then impacted upon his thinking about the whole, as in he now attempted to think through the 'metaphysical' (or theological) side of his sub-creation.

I've never systematically compared the earlier and later 'Silmarillion' writings so the above is impressionistic rather than firm conclusion. But I have a sense that people do not sufficiently recognize how 'The Lord of the Rings' was (or became) a part of those stories. That is to say, rather than a postscript added at the end the imagination of the story of the end of the Third Age was part and parcel of the imagination of the whole, and working out the what, when, and how of the Rings of Power had repercussions for the whole.

[Dwim]

I enjoyed all that, but particularly Christopher's answer to the question of what his father would have thought of his popularity:

"I think (if one extends the question to include more than simply his enormous popularity) that he might have been in turns delighted, charmed, amused, puzzled, disquieted, baffled, indignant, but, finally, comprehensively astounded."

[Afird Splitax]

Somewhat late posting, but an egg drew me here. Such history and such dedication from Christopher Tolkien regarding his father's work. With his passing, I wonder if there will be more works from this great literary family in the future. Does anyone know?

I am so glad to read that Sam Gamgee's name was not changed to Sam Goodchild. Can you imagine?

'Well, master, we're in a fix and no mistake,' said Sam Goodchild.

Sam passed his hand over his eyes, brushing away the tears. 'Steady, Goodchild!' he said. 'Think, if you can! He can't fly across rivers, and he can't jump waterfalls. He's got no gear. So he's got to get back to the boats. Back to the boats! Back to the boats, Sam, like lightning!'

'Don't be a fool, Sam Goodchild,' came an answer in his own voice.

[Androthelm]

I don't know @Afird Splitax ... I actually kind of like Goodchild. It's not quite as good(child) as Gamgee but it does have an energy that I think is pretty good.

[Boromir88]

Oh my, this thread was resurrected by an Easter egg, but glad it was, because that was an excellent interview. Thank you @geordie, for sharing.

I remember the wild boar stories that were circulating at that time. Christopher's response sounds like it could have come from his father.