J.R.R. Tolkien and G.B. Smith, With Wind in our Ears a review and interview with Giuseppe Pezzini
5 June - By onthetrail
J.R.R. Tolkien and G.B. Smith, With Wind in our Ears
A Tolkien Guide Review
The following review is not intended to be an extensive assessment or blow-by-blow review of the book. For such posts we would suggest looking in time to Tolkien Studies, The Journal of Tolkien Research and other academic based journals and blogs. This review is intended for those wishing to judge whether the volume is a worthwhile addition to your collections and knowledge of the subjects covered in the volume.
When it was announced that Giuseppe Pezzini would soon edit and curate a collection of articles on the relationship between J.R.R. Tolkien and his fellow TCBSThe 'Tea Club, Barrovian Society'[1] member and close friend G.B. Smith, we were excited by the news. A study of the two friends if done well would be a very welcome volume. G.B. Smith's influence on Tolkien the poet cannot be understated, and his untimely death, less than two months after his twenty second birthday in December 1916 robbed Tolkien of one of his closest friends and someone he trusted with his own poetry, often replying on his friend to be blunt about that poetry. Although younger than Tolkien, Smith was already a gifted amateur poet and by February Smith could be quite hard on Tolkien when reviewing his friends poetry, but he was an admirer and believed that Tolkien was destined to be a published poet. Ironic it is indeed that, as Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond remark, it is "ironic that Tolkien survived the war but, until The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book in 1962, had no published book of his poetry, while Smith was killed but fairly soon had a posthumous collection in print, A Spring Harvest."Collected Poems, p. xxvii[2]
So with the prospect of learning more about these two friends is an opportunity that one cannot pass up. The volume we review today has a lot to live up to, not least that hope of understanding more about Smith and Tolkien as friends, as admirers of each others poetry, but also because the names attached to this volume are all well known and successful in the field of Tolkien studies and beyond.See pp. xiii-xvii for a short summary of each of the contributors[3]
The introduction is as one would expect, a short overview of Tolkien and Smith and their relationship. As is observed in the introduction, "this volume is the first very of its kind dedicated to this topic, as well as, in fact, the very first comprehensive assessment of Smith’s poetry."
Please note that this short review is derived from a reading of a late proof, kindly provided by the editor and as such we will not include page numbers here until we have the physical book in hand.
Part I Life, Context, History
CHAPTER 1
‘A Perfect Genius’: G.B. Smith Among Family and Friends
CHAPTER 1
‘A Perfect Genius’: G.B. Smith Among Family and Friends
The first chapter ‘A Perfect Genius’: G.B. Smith Among Family and Friends by John Garth is as one would expect, informative, well researched and paints a realistic picture of Smith's life, his family roots and the world he grew up in. John Garth has had much to say about G.B. Smith over many years and his opening of this volume is very welcome.
Garth's use of Smith's poetry, especially examples not found in the posthumous selection from A Spring Harvest are especially welcome. In many cases they are published here after more than 110 years since the first and only publications in the King Edward School Chronicle.Thanks to the remarkable efforts of the staff at KES, much of their archives are digitized and freely available to read. See https://www.kingedwardvi-kes-archives.org/[4]
By the time Garth concludes his chapter on Smith's life to 1913, one could be forgiven for wanting this volume to continue as a biography of G.B. Smith written by John Garth. His knowledge of the young man and his precise manner of elevating Smith's life shows the respect and high-standing he holds for the young poet.
CHAPTER 2
Geoffrey Bache Smith at Oxford and at War: A Lost History?
Geoffrey Bache Smith at Oxford and at War: A Lost History?
Grace Khuri focuses on Smith's time at Oxford and draws much from periodicals from the period to show a confident and vibrant debater and speech giver at Oxford Union gatherings, and sobering, his change as his experiences of war took a toll on him. Khuri points to Tolkien's own reference to Smith's "grave face" and "grave voice" and it is brought home how war affected all of those in the middle of this most devastating period of our collective history. But Khuri also reflects on Smith's lighter side that remained, and the young man's humour that could not be dulled by war.
There is much to learn about the T.C.B.S. and Smith's affection for it and its members and Khuri's use of letters between him and Tolkien are especially welcome to this group. Giving crucial archival details, dates and quotes that are helping us better present information at our Guide to Tolkien's Letters.
Khuri introduces us to Smith as a university bod, and it is a pleasure to learn more about his activities and the interests he held. There is sadness, sadness that a young bright man could be like so many others beaten down by war. But the chapters ends with a poignant reminder that "Music, war, and loss were inexorably linked for those who died in and those who survived the Great War. Smith’s poems, to borrow a line from his Interlude, are truly
“songs that die not”."
CHAPTER 3
A Thousand Leaves from One Tree: The History of G. B. Smith’s Poetry
A Thousand Leaves from One Tree: The History of G. B. Smith’s Poetry
Setting out the aims of his chapter, Oronzo Cilli remarks that he "will first focus on a selection of poems that were published before their inclusion in A Spring Harvest (1918), discussing on textual differences with the later versions. I will then present and discuss five early reviews of his collection A Spring Harvest, two of which were probably authored by Tolkien himself..."
As one would expect from Cilli, the bibliographic record gains from corrections. He notes on Tolkien's prefatory remark in one example that "the third part [of a Spring Harvest] contains only poems written after the outbreak of the war". Pointing out that a poem, 'Dark is the World Our Father Left Us' was in fact written and published before the outbreak of war.
Cilli makes a claim in his chapter that two of the reviews are likely written by Tolkien himself. Noting that "the precise references to Tolkien’s “intervals of active service and of convalescence in hospital” during which the editorial work was accomplished seem to suggest that the author of the review was no one else than the editor of A Spring Harvest himself". One is not confident enough to support or dispute this claim outright, but some small textual references are worthy of note. Cilli rightly connects the review through details of Tolkien's recovery and his activities and the reproduction of the Times Literary Supplement review of July 18, 1918 has a short section that interested this reader. It says that "It is curious — and it is quite likely other readers may disagree — that to us the ‘last Poems’, at the end, written after the outbreak of war, seem to have lost something of the rare quality of the earlier pieces." One word can be argued to suggest a dual-authorship in that "us" could be literal, but it is especially noteworthy that Tolkien's error in his prefatory note is repeated in a sense in the review. The review notes that the "last poems" were written after the outbreak of war, and the contents list for A Spring Harvest gives part three as "III. Last Poems". Would a reviewer other than Tolkien or Wiseman pick up on this very minor note and reproduce it in a review? It seems unlikely. It is therefore that we believe Cilli has stumbled upon texts that very likely should be added to the bibliographic record for J.R.R. Tolkien, at least as likely by his own hand or at least with a friend.
Cilli presents a poem, 'New Year 1915' to close out his chapter and it is a poignant one written by Smith not long before he went to join the war efforts.
Part II Genres, Resonances, Criticism
CHAPTER 4
G.B. Smith and J.R.R. Tolkien: Two First World War Poets
CHAPTER 4
G.B. Smith and J.R.R. Tolkien: Two First World War Poets
Stuart D. Lee discusses in his chapter the war poetry of Smith and Tolkien. At the outset one must raise one important point. Lee says that "The dating for all his poems is often based on Tolkien's own notes which were applied retrospectively in later years and therefore open to debate." One cannot agree with this opinion. It is fairly well evidenced in Collected Poems that the dating of poems are not only taken from Tolkien's dates added later, but in most cases are based on material factors such as the paper used, the other poems, ink, typewriters and published dates. Of course Tolkien's dates are considered and sometimes accepted, but those dates are often questioned when other information is available. Lee also raises the very valid question about the dating of Smith's poetry by Tolkien (and Wiseman) when considering them for inclusion in A Spring Harvest.
Lee sets out his chapter with a brief but informative history of A Spring Harvest and moves rapidly to its publishing. As was noted earlier by Oronzo Cilli that Tolkien himself likely provided two reviews, Lee notes that the publisher Galloway Kyle did the same. He weighs this "stunt" against the advice to Tolkien from "R. W. Reynolds’ comment to Tolkien (2 August 1915) advising him to do whatever he could to get his poetry published as these were not ordinary times."
He then gives an entertaining and informative discussion on the war poetry of Smith, followed by a similar one on Tolkien's own war poetry.
CHAPTER 5
‘That we may do the things undone’: Smith, Tolkien, and the Classics
‘That we may do the things undone’: Smith, Tolkien, and the Classics
This chapter brings us to the editor of the volume, Guiseppe Pezzini's discussion of the "special relationship" between Tolkien and Smith. Pezzini looks at the reception to war poets, and especially the reaction and growth of research into "Tolkien and the Classics (2021-2025)" and "Classical Reception in Smith's Spring Harvest". It is only natural that across a limited number of pages these subjects cannot be studied in full, and helpfully we come away with a much longer reading list to enjoy at our leisure and a return to this and other chapters while reading those other works will surely benefit our knowledge of Tolkien and Smith's poetry. But while the Tolkien portion is short, highlighting larger volumes and articles, the section on Smith is of far greater scope and we learn much about his poems. The editors admiration for the final poem from Spring Harvest is evidenced in his section on 'The Burial of Sophocles' and its parallels with Earendel and Bilbo. A comparison is provided and we learn more on the connections between Smith and Tolkien's art.
Here as with all of the chapters, the reference to other volumes is impressive and welcome. The research is evident throughout and impressive.
CHAPTER 6
‘O scholar grey with quiet eyes’: G.B. Smith’s Poem Rime and Its Influence on Tolkien’s Work
‘O scholar grey with quiet eyes’: G.B. Smith’s Poem Rime and Its Influence on Tolkien’s Work
Mark Atherton's chapter feels more slight than the others, which is not to mean it is any less justified among the selection. Atherton asks a question at the outset, "Who is the “scholar grey with quiet eyes” in G. B. Smith’s poem Rime (ASH 3), working at his books in the turret chamber? Could this be a veiled reference to J. R. R. Tolkien, who, unlike his fellow T.C.B.S. member G. B. Smith, decided to finish his studies first before joining the army in 1915 and only then making his contribution to the war effort? Are we justified in reading Smith’s poem biographically in this way?"
This is the sole focus of the chapter and Atherton is for this reader convincing with his argument and conclusions.
CHAPTER 7
The Monk and the Bird’s Song: A Motif in Longfellow, Smith, and Tolkien
The Monk and the Bird’s Song: A Motif in Longfellow, Smith, and Tolkien
Kris Swank looks at the engagement by Smith and Tolkien with Longfellow's 'The Monk and the Bird's Song'. Especially on their use of his style and imagery. Demonstrating how Smith used and adapted Longfellow themes, and connecting Tolkien's own use not only within his own work on 'The Death of Saint Brendan' but also how he edited A Spring Havest with cues from Longfellow. Those interested in how poets are inspired by earlier names, this chapter will be of immense interest.
CHAPTER 8
From the ‘Dawns’ to the ‘Tides of Time’: Smith and Tolkien in the Mists of Glastonbury Legends
From the ‘Dawns’ to the ‘Tides of Time’: Smith and Tolkien in the Mists of Glastonbury Legends
Federica Calabrese focuses on two poems for her chapter. Smiths' 'Glastonbury' and Tolkien's 'Fall of Arthur', with specific reference to Tolkien's prefatory note to A Spring HarvestFound on page 196 of this volume.[5] to open. Her chapter discusses the thematic connections to Malory's Morte Arthure as well as the traditions from the area of the setting and the mythological sources found in each poem.
CHAPTER 9
G.B. Smith: Apprentice Poet of His Time
G.B. Smith: Apprentice Poet of His Time
Allan Turner focuses on Smith, the "apprentice poet" and asks how can a critical assessment be established. It is a fair question. As he remarks, Smith died young and published very little, his only published work being that edited by Tolkien. Turner notes that previous works on Smith have focused on Smith's relationship to various wider subjects, quite rightly. The war, the T.C.B.S., to Smith's relationship with Tolkien, and on. His focus on the poetry is very welcome and demonstrates the potential while not lingering on the wider considerations discussed previously.
EPILOGUE
CHAPTER 10
‘The T.C.B.S. was destined to testify for God and Truth’: Reflections on Tolkien’s Letter no. 5 to G.B. Smith
CHAPTER 10
‘The T.C.B.S. was destined to testify for God and Truth’: Reflections on Tolkien’s Letter no. 5 to G.B. Smith
Ivano Sassanelli looks at the relationship between the T.C.B.S., making reference to Carpenter's Letter #5 (J.R.R. Tolkien to G. B. Smith, 12 August 1916). Looking at the special friendship between these four young men who "desire to change the World through Poetry and Literature."
Perhaps little should be said of this final chapter as we each experience the relationship between Tolkien and his closest friends in different ways and Sassanelli offers us a fitting perspective to these beautiful relationships which were cut short by warfare. Drawing on the the editors own thoughts from his 2025 volume, Tolkien and the Mystery of Literary Creation, Sassanelli concludes on Tolkien's motivations, "to preserve and convey the mission and calling of the T.C.B.S. In both his Secondary World, and through its primary ideas on eucatastrophe and the relationship between Creation and sub-creation, Tolkien strove to ‘bear witness to God and Truth’."
Appendix
Little needs to said about the appendix other than it contains G.B. Smith's complete A Spring Harvest and with the examples found throughout this volume, it is the most expansive and detailed look to date on Smith's short career as a poet.
It was pleasing that Smith's poems have been assigned number references here and the hope is that future study adopts them. They were designed by the editor for referencing in this volume, but these work very well and would be a very handy tool for other volumes and papers that refer to it.
CONCLUSION
The chapters in this book represent a wide and varied look at Smith and Tolkien and through them the group that was the T.C.B.S. It is fitting that the volume treats more of Smith's poems than any work to date as well as opening up yet more study opportunities on Tolkien.
It has been a pleasure to read the book in review before publication and it remains for us to thank Beppe Pezzini for his immense efforts and for making time to chat to onthetrail about this new book (interview linked below) along with all of the contributors who gave their precious time to the volume. Our final hope is that this volume promotes and encourages more study into Smith's poetry and its connection.
Tolkien Guide
onthetrail had the pleasure of sitting down for a chat with Beppe Pezzini for a short talk about his work in Tolkien studies and about the new book.
FROM THE BACK COVER
Despite his discreet personality, private “vices", and literary idiosyncrasies, Tolkien was in fact a deeply collaborative figure, both as a scholar and, above all, as a writer. This volume is dedicated to one of his earliest and most significant creative and personal collaborations, his friendship with G.B. Smith: an alumnus of Corpus Christi College, Tolkien’s school friend and fellow member of the T.C.B.S., and indeed his closest companion during university years. A gifted poet, Smith published only one collection, A Spring Harvest, edited posthumously by Tolkien after Smith’s death in the trenches of the Somme – another lost voice among the First World War poets. The volume explores this relationship from biographical, literary, and philosophical perspectives, focusing on the content and style of Smith’s poetry, Tolkien’s editorial work, their shared intellectual world, and the lasting influence of Smith on Tolkien’s imagination. In doing so, it also seeks to give Smith his due, recognising A Spring Harvest not only as the premature culmination of his talent, but also as a body of work carried forward and fulfilled in the enduring legacy of his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Typographical errors noted:
- p. 68 - challenge e around > challenge around
1 The 'Tea Club, Barrovian Society' ↩
2 Collected Poems, p. xxvii ↩
3 See pp. xiii-xvii for a short summary of each of the contributors ↩
4 Thanks to the remarkable efforts of the staff at KES, much of their archives are digitized and freely available to read. See https://www.kingedwardvi-kes-archives.org/ ↩
5 Found on page 196 of this volume. ↩
2026 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies
4 June - By Trotter
2026 Mythopoeic Awards Finalists Announced
The Mythopoeic Society has announced the finalists for the 2026 Mythopoeic Awards. For more information about the awards, visit the Awards section https://www.mythsoc.org/awards.htm ; the finalists for the literature and scholarship awards and text of recent acceptance speeches are also listed in this section. The winners of this year’s awards will be announced at Mythcon 54, “Get Your Fantasy Kicks on Route 66,” which runs July 24-27, 2026, in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
Congratulations to all who were nominated.
Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Inklings Studies
https://www.mythsoc.org/news/news-2026-06-02.htm
Letter for Auction
28 May - By Trotter
A Letter from Tolkien to Mr Schiro is once again being auctioned, with the sale taking place on the Wed, 17 Jun 2026 2:00 PM GMT
Estimate USD 30,000-40,000
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2 ... ts-is-to-me-as-wilton-ct/
Carpenter #203: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Herbert Schiro • 17 November 1957 (#327)
We have documented previous auctions for this letter
2021 - https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot ... ommunists-are-orcs/?cat=0 Sold for USD 59,139
2025 - https://historical.ha.com/itm/autograp ... w-ShortDescription-071515 asking USD 52,000 - Not Sold
Description
J.R.R. Tolkien
Headington, Oxford, UK, November 17, 1957
Tolkien ALS Refuting Allegory in His Trilogy: "To ask if the Orcs 'are' Communists is to me as sensible as asking if Communists are Orcs"
ALS
Magnificent, content-rich autograph letter signed, "J.R.R. Tolkien", just two years after the publication of "Return of the King". 2pp, 6.75" x 8.5", Headington, Oxford, November 17, 1957. The already renowned author writes to Herbert Schiro, a medical student at the University of California, providing one of his most direct and comprehensive statements on the meaning and interpretation of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Tolkien explicitly refutes allegorical readings of his masterwork, declaring, "There is no 'symbolism' or conscious allegory in my story. Allegory of the sort 'five wizards = five senses' is wholly foreign to my way of thinking." He goes on to deliver one of his most memorable lines regarding contemporary political interpretations: "To ask if the Orcs 'are' Communists is to me as sensible as asking if Communists are Orcs." Matted and framed with the original transmittal cover with double-sided glass to an overall size of 12” x 20”. Not examined out of the frame. Letter has flattened folds, otherwise no visible mars. Envelope has toning and light soiling commensurate with use.
While rejecting allegory, Tolkien acknowledges the concept of "applicability," noting the moral complexities he embedded in his characters: "sloth & stupidity among hobbits, pride and escapism among Elves, grudge and greed in Dwarf-hearts, and folly and wickedness among the 'Kings of Men.'" Most significantly, he reveals what he considers the true theme of his work: "it is about Death and the desire for deathlessness. Which is hardly more than to say it is a tale written by a Man!"
In full:
"I was delighted with your letter, which I shall certainly keep. There is nothing much really to say (beyond recording the pleasure that your enjoyment and sympathy give me), as you understand the matter so well. There is no 'symbolism' or conscious allegory in my story. Allegory of the sort 'five wizards = five senses' is wholly foreign to my way of thinking. There were five and that's just a unique fact of history. To ask if the Orcs 'are' Communists is to me as sensible as asking if Communists are Orcs.
That there is no 'allegory' does not, of course, say there is no applicability. There always is. And since I have not made the struggle wholly unequivocal: sloth & stupidity among hobbits, pride and escapism among Elves, grudge and greed in Dwarf-hearts, and folly and wickedness among the 'Kings of Men,' and treachery and power-lust even among the 'Wizards,' there is I suppose applicability in my story to present times. But I should say, if asked, that it is not really about Power and Domination: that only gets the wheels going; it is about Death and the desire for deathlessness. Which is hardly more than to say it is a tale written by a Man!
Thank you again! I may possibly be coming to the States next spring (I have never managed to come before), and in all that vastness it is conceivable that we might contrive a meeting? I have a dear friend: one Meredith Thompson (a Canadian), who lives in Los Angeles, and whom, if time allowed, I shd. try to visit. (He is a professor at the university of S. California).”
By 1957, when this letter was written, “The Lord of the Rings” had been in print for 2-3 years and was gaining significant critical acclaim and a growing readership. The trilogy was already being recognized as a major work of literature, with positive reviews from respected critics and authors. Tolkien's personal response to Schiro demonstrates his profound dedication to ensuring readers understood the deeper truths of his Middle-earth saga.
The letter has been published multiple times, evidence of its importance in understanding Tolkien’s writing as fictional history. It was first published (in part) in an article by Glen GoodKnight, '"Death and the Desire for Deathlessness": The Counsel of Elrond' in Mythlore Issue 10 (1975), p. 19; amended and published (again in part) in Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien, The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien (1981), letter 203.
This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.
Estimate USD 30,000-40,000
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2 ... ts-is-to-me-as-wilton-ct/
Carpenter #203: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Herbert Schiro • 17 November 1957 (#327)
We have documented previous auctions for this letter
2021 - https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot ... ommunists-are-orcs/?cat=0 Sold for USD 59,139
2025 - https://historical.ha.com/itm/autograp ... w-ShortDescription-071515 asking USD 52,000 - Not Sold
« A Description of the Island of Númenor »: a reconstruction
21 May - By Druss
The following paper was originally published in April this year at Tolkiendil given in French under the title « Une Description de l’île de Númenor » : une reconstruction and is presented here, translated into English for your enjoyment. Druss
« A Description of the Island of Númenor »: a reconstruction
In 1980, only three years after having presented The Silmarillion to readers, Christopher Tolkien proposed a new book, Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth, which would compliment the latter, but also The Lord of the Rings.
Among this “collection of writings, disparate in form”,Christopher Tolkien, Introduction, Unfinished Tales.[1] which as a volume is “divid[ed] […] into Parts corresponding to the first Three Ages of the World”, there exists a singular text - 'A Description of the Island of Númenor'.Hereafter abbreviated as DN.[2]
This text presents, in a few pages, a description of “the physical nature of the Island”. Christopher Tolkien indicates in his introduction that he has “included selections from [his] father’s account of Númenor”, an account apparently written at the beginning of the 1960s. Thus, when reading it, we are tempted to consider this text as a continuous one, written as a whole by Tolkien, with only a few small portions deemed unnecessary by Christopher Tolkien.
As it turns out, it is more complicated than had first been thought.
In 2021 The Nature of Middle-earth was published,Hereafter abbreviated as Nature.[3] a book edited by Carl Hostetter and presenting, in a similar manner to that of Unfinished Tales, disparate texts on varying subjects. Among them are two texts, respectively entitled 'Lives of the Númenóreans'Nature, pp. 316-327. Hereafter abbreviated as LN.[4] (Part III, chapter XI) and 'Of the Land and Beasts of Númenor'Nature, pp. 331-341. Hereafter abbreviated as LBN.[5] (Part III, chapter XIII), from which Christopher Tolkien built the text published in Unfinished Tales. In reality, LN and LBN form a single document, existing in three different versions, but always continuous, LBN following on from LN in footnote 5.Nature, p. 316. The text of LN edited by Carl Hostetter presents two types of notes: five footnotes and two author’s notes, but in fact, even these two author’s notes are footnotes in the manuscript. Hostetter chose to extract them because of their length.[6]
This short essay aims to “reconstruct” the text 'A Description of the Island of Númenor' by visualizing which elements Christopher Tolkien extracted from one or another of the source texts to recreate it, but also, to complete the LBN text which was not presented in full by Carl Hostetter in Nature.
By looking at the three texts in parallel (see figure 9 at the end), we quickly realize that DN is based in very large part on the second of the two texts, LBN, with approximately one quarter found in LN, found in footnote 2,Consequently, in our reconstruction, we give only this note.[7] (while the rest of the chapter addresses primarily the habits and customs of the islands population).
Finally, with these extracts, is some sentences of DN’s text which are not associated with any of Tolkien’s texts that have been published to date. So, there are two hypotheses. The first, that these sections actually came from an unpublished text by Tolkien, which is unlikely, otherwise it would likely have been published by Carl Hostetter in Nature, with the two others sources (or at least quoted as such). The second hypothesis, the most promising and realistic, is that these passages are from the hand of Christopher Tolkien himself, repeating in similar fashion the work he carried out on The Silmarillion, by completing some passages to make the writing more fluid as a single unbroken text.
As commented by Carl Hostetter, the very first paragraph of DN is largely sourced from LBN (Figure 1, dark green), though it is reduced by two-thirds compared to LBN. Hostetter then indicates that DN follows LBN “closely”Nature, p. 332.[8] with some additional details. Since his edition of LBN is incomplete, it is not possible to know with any certainty. However the second paragraph addressing the preservation of documents and the survivors of the Akallabêth (Figure 1, light green) is reproduced almost identically from LBNConfirm by Carl Hostetter, below in this topic.[9] .
Figure 1 – Paragraphs 1 and 2 of DN on the right, compared to LBN, on the left.
As the second, the third paragraph of DN is from LBN, but reduced (Figure 2, light green). §4 starts with a repetition of several sections of LBN from the first footnote (noted as fn1 in figure 9). However, Christopher does not provide all of the textual information, very likely to give more consistency to the tale. In LBN, we learn that the five promontories, shaping the island as a star, are 100 miles wide and 200 miles long, and that Meneltarma rose to nearly 3,000 feet, with the last 500 feet unscalable save by a single road. DN’s text says that “a winding spiral road was made upon it beginning at its foot upon the south, and ending below the lip of the summit”, a sentence extracted and rephrased by Christopher from LN, which has “a spiral road from its southern base […] up to its summit” (Figure 2, violet). The grey elements are additions, presented to better transition the text, except in the cases of "sacred to the worship of Eru Ilúvatar" just after "Pillars of Heavens" both written by Christopher Tolkien.
Figure 2 – Paragraph 3 and beginning of paragraph 4 of DN, at the center, compared to LBN on the left and to LN on the right.
From the middle of §4, Carl Hostetter specifies that the text of DN follows that of LBN (with the exception of a few details set aside by Christopher), up to and including §11.Nature, p. 332.[10] If Hostetter omits most of this passage in LBN, the few quotations he gives allows us to confirm that Christopher did indeed use LBN, albeit with some textual revisions (Figure 3). Thus, in §7, he uses "Towards the great North Cape the land rose to rocky heights of some 2,000 feet, the highest of which (Sorontil) rose straight from the sea in tremendous cliffs" in the form "Towards the North Cape the land rose to rocky heights, and there great Sorontil rose sheer from the sea in tremendous cliffs," again omitting the precise altitude; In §9, the Yavannamírë possesses "globed and scarlet fruits," although LBN indicates that it had "rose-like flowers and globed and scarlet fruits".Our emphasis.[11] Later, Christopher adds that Tar-Aldarion is the sixth King of Númenor and removes Gil-galad's given name, Finellach, which appears in Tolkien's later writings, replacing it with Ereinion. It is likely that this omission of Finellach was Christopher's choice to maintain consistency between Unfinished Tales and The Silmarillion, which uses Ereinion.
Figure 3 – Paragraphs 4 to 9 of DN, on the right, compared to LBN on the left. Elements in light green are reintroduced in LBN from DN. In orange, editor's commentary.
§10, concerns the Nunduinë River, which is the first instance of a passage being moved out of its original context (Figures 4 and 5, in yellow). In LBN, it appears much later in the text, before a long passage on birds is given. Similarly, §12 on the laurinquë is entirely taken from a passage found in the second half of LBN, interspersed with some rewordings on the geography of Hyarrostar (Figures 4 and 6, in burgundy). §13 and §14 are then taken almost verbatim from LBN, except again for a clarification of the altitude for the Orrostar promontory.
Figure 4 – Paragraph 10 and beginning of paragraph 14 of DN, on the right, compared to LBN on the left. Elements in light green are reintroduced in LBN from DN; elements of LBN in light grey weren't reused in DN. In orange, editor's commentary. In yellow and burgundy, extracts of LBN appearing later in the text (see Figure 5).
From the end of §14 onwards, it becomes clear that a great deal of information from LBN was omitted by Christopher Tolkien, in particular "a long discussion of the flora and fauna of Númenor which is absent from the later text, as are many details concerning the distances and populations of the island."Nature, p. 333.[12] The reason for this is undoubtedly that the subject deviated quite significantly from his editorial plan; indeed, he makes it clear in his introduction that he has focused on what he considers to be the "physical aspect" of Númenor. This passage comprises of slightly less than half the length of DN, and only two paragraphs on birds are retained virtually unchanged by Christopher, the one beginning with "The birds of Númenor were beyond count…" (Figure 5, dark green) and the following one, "The birds that dwell near the sea…" (Figure 5, khaki), which together form the end of §14. One important detail, however, and probably done so for the sake of uniformity, Christopher swaps the two extracts around in his text.
Figure 5 – Paragraph 14 of DN, on the right, compared to LBN on the left. In light grey, the long extract. In yellow, the section about Nunduinë river (see also Figure 4 above).
§15 is the second example within the introduction of an extract from LN used in DN. This entire passage about horses is indeed taken directly from the second half of the LN note (Figure 6, purple and blue), but Christopher rearranges several sentences again to improve readability. One passage, however, is used in full, from "Therefore the roads of Númenor" to "thence to Andúnië in the west." In LN, the discussion about horses continues with some information about dogs that is completely absent from DN. In LBN, no section is taken from this source, with the exception of the two sentences about the laurinquë used previously (Figures 4 and 6, in burgundy) and a second passage used by Christopher in DN (Figures 6 and 8, in turquoise).
Figure 6 – Paragraph 15 of DN, at the center, compared to LBN on the left and LN on the right. In light grey, the rest of the long extract unused by Christopher. In burgundy, the section about the laurinquë (see also Figure 7 below). In turquoise, an extract used below (see Figure 8).
DN continues by addressing the craftsmanship of the Edain, a passage taken "with no significant variation"Nature, p. 340.[13] from LBN.
Figure 7 – Paragraphs 16 to 18 of DN, on the right, compared to LBN on the left. Elements in light green are reintroduced in LBN from DN; elements in light grey weren't used in DN.
The very last paragraph of DN, §19, is a composition of three different extracts: two from LN and one from LBN. The opening of §19 on fishing and navigation is taken from the first half of the note in LN. After a transitional sentence by Christopher, the middle of §19, on Elvish navigators and the shipwrights of Númenor is taken from footnote 2 in LBN, which is found much earlier in that text, towards the end of the long discussion on flora and fauna which was omitted by Christopher.
Finally, the conclusion of DN, concerning Vëantur and the creation of the Guild of Venturers by Aldarion, is a direct continuation of the passage on fishing found in LN, which Christopher concludes with a transition of his own to the 'Tale of Aldarion and Erendis' that follows DN in Unfinished Tales.
Figure 8 – Paragraph 19 of DN, at the center, compared to LBN on the left, and LN on the right. In turquoise, the extract of LBN from Figure 6.
Complete visualization of text.
1 Christopher Tolkien, Introduction, Unfinished Tales. ↩
2 Hereafter abbreviated as DN. ↩
3 Hereafter abbreviated as Nature. ↩
4 Nature, pp. 316-327. Hereafter abbreviated as LN. ↩
5 Nature, pp. 331-341. Hereafter abbreviated as LBN. ↩
6 Nature, p. 316. The text of LN edited by Carl Hostetter presents two types of notes: five footnotes and two author’s notes, but in fact, even these two author’s notes are footnotes in the manuscript. Hostetter chose to extract them because of their length. ↩
7 Consequently, in our reconstruction, we give only this note. ↩
8 Nature, p. 332. ↩
9 Confirm by Carl Hostetter, below in this topic. ↩
10 Nature, p. 332. ↩
11 Our emphasis. ↩
12 Nature, p. 333. ↩
13 Nature, p. 340. ↩
English language Hobbit illustrated by Tove Jansson
11 May - By remy
What is The Hobbit: Illustrated by Tove Jansson by J. R. R. Tolkien about?
Landmark new edition featuring a wealth of charming illustrations from Tove Jansson, creator of The Moomins, published in English for the first time.
Smaug certainly looked fast asleep, almost dead and dark, with scarcely a snore more than a whiff of unseen steam, when Bilbo peeped once more from the entrance. He was just about to step out on to the floor when he caught a sudden thin and piercing ray of red from under the drooping lid of Smaug’s left eye. He was only pretending to sleep! He was watching the tunnel entrance!
Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole in Bag End by Gandalf the wizard and a band of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Although quite reluctant to take part in this quest, Bilbo surprises even himself
https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmi ... Fvariant%3D56243105530235
Just saw this on the Harpercollins website
Finally - An English Edition of The Hobbit illustrated by Tove Jansson
Due for publication September 2026
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