TCG Letter #1456 / Carpenter Letter #194b

In regards to the Dutch translation of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien says he has not the time or energy to be overly critical of it, and in any case has no interest in being "unkind." But any errors are the translators fault, noting that the Nomenclature is a "primary blunder".

Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull note^{Chronology. pp. 524-5[1]} that Tolkien asks Rayner Unwin to send one of his five author’s copies to his friend, Professor Dr P.N.U. Harting in Amsterdam, Tolkien wants his opinion on the translation, noting that he does not have the time. he also notes that he has taken the same views on BBC adaptations, which is that there is little point in being critical of scripts. He closes by mentioning that the bust of him designed by Faith Tolkien^{Christopher's first wife[2]} will be inveiled soon.

This letter is held at the Tolkien– George Allen & Unwin archive at HarperCollins.