Eorl wrote:
Interesting. I had asked here some time ago about the “best” edition of FCL to buy, as I believe there were several editions with (slightly) different content?

Have you read this blogpost from Christina Scull, https://wayneandchristina.wordpress.co ... ther-christmas-letters-4/

Thanks Ulmo and Trotter.

I read the article by Christina Scull, and gee, what a terrible hodgepodge the publishing history of FCL has turned out to be.

Hopefully they will release a complete and definitive edition this time around without any unnecessary editorial mucking around

Stu wrote:

Songs for the Philologists, the rest are in the public domain.

Does anybody know where one should look online for the public domain songs?

Many thanks.

onthetrail wrote:

Stu wrote:

Songs for the Philologists, the rest are in the public domain.

Does anybody know where one should look online for the public domain songs?

Many thanks.

I'll send you a PM. The ones you will find online have numerous transcription errors.

Stu wrote:

onthetrail wrote:

Stu wrote:

Songs for the Philologists, the rest are in the public domain.

Does anybody know where one should look online for the public domain songs?

Many thanks.

I'll send you a PM. The ones you will find online have numerous transcription errors.

Thank you Stu, that would be great. It is versions with errors that I keep coming across so a version without would be very useful/

I read Wayne & Christina’s article again (being in the Christmas mood!) and I wanted to ask if people here feel it might be a worthwhile effort to reach out to HC regarding this publication?

It seems to me that the entire “letters” content has never yet been properly published in a single volume. Maybe a request to HC to consider making this latest edition the definitive one would be worth a shot?

Eorl wrote:
I read Wayne & Christina’s article again (being in the Christmas mood!) and I wanted to ask if people here feel it might be a worthwhile effort to reach out to HC regarding this publication?

It seems to me that the entire “letters” content has never yet been properly published in a single volume. Maybe a request to HC to consider making this latest edition the definitive one would be worth a shot?

If this is anything other than the 2012 edition replicated (poorly) in the (poor) faux deluxe style I will be amazed. I adore the Father Christmas Letters but I won't be touching this book until I have read and seen reviews.

I doubt HC would be swayed in this matter to be honest. If they were partial to collector input then we would have extensive volumes of letters and related biographical publications by now.

To be fair to HC "extensive volumes of letters and related biographical publications" is not within their control as the publisher of Tolkien; they're working with what they have available to them. Criticism of the quality of the current deluxe incarnation is fair enough though.

Khamûl wrote:
To be fair to HC "extensive volumes of letters and related biographical publications" is not within their control as the publisher of Tolkien; they're working with what they have available to them. Criticism of the quality of the current deluxe incarnation is fair enough though.

What Khamûl said.

I hasten to add, I personally think the deluxe editions are decent; but I agree, as others have said, that they're nothing particularly special in respect to historical book production standards.