Re: CHAT: Tolkien (was Re: fantasy)

Padraic Brown <pbrown@...> comunu:

> On Thu, 25 Nov 1999, Raymond Brown wrote:
>
> >At 9:32 am +0100 24/11/99, Grandsire, C.A. wrote:
> >[....}
> >>
> >>        The problem here is that in The Hobbit, Tolkien describes Bilbo
as
> >>having ears "less pointed than Elvish ears" or something like this.
> >
> >Where?  I can't find it  (but, then, I haven't had time to read all 315
> >pages again this evening  :)
>
> Perhaps your's omits it - but I don't recall seeing it either.  Mine
> doesn't say anything about Lilliputians, either.
There are two different versions of the Hobbit, the original version and the
version he prepared after he began working on LOTR.  Ray is quoting from the
original version.  The revised version is slightly more grownup in tone than
the original version, JRRT coming to regret some of the childish asides in
the text.  The most important change in the revised version is a
dramatically different interpretation of Gollum, who -- in the first
version -- actually gives Bilbo the ring!

Other changes include introducing the term "orc" in a footnote, IIRC.

Regarding the thread about diminutive fairies, one of Tolkien's early poems
(written during WWI, IIRC), "Goblin Feet", has diminutive fairies.  It was
only later that he came to regret the 16th century conception of fairies,
according to Humphrey Carpenter in his biography.

One amusing snippet from the biography:  Tolkien sent the revised manuscript
of The Hobbit to his publishers for their comments.  They just went ahead
and printed it!

(Warning: actual details may vary somewhat, but this is to the best of my
memory.  Like Butterburr, I would forget my name if people didn't shout it
at me all day...)

Viangarm,

Jeffrey Henning
http://www.LangMaker.com/ - Invent Your Own Language
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