The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
Revised and Expanded edition
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Narrated by:
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Samuel West
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Mike Grady
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Chris Smith
About this listen
The comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life of one of the world’s greatest storytellers, now revised and expanded to include more than 150 previously unseen letters, with revealing new insights into The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.
J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of the languages and history of Middle-earth as recorded in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, was one of the most prolific letter-writers of this century. Over the years he wrote a mass of letters – to his publishers, to members of his family, to friends, and to 'fans' of his books – which often reveal the inner workings of his mind, and which record the history of composition of his works and his reaction to subsequent events.
A selection from Tolkien's correspondence, collected and edited by Tolkien's official biographer, Humphrey Carpenter, and assisted by Christopher Tolkien, was published in 1981. It presented, in Tolkien's own words, a highly detailed portrait of the man in his many aspects: storyteller, scholar, Catholic, parent, friend, and observer of the world around him.
In this revised and expanded edition of The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, it has been possible to go back to the editors’ original typescripts and notes, restoring more than 150 letters that were excised purely to achieve what was then deemed a ‘publishable length’, and present the book as originally intended.
Enthusiasts for his writings will find much that is new, for the letters not only include fresh information about Middle-earth, such as Tolkien’s own plot summary of the entirety of The Lord of the Rings and a vision for publishing his ‘Tales of the Three Ages’, but also many insights into the man and his world. In addition, this new selection will entertain anyone who appreciates the art of letter-writing, of which J.R.R. Tolkien was a master.
©2024 J. R. R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien, Chris Smith (P)2024 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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Feels like a research paper
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Performance
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very disappointing
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J. R. R. Tolkien was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor best known as the author of fantasy works like "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings." Listen as Tolkien reads "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil," "The Hoard," "Perry-The-Winkle," and "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon." Also included is a reading of "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" in Elvish and "The Road Goes Ever on," sung by William Elvin with music by Donald Swann.
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The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
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Performance
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Story
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is a collection of poetry written by J. R. R. Tolkien and was first published in 1962. The audio is read by Sir Derek Jacobi and is a collection of 16 poems that contain an assortment of bestiary verse and fairy tale rhyme. It is a stunning recording that captures all the characters in their own charming and mysterious ways.
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Almost disappointing
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The Children of Hurin
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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A collection of three medieval English poems, translated by Tolkien for the modern-day reader and containing romance, tragedy, love, sex and honour.
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An absolute delight!
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The Inklings
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Performance
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During the 1930s at Oxford, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams - remarkable friends, writers, and scholars - met regularly to discuss philosophy and literature and to read aloud from their own works in progress. Calling themselves the Inklings, their circle grew. It was in this company that such classics as The Lord of the Rings, The Screwtape Letters, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe first found an audience.
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A great find for any Inkling fan
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Tolkien and the Great War
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Overall
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Performance
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Tolkien and the Great War tells for the first time the full story of how he embarked on the creation of Middle-earth in his youth as the world around him was plunged into catastrophe. This biography reveals the horror and heroism that he experienced as a signals officer in the Battle of the Somme and introduces the circle of friends who spurred his mythology to life.
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Excellent Text Frustratingly Recorded
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Roverandom
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While on holiday in 1925, four-year-old Michael Tolkien lost his beloved toy dog on the beach at Filey in Yorkshire. To console him, his father, J.R.R. Tolkien, improvised a story about Rover, a real dog who is magically transformed into a toy and is forced to seek out the wizard who wronged him in order to be returned to normal. This charming tale, peopled by a sand-sorcerer and a terrible dragon, by the king of the sea and the Man-in-the-Moon, went through several drafts over the years.
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Delightful Magic from Tolkien and Jacobi!
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Farmer Giles of Ham
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Overall
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Farmer Giles of Ham did not look like a hero. He was fat and red-bearded and enjoyed a slow, comfortable life. Then one day a rather deaf and short-sighted giant blundered on to his land. More by luck than skill, Farmer Giles managed to scare him away. The people of the village cheered: Farmer Giles was a hero. His reputation spread far and wide across the kingdom. So it was natural that when the dragon Chrysophylax visited the area it was Farmer Giles who was expected to do battle with it!
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Farmer to King
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The Silmarillion
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Overall
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Performance
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The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor. Included on the recording are several shorter works. The Ainulindalë is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age.
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TIPS when reading this book:
- By Anonymous User on 06-29-23
By: J. R. R. Tolkien, and others
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Letters from Father Christmas
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi, John Moffatt, Christian Rodska
- Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Can you imagine writing to Father Christmas and actually getting a reply? Every year, the children of J.R.R. Tolkien would write to Father Christmas, and the letters they received told wonderful stories of his adventures at the North Pole. These humorous tales are brought to life by Derek Jacobi as Father Christmas, John Moffatt as Polar Bear, and Christian Rodska as Ilbereth the Elf, complete with specially composed music.
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A fun little read.
- By James on 06-30-14
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Tales from the Perilous Realm
- Four BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisations
- By: Brian Sibley - adaptation, J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Four BBC radio dramatisations starring Michael Hordern as Tolkien, plus a special archive compilation exploring Tolkien's life and work. The tales in this collection all reflect an aspect of what Tolkien himself called 'the perilous realm of Faerie'. Adapted for radio by Brian Sibley, co-writer of the acclaimed BBC radio production of The Lord of the Rings, they are rich in myth, magic and adventure. Among the supporting cast are Brian Blessed, Nigel Planer, Sorcha Cusack, Paul Copley and James Grout.
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an interesting little book. If you are a Tolkien
- By Amazon Customer on 09-03-18
By: Brian Sibley - adaptation, and others
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Why We Love Middle-earth
- An Enthusiast's Book About Tolkien, Middle-earth, and the LotR Fandom
- By: Shawn E Marchese, Alan Sisto
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- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
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Learn about the man who wrote The Lord of the Rings in this Middle-earth treasury. Full of answers to common questions about Middle-earth and the fandom, this book about Tolkien celebrates Why We Love Middle-earth.
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Obvious that the authors speak from the heart when talking about Tolkien!
- By amie on 06-09-24
By: Shawn E Marchese, and others
Critic reviews
‘The closest we can get to an actual autobiography … reveals new insights into the mind of one of England’s greatest storytellers’ Telegraph
‘These revised and amplified letters are an absolute treat’ Sunday Times
‘This is a terrific book … the letters simply glow with warmth, interest and enthusiasm’ Private Eye
‘These letters provide an intriguing new glimpse into Tolkien’s life and work, allowing us to hear from one of the world’s best-loved authors in his own voice’ The National Archives
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Tilly Farriday isn’t feeling very jolly this season. Recently divorced and broke, she’s squatting in one of her rental agency’s properties until her new home is ready. The sprinkles on top of the burnt Christmas cookie that is her life? The new owner shows up early, forcing Tilly to hide in the attic to save her job…and what remains of her dignity.
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I ain’t afraid of no ghosts
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 10-31-24
By: Mary Kay Andrews
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The Art of War
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The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
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The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Fred271 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
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Technically Speaking
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- Length: 1 hr and 50 mins
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Oakland-bred LaVeesha “Vee” Gilliam (Coco Jones) is a determined single mother of an autistic son and a gifted aspiring coder. When Vee loses her job as a food-services worker at the onsite restaurant at Grapengine, a large Silicon Valley tech company, she’s unable to pay for her son’s much-needed specialized education. By a twist of fate, mistaken identity, and her tech skills, Vee meets Troy Wilson (Keith Powers), the company’s wealthy founder and CEO and a wunderkind in the tech industry, who believes that Vee is a college-educated techie who works at his company.
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Overdue Diverse Representation in Tech!
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Fahrenheit 451
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Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family."
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Wish I Hadn't Cliff Noted This in High School
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Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection
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As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales.
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Wonderful narration. Mediocre stories.
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Brain Damage
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As Charly struggles to recover from her brain injury, she begins to realize that the events of that fateful night are trapped in the damaged right side of her brain. Now, she must put the jigsaw pieces together to discover the identity of the man who tried to kill her...before he finishes the job he started.
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Who Else Laughed, Cried, and Shuddered?
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Slayers: A Buffyverse Story
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Original cast members from the beloved TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reunite for an all-new adventure about connections that never die—even if you bury them. A decade has passed since the epic final battle that concluded Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV). The game-changing spell that gave power to all potential Slayers persists. With new Slayers constantly emerging, things are looking grim for the bad guys.
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A dream come true
- By Anonymous User on 10-12-23
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Home Is Where the Bodies Are
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After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm’s length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn’t been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.
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Perfect Audio.
- By Black Women Read Too on 05-19-24
By: Jeneva Rose
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Excellent Text Frustratingly Recorded
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J.R.R. Tolkien famously described the Second Age of Middle-earth as a ‘dark age, and not very much of its history is (or need be) told’. And for many years readers would need to be content with the tantalizing glimpses of it found within the pages of The Lord of the Rings and its appendices, including the forging of the Rings of Power, the building of the Barad-dûr and the rise of Sauron.
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A dry compilation of old material, minus images
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Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, was deeply opposed to Beren, and imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. Undaunted by Lord Thingol’s challenge, Beren and Lúthien embark on the supremely heroic attempt to rob Morgoth, the greatest of all evil beings, of a Silmaril, one of the hallowed jewels that adorn the Black Enemy’s crown.
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very disappointing
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Excellent Text Frustratingly Recorded
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The Fall of Númenor
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very disappointing
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Gondolin, beautiful but undiscoverable, is central to the enmity of two of the greatest powers in the world. Morgoth of the uttermost evil seeks in vain to discover the marvellously hidden city of his Elven enemies, while the gods in Valinor refuse to support Ulmo Lord of Waters' designs to protect it. Into this world comes Tuor, cousin of Túrin, and guided unseen by Ulmo he sets out on the fearful journey to Gondolin to warn them of their coming doom.
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Feels like a research paper
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A collection of three medieval English poems, translated by Tolkien for the modern-day reader and containing romance, tragedy, love, sex and honour.
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An absolute delight!
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There are tales of Middle-earth from times long before The Lord of the Rings. The story told in this book is set in the great country that lay beyond the Grey Havens in the West: lands where Treebeard once walked, but which were drowned in the great cataclysm that ended the First Age of the World.
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Powerful and Disturbing
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The Inklings
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During the 1930s at Oxford, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams - remarkable friends, writers, and scholars - met regularly to discuss philosophy and literature and to read aloud from their own works in progress. Calling themselves the Inklings, their circle grew. It was in this company that such classics as The Lord of the Rings, The Screwtape Letters, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe first found an audience.
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A great find for any Inkling fan
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A Rare Recording of J. R. R. Tolkien
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J. R. R. Tolkien was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor best known as the author of fantasy works like "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings." Listen as Tolkien reads "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil," "The Hoard," "Perry-The-Winkle," and "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon." Also included is a reading of "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" in Elvish and "The Road Goes Ever on," sung by William Elvin with music by Donald Swann.
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Not all Tolkien - wish I'd noticed that
- By Tracet on 04-21-15
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Farmer Giles of Ham
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Farmer Giles of Ham did not look like a hero. He was fat and red-bearded and enjoyed a slow, comfortable life. Then one day a rather deaf and short-sighted giant blundered on to his land. More by luck than skill, Farmer Giles managed to scare him away. The people of the village cheered: Farmer Giles was a hero. His reputation spread far and wide across the kingdom. So it was natural that when the dragon Chrysophylax visited the area it was Farmer Giles who was expected to do battle with it!
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Farmer to King
- By James on 06-30-14
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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The Oxford Inklings
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The Oxford Inklings tells the story of the friendships, mutual influence, and common purpose of the Inklings - the literary circle which congregated around C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Meeting in pubs or Lewis' college rooms, they included an influential array of literary figures. They were, claimed poet and novelist John Wain, bent on 'the task of redirecting the whole current of contemporary art and life'. Tolkien and Lewis expert Colin Duriez unpacks the Inklings' origins, relationships, and the nature of their collaboration.
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Great insights into the Inklings
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Roverandom
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While on holiday in 1925, four-year-old Michael Tolkien lost his beloved toy dog on the beach at Filey in Yorkshire. To console him, his father, J.R.R. Tolkien, improvised a story about Rover, a real dog who is magically transformed into a toy and is forced to seek out the wizard who wronged him in order to be returned to normal. This charming tale, peopled by a sand-sorcerer and a terrible dragon, by the king of the sea and the Man-in-the-Moon, went through several drafts over the years.
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Delightful Magic from Tolkien and Jacobi!
- By Jefferson on 09-05-10
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
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The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is a collection of poetry written by J. R. R. Tolkien and was first published in 1962. The audio is read by Sir Derek Jacobi and is a collection of 16 poems that contain an assortment of bestiary verse and fairy tale rhyme. It is a stunning recording that captures all the characters in their own charming and mysterious ways.
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Almost disappointing
- By Christopher on 11-19-19
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and a Great War
- How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918
- By: Joseph Loconte
- Narrated by: Dave Hoffman
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The First World War laid waste to a continent and brought about the end of innocence — and the end of faith. Unlike a generation of young writers who lost faith in the God of the Bible, however, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis found that the Great War deepened their spiritual quest. Both men served as soldiers on the Western Front, survived the trenches, and used the experience of that conflict to ignite their Christian imagination.
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My Tolkien-Lewis students will read this book
- By Orson on 10-14-15
By: Joseph Loconte
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Letters from Father Christmas
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi, John Moffatt, Christian Rodska
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- Unabridged
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Can you imagine writing to Father Christmas and actually getting a reply? Every year, the children of J.R.R. Tolkien would write to Father Christmas, and the letters they received told wonderful stories of his adventures at the North Pole. These humorous tales are brought to life by Derek Jacobi as Father Christmas, John Moffatt as Polar Bear, and Christian Rodska as Ilbereth the Elf, complete with specially composed music.
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A fun little read.
- By James on 06-30-14
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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The Silmarillion
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The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor. Included on the recording are several shorter works. The Ainulindalë is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age.
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TIPS when reading this book:
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By: J. R. R. Tolkien, and others
What listeners say about The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- E
- 03-09-24
The man, Middle-earth, & Lewis.
I feel like I have a much clearer understanding of JRRT after this, and I learned some really interesting bits about how Middle-earth worked in his head.
It was a treat to hear how often
C.S. Lewis was mentioned in his letters.
(These two men will never know how they shaped me.)
I often wondered why JRRT didn’t finish his other stories, now I know the man was simply very busy.
The collection of letters got rather sad as his friends and family started to pass away.
Life is short, try to get important things done, look after your family.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Pekka Rautajoki
- 04-16-24
Like hearing Tolkien himself speak
A long expected audio version of the Letters, and from the expanded and revised version. The reader was quite excellent, and it truly felt like it was Tolkien himself narrating. Highly recommended!
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2 people found this helpful
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- David Wright
- 10-23-24
An amazing simpler time
A very slow start, but gethers in steam until the end. 210 has his remarks on an adaption of his work.
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- Daniel M Margulis
- 05-24-24
Very Insightful
I mostly listened to this to glean more details about the creation and backstory for LOTR and Arda, but got so much more. You learn so much about Tolkien as a person through these letters. Some of his letters are nearly raw booklets in and of themselves with lots of hidden gems, not only about LOTR factoids, but biblical and practical wisdom. Nearly every minute of this 30 hour book is fascinating for Tolkien enthusiasts, history buffs, LOTR/Hobbit fans, and lovers of philology. Glad it was published.
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2 people found this helpful
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- SonyaD
- 03-21-24
Autobiographical Tolkien
A sumptuous collection of Tolkien’s letters. I dream of someday reading others that weren’t in this book. Hanging on every word, I found it impossible to put down.
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- babsem
- 11-09-24
For the true fan, much to be gleaned here
He was a delightful curmudgeon and I loved every minute of these letters. Exceptional narration.
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- Ross
- 02-29-24
For Tolkien fans who can't get enough (Like me)!
My dear friends and fellow readers/listeners,
I'm afraid this is going to be a somewhat biased review. My parents first read, "The Hobbit," and, "The Lord of the Rings," to me when I was very young. That having been my first foray into fantasy fiction, I was instantly entranced. I would read the novels a bit later on for myself. To this day, they remain a wonderful escape. So, I fell in love with Middle-Earth early on. Though, it wasn't until years later that I would first attempt, "The Silmarillion," and it took me a few tries to get through it, honestly. Once I did, though, I realized that I wanted to know everything about Tolkien and his World. From there I would move on to, "Unfinished Tales," and so forth. "Letters," informs the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien wonderfully! That having been said, there are those who won't need to snap this up as quickly as I did. No one really, "needs," to read beyond the novels unless they're writing a detailed essay, or they're a bit obsessed (Hello, there!). Tolkien amazes me. He excites, mystifies, challenges, and frustrates me... Sometimes all at once. His work has its flaws, but ultimately becomes more beautiful, uplifting, haunting, and epic every time I read it. Seemingly ancient in a way that appears almost... discovered as much as created.
This volume offers a glimpse behind the curtain. Here you'll find descriptions of Tolkien's works and struggles in his own words, as well as other insights. All coming from letters to his family, friends, colleagues, publishers, and fans. Excellently narrated, to boot. I, personally (and conditionally, of course (as in: worth a credit, at least, if you enjoy the other, "supplemental," material)), could not recommend this more.
Most sincerely,
-Me
Ps. Sooo... Hey, Audible. "Book of Lost Tales Pt 1 (The History of Middle-Earth Pt 1)," next? Maybe? Huh?
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10 people found this helpful
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- Ivy Family
- 03-19-24
well curated and narrated
the narrator did so well I had to remind myself that it wasn't Tolkien talking
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4 people found this helpful
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- Bill Donaghy
- 09-19-24
A secret door into the heart of Tolkien
I recently began doctoral studies on the writings of CS Lewis and Tolkien, and I knew that this book would be an essential read. There was a little fear that such a massive volume of letters might be a bit dry, but it was so the opposite! This is a doorway to the many rooms of the heart and mind and life of this great man. I have such a deeper appreciation now! This was an absolute treasure.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Savana McLennon
- 04-29-24
Tolkien’s personal tale
Excellent reading of the personal history of one of the world’s greatest story tellers. Highly recommend for all Tolkien enthusiasts!
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2 people found this helpful