This is part 2 of a series on Tolkien’s Letter 131, most of which is included in the preface materials of The Silmarillion. Read Part 1 here. * * * One of the more common claims about Tolkien when it comes to interpreting his writing is that he disliked Allegory. This claim has become such... Continue Reading →
Recording what was already ‘there’ (Letter 131, pt.1)
In preparation for rereading The Silmarillion this summer, I reread Tolkien’s Letter 131, most of which is included in the front matter of my copy of the book. It has been many, many years since I read this letter—often called the most important of his letters, certainly the longest, to understand Tolkien’s thinking. When I... Continue Reading →
