Mith: Changed date format

2011-06-11T11:43:28Z

Changed date format

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:43, 11 June 2011
Line 2:		Line 2:
	\| #=236		\| #=236
	\| to=[[Rayner Unwin]]		\| to=[[Rayner Unwin]]
−	\| date=[[~~1961#~~December~~\|December 30~~]], [[1961]]	+	\| date=[[30 December]] [[1961]]
	\| subject=Niggling over the [[Wikipedia:Puffin Books\|Puffin]] ''[[The Hobbit\|Hobbit]]'', the Fell Winter, learning versus invention		\| subject=Niggling over the [[Wikipedia:Puffin Books\|Puffin]] ''[[The Hobbit\|Hobbit]]'', the Fell Winter, learning versus invention
	}}{{letter\|236}}		}}{{letter\|236}}

Gamling: Created page with "{{letter infobox | #=236 | to=Rayner Unwin | date=December 30, 1961 | subject=Niggling over the Puffin ''[[The Hobbit|Hobbit]…"

2011-05-11T00:27:46Z

Created page with "{{letter infobox | #=236 | to=Rayner Unwin | date=December 30, 1961 | subject=Niggling over the Puffin ''[[The Hobbit|Hobbit]…"

New page

{{letter infobox
| #=236
| to=[[Rayner Unwin]]
| date=[[1961#December|December 30]], [[1961]]
| subject=Niggling over the [[Wikipedia:Puffin Books|Puffin]] ''[[The Hobbit|Hobbit]]'', the Fell Winter, learning versus invention
}}{{letter|236}}
==Summary==
Tolkien had received a copy of ''[[The Hobbit]]'' published by [[Wikipedia:Puffin Books|Puffin Books]]. Irritated, he wrote to [[Rayner Unwin]], wishing that well-meaning folk who think they know could be restrained. Opening the Puffin copy for the first time he discovered that one of the well-meaning breed had been busy. If they could not reproduce the book faithfully they should have had the courtesy to [[Allen and Unwin]] and himself to ask before correcting the text.

''Dwarves, dwarves','' and ''dwarvish'' had been corrected, with one exception, to ''dwarfs, dwarfs’,'' and ''dwarfish''. ''Elvish'' had become ''Elfish'' seven out of ten times. Tolkien viewed this with dudgeon since he had deliberately used ''dwarves'' etc. for special purpose and effect. It should have occurred to someone that if the author used a particular form for 300 times it would not have been a casual mistake. ''Dwarfs'' is the only recognized modern form of the plural, but the inconsistent ''elvish'' correction did not have any such excuse. At least changes of ''elven'' to ''elfin'' or ''further'' to ''farther'' had not been inflicted. [[Gollum]]'s grammar had not been changed for it seemed that he was regarded as "without the law", but not so for the narrator.

Tolkien mentioned a few more errors before apologizing for niggling, which he declared natural to him. Nothing could be done now but Penguin Books ought to be informed that the errors had been observed.

Tolkien was experiencing the [[Fell Winter (Third Age)|Fell Winter]] in Oxford, expecting White Wolves anytime. A single car had appeared on his road but had slid backwards and disappeared. He figured he would be isolated in his igloo-house on his 3 January birthday, but with several bottles of excellent burgundy at hand the problem was mitigated. With that hobbit-like note he closed.

In a postscript, Tolkien asked Rayner to thank Miss M.J. Hill for a copy of ''School Magazine'' from November 1961, which had an extract from ''The Hobbit'' and an article "Something Special". However, faced with actual stories people are always more willing to believe in learning and arcane knowledge than in invention, especially if the title "professor" is there. Tolkien then listed the very few instances of Elves or Dwarfs in any stories. The gap between the meager old stories and [[Elrond]] or [[Galadriel]] was unbridgeable by mere learning.

{{letters}}

Letter 236 - Revision history

Mith: Changed date format

Gamling: Created page with "{{letter infobox | #=236 | to=Rayner Unwin | date=December 30, 1961 | subject=Niggling over the Puffin ''[[The Hobbit|Hobbit]…"