Letter 143d

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 143d
Recipient	Rayner Unwin
Date	26 March 1954
Subject(s)	Dust sheet design for The Fellowship of the Ring

Letter 143d is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded edition.

Summary

In this letter to Rayner Unwin, Tolkien discusses the proposed cover design for The Fellowship of the Ring. He agrees with the idea of using the same central device for all three volumes, with each volume distinguished by a different colour. Tolkien believes this approach emphasizes the unity of the story, which he considers to be a single book rather than three separate volumes.

He expresses a preference for the design featuring three subsidiary rings, as this better represents the overarching symbolism of the story compared to the alternative design with a black centre and a red-jewelled ring symbolising Gandalf's opposition.