The Marvellous Land of Snergs

From Tolkien Gateway
The Marvellous Land of Snergs
The Marvelous Land of Snergs (2006).jpg
AuthorEdward Wyke-Smith
PublisherErnest Benn
ReleasedSeptember 1927

The Marvellous Land of Snergs is a children's fantasy novel by E. A. Wyke-Smith, first published in 1927 with illustrations by George Morrow. The work was an inspiration source for J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.[1][2]

In 1996, Douglas A. Anderson brought back the novel in print (Old Earth Books; ISBN 1882968-04-2; paperback), and contributed to the republication with a critical introduction and annotated bibliographical list.[3][4]

From the publisher[edit | edit source]

1927 edition[edit | edit source]

All who love Peter Pan will also love this story for children of every age and every kind

The book opens with a description of a Settlement for Superfluous Children. A little to the north of the Settlement Vanderdecken and his crew are in shore quarters; the Flying Dutchman anchored close by. To the south are the amicable if unintelligent Snergs, some off-shoot of the pixies. Rather naughtily Joe and Sylvia run away, and in the company of Gorbo - of all Snergs least intelligent - get mixed up with magic and find themselves the wrong side of the river. Escapes from Golithos, an ogre imperfectly reformed; from Mother Meldrum, that sinister witch; from the wicked King Kul; and the rescue by Vanderdecken and the Snergs, fill a joyous volume.[2]

1996 edition[edit | edit source]

Cover of the 1996 edition
"An unconscious source-book! for the Hobbits..."
― [J.R.R. Tolkien]]

It was a book beloved by Tolkien and his children. Now, for the first time in nearly 70 years, this magical book is back in print with the original text, the classic illustrations by noted Punch artist George Morrow, and an introduction by Tolkien scholar Douglas A. Anderson. This book has garnered praise from: Charles de Lint, Humphrey Carpenter, Alison Lurie, and Jack Zipes.[4]

External links[edit | edit source]

References

  1. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 163, (dated 7 June 1955)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Douglas A. Anderson, The Annotated Hobbit: Revised and Expanded Edition, "Introduction", pp. 6-7
  3. ↑ A Douglas A. Anderson Page (article first published in Mythprint, June 1999) at BreeMoot (accessed 5 November 2010)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 E. A. Wyke-Smith at Old Earth Books (accessed 5 November 2010)
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