Subject: Mm... nah. I disagree with you. ^_~
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Posted on: 2017-10-23 09:39:00 UTC

The thing to remember is that Christopher Tolkien grew up with Middle-earth. He was there for the Hobbit stories, and he's the one his father sent chunks of it to during WWII (he was down in South Africa, I believe). Then, when his father died, he was given absolute control over what to do with everything.

And he doesn't want to mess that up. Doesn't want to go against his father's vision. That's why he followed up the published Silmarillion with a twelve-volume series explaining his editorial decisions: because he wants people to know what the Professor actually wrote.

So seeing someone turn it into 'action movies for 15-25 year olds' is like his worst nightmare. Where the Professor had the destruction of the English countryside, Christopher has the 'destruction' of Middle-earth. We will never see a Silmarillion movie in CT's lifetime, because it wouldn't match what his father envisaged, and he can't cope with that idea.

As for biographies, we've got that biopic coming, right? If you're looking for one to read, I recommend Tolkien and the Great War, which leans heavily on what's arguably the most interesting period of his life: his weird childhood, his courtship of Edith, his service on the Somme, and the very beginnings of Middle-earth.

Also, the Humphrey Carpenter biography was written by someone who actually knew him, which makes it hard to top for 'authenticity'; not saying it's good, but it has that going for it. And don't forget Letters is out there...

hS

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