Interesting article about a letter of J.R.R. Tolkien's being found by someone in a book - and it was taken to and shown on an episode of the UK's Antiques Roadshow...
Just one comment... I don't think you could put a price on a hand-written letter by J.R.R. Tolkien - especially one explaining his work. It's priceless. What do you think?
Posted by Fleet-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
If it was a steamy letter about an adulterous affair... then I'd say it would be very priceless. Okay, reading too many Sidney Sheldon novels along with Candace Buchnell.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Could you be more camp?
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
I suspect we'll find out.
Also, Tolkein wrote enough letters to fill books, so I doubt any particular one is "priceless."
Posted by School of Nim (Member # 205) on :
It's pronounced Tolkien, like "champion", not like sardine.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
WHO CARES I HEAR HE IS DEAD ANYWAY MAD.
(I try, I try, I always fail.)
Posted by School of Nim (Member # 205) on :
but his legacy liveth oN!
I want to read that letter, and then ponder about. It's not everyday there's a new addition to the classic work. What with him snoughing it back when high-buttoned shoes were in style.
Posted by Fleet-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
What is wrong with camp? I'm gay after all... shouldn't that be a given?
So what were the subjects of the other letters he wrote?
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
quote:Originally posted by Fleet-Admiral Michael T. Colorge: What is wrong with camp? I'm gay after all... shouldn't that be a given?
Well, no. Why should it?
quote:Originally posted by School of Nim: It's pronounced Tolkien, like "champion", not like sardine.
Who pronounced it like "sardine" again?
Posted by ulTRS magDOS (Member # 239) on :
Dudes, I am totally straight, you know.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"Who pronounced it like 'sardine' again?"
He was ridiculing Simon's spelling.
Anyway, "Tolki-on"? I doubt it.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
It is most definately pronounced Tol-keen not Tol-kun/Tol-ken OR "Tolki-on" lol.
Posted by Daryus Aden (Member # 12) on :
Simon, your suggestion of the irrelevance of a Tolkien letter may just bring the wrath of the entire curry order down on you. You foul gangrel who doth speak ill of the Lord.
Posted by School of Nim (Member # 205) on :
Tolki-yen, not Tol-keen. Afrikaans.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
I have never heard anyone pronounce "Tolkien" with three syllables.
Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
Afrikaans you say? In Dutch 'Tolkien' is pronounced 'Tol-keen', and Afrikaans is a direct descendant of 17th-century Dutch.
Posted by School of Nim (Member # 205) on :
Harumph!
There are two rules that conflict here. First of all, I've found out the Tolkien family-name is german in origin, from his poppa. I found a bit about it on the TolkienSociety interwebpage.
But second, there is an old linguist rule that says that when a foreign word is brought into your culture, the "proper" way of pronouncing it gets decided by what the general consensus is.
Sweden, Denmark and Finland pronounces it "Tolki-yen". We swedes also pronounce pizza "pitsa" and Babs Streisand "Streysund" (not strisand). This is not wrong, it is idiomatic.
So yes, I admit the proper way would be Tolkeen (I'm a sensible, mature man after all), but also that our way is accepted. So Nyah! Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"But second, there is an old linguist rule that says that when a foreign word is brought into your culture, the "proper" way of pronouncing it gets decided by what the general consensus is."
Right. But a name isn't a word, in that sense. The correct way to pronounce a name is how the owner pronounces it.
I mean, look at how many people in the US have names ending in "-stein" and they pronounce it "-steen". It may be wrong in terms of it being a German word, but it's their name, so it's pretty much their call on how to pronounce it.
Posted by School of Nim (Member # 205) on :
Well then I have something interesting here, maybe. In the appendices of the "Fellowship" EE-DVD, the son of Tolkien's original publisher gave an account about him, and about how he was asked to write a review on "The Hobbit" at age 10. This man, it seems, pronounced it Tolkiyen. So there's a chance JRR did what your "Goldsteen" did and pronounces his own name different than other past Tolkiens, echoed by those around him.
