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TCG Letter #351 / Carpenter Letter #135


From
J.R.R. Tolkien
To
Rayner Unwin
Date
24 October 1952
Type
Autograph Letter Signed
Transcript
Partial
Tolkien expresses regret for producing a substantial work like The Lord of the Rings during challenging times. He expresses gratitude for the recipient's efforts in dealing with the matter and hopes for a decision, as uncertainty weighs heavily on his mind. Tolkien discusses the pricing of the book at £3 and 10 shillings and raises questions about the number of copies to print and the potential audience willing to pay such a price.

In other publishing news Tolkien remarks that he is "producing a contribution to 'Essays and Studies'". This is in reference to 'The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son'.

The first page of this letter is reproduced in The Lord of the Rings: Souvenir Booklet Commemorating Twenty Five Years of Its Publication on page 8.
Tags
References
The Lord of the Rings: Souvenir Booklet Commemorating Twenty Five Years of Its Publication, p. 8
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (1981), pp. 164-5, p. 443 (Carpenter notes)
J.R.R. Tolkien: Life and Legend, p. 61 (see items 166-71)
Error in hardcover and Kindle editions: Barad-dur > Barad-dûr p. 239
Cartas de J.R.R. Tolkien, pp. 249-50, p. 632 (notas de Carpenter)


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