The Father Christmas Letters - Hardcover

The Father Christmas Letters & BONUS ITEM: JRR Tolkiens Last Will & Testament

Hardcover. Zustand: Good. JRR TOLKIEN (illustrator). FIRST EDITION & FIRST PRINTING. The Father Christmas Letters is a collection of letters written and illustrated by J. R. R. Tolkien between 1920 and 1942 for his children, from "Father Christmas". They tell of the adventures and misadventures of Father Christmas and his helpers, including the North Polar Bear and his two sidekick cubs, Paksu and Valkotukka. - J.R.R. Tolkien was best known for his epic fantasy "Lord of the Rings" and his studies in myth and language. But Tolkien was also the proud dad of four kids - and he didn't just read "Hobbit" to them at bedtime. Over the course of many years, he wrote and illustrated detailed, whimsical letters from Father Christmas, populated with a clumsy polar bear, elves and goblins. In these letters, Father Christmas kept the Tolkien children updated with stories about the hijinks at the North Pole - the slapsticky North Polar Bear and all the things he broke, firework explosions, the discovery of ancient caves full of old cave drawings, and battles with the goblins. (When Father Christmas couldn't write, his Elvish secretary filled in) - Tolkien's old-school style of writing is a bit formal and very correct, but he tosses in comments of exasperation, amusement, and in the last letter, a sort of sad resignation that children will grow up. Maybe it is because they were given to real children, not intended for publication, that the letters are only a little cutesy, and never cloying. And of course, Tolkien's detailed, colorful, fantastical, intricate pictures are what make the letters come alive; you can imagine the Tolkien kids eagerly examining the pictures as well as the written words. They aren't terribly realistic - Father Christmas never looks quite real - but their detailed fantastical charm makes up for it, such as the murals on Father Christmas's walls, with suns, moons, stars and trees. Tolkien also sprinkles the stories with things that his kids were probably intrigued by, like prehistoric cave paintings, fireworks, and a comic bear who causes all kinds of mayhem. And fans of Tolkien's fantasy works will probably enjoy checking out things like the invented Elf language (as written by the secretary Ilbereth) and goblin language. Tolkien includes a letter from the North Polar Bear in the latter language. "Letters From Father Christmas" won't exactly make you believe in Santa Claus again, but it is one of the prettiest and most charming Christmas picture books out there. Definitely recommended - and not just for Tolkien fans too. CONDITION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK: Small scuffs to top and bottom of spine and corners and small scuff to middle edge of the front board. Other than this, the boards are in a beautiful condition. Pages are slightly age-browned throughout with light foxing. Book is 49 years old. - PLUS A BONUS ITEM: Photocopy of J.R.R. Tolkien's Last Will & Testament [he was worth a small fortune!], which consists of 6 pages and it bears the signature of Tolkien several times. - END - Our orders are shipped within 1 or 2 business days. - Thanks for your interest and I hope you like the book enough to buy it. Artikel-Nr. 001494

Verkäufer kontaktieren