THE LETTERS OF J. R. R. TOLKIEN

First edition, first printing. Original brown cloth lettered in gilt to the spine, in dustwrapper. A better than very good copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean throughout. Spine tips a little softened. Light spotting to the fore-edge of the text block. A couple of later pages protrude a touch from the page block edge having been cut a millimetre too large. The unclipped dustwrapper, rubbed to spine tips and upper edges, moderately faded to the spine, and with a couple of tiny chips to the left margin of the front panel, is otherwise very good. A very presentable copy.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a prolific writer of letters: to publishers, family, friends, as well as in reply to the many letters from his readers. In this generous selection, made by the author's biographer, Humphrey Carpenter, assisted and advised by Tolkien's son Christopher, the author appears in many guises: as storyteller, scholar, parent, friend. The letters also, of course, include fresh information about Middle-earth and its inhabitants.