He will be sorely missed by the entire Tolkien community. He tried very hard to preserve his father's incredible legacy for so many years, and now that responsibility will be passed on to his children, and to the rest of the Tolkien family. Thank you, Christopher, for everything: The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The Histories Of Middle-earth - without those, where would be? I'm eternally grateful to Christopher, and I will never forget all his many accomplishments. "It is my duty to fight" - Mulan
I don't really have much to say, other than thank you Christopher for continuing Tolkien's legacy.
My bookshelf would look a lot different without Christopher Tolkien ~ it really is quite something that new material could be released so many years after Tolkien's death.
His devotion made sure, for all of us and for future generations, that there are plenty of reasons to simply go back to the book/s and read what his father created.
I didn't always agree with his more blistering critiques of the LOTR/Hobbit films, but he was indispensable in making Middle Earth what it is.
It's my understanding that JRRT read drafts of The Hobbit and LOTR to Christopher as a child, and that he offered feedback and criticism. He also deserves immense credit for publishing manuscripts such as Children of Hurin, Fall of Gondolin, etc. A very accomplished man who was committed to preserving and celebrating his father's legacy.
(This post was edited by FrogmortonJustice65 on Jan 16 2020, 7:11pm)
It is very saddening to hear this news. Christopher gave the world so much, and his very heroic efforts to uphold the legacy of his father will be sorely missed by all. I am eternally indebted to Christopher for the wonders that he has given us over his long career as editor of his father's works. He now joins his father in the West, where he can finally rest in peace.
You have honored your father in the highest possible way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Christopher.
What a legend to bring us do many of tolkiens unfinished works and a man of complete principal. I can't help but feel an era of tolkiens work in the wider world has come to an end and a new one will begin.
His protection of tolkiens legacy is his greatest achievement, and I hope those principals are kept moving forward.
This is heartbreaking. I know he lived a full life, but...it hurts.
Thank you, Christopher. You gave us all so much. "The danger with any movie that does as well as this one does is that the amount of money it's making and the number of awards that it's got becomes almost more important than the movie itself in people's minds. I look at that as, in a sense, being very much like the Ring, and its effect on people. You know, you can kind of forget what we were doing, if you get too wrapped up in that." - Viggo Mortensen
Come join me in discussing all things cinema, television and literature at ConcerningFantasy.com.
Christopher Tolkien story from the Home Page. I also made the link to the French version clickable in the root post for those of you who parlez Francais. Very, very sad news. He will be dearly missed. Koru: Maori symbol representing a fern frond as it opens. The koru reaches towards the light, striving for perfection, encouraging new, positive beginnings.
"Life can't be all work and no TORn" -- jflower
"I take a moment to fervently hope that the camaradarie and just plain old fun I found at TORn will never end" -- LOTR_nutcase
You can also find my novel at most major book retailers online (and for those outside the US who prefer a print book, you can find the print version at Book Depository). Search "Amazing Grace Amanda Longpre'" to find it.
He leaves an immense legacy. I'm very grateful (along with millions of other readers) for his labours in ensuring that so much of his father's work saw the light of day.
How sad, though not unexpected, to know he has gone.
I remember reading a while ago a tribute to Christopher Tolkien, perhaps by a member of the Unwin family, the Tolkiens' publishers. He said that the world has profited from the work of J.R.R.Tolkien being produced over two lifetimes: that of the father and then the son.
In short, Christopher devoted his professional life to continuing the professional life of his father. And so we fans of Tolkien in 2020 have so much, much more of the late Prof's work to read, enjoy, and study than we have had any right to expect, since his passing in ... wait for it ...1973.
One must assume Christopher had aspirations to make a name for himself as an original scholar in northern languages and literature, as he had been doing in the 1960s and 70s. But he freely abandoned his own dreams when called to this mammoth task, and slipped into his father's literary shadow for the rest of his very long life.
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
The world will miss his scholarship (although he did announce an end to that after Gondolin); but the world has also lost a supple mind that, like his father's knew an awful lot of things about an awful lot of things- and was, moreover, incredibly witty and amusing.
I'm so grateful to him for all he's given us. In 1973 I grieved, not only because a beloved author can feel like a friend, but also because I thought "We'll never get the Silmarillion now." CRT gave us not only the Sil but so much more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GNU Terry Pratchett ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One must assume Christopher had aspirations to make a name for himself as an original scholar in northern languages and literature, as he had been doing in the 1960s and 70s. But he freely abandoned his own dreams when called to this mammoth task, and slipped into his father's literary shadow for the rest of his very long life.
Thank you, sir.
He did so incredibly much for all of us.
Thanks for your words, Squire, and for sharing that lovely painting, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GNU Terry Pratchett ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One must assume Christopher had aspirations to make a name for himself as an original scholar in northern languages and literature, as he had been doing in the 1960s and 70s. But he freely abandoned his own dreams when called to this mammoth task, and slipped into his father's literary shadow for the rest of his very long life.
CT found he didn't like academia and was more than happy to leave.
Such a meaningful life. But for him, so much of his father's work would have been lost to us. Such a sad day, but still filled with gratitude and love.
This was Christopher's last public appearance, just under a year ago. It was the unveiling of a series of Aubusson tapestries based on his father's paintings.
His speech (in French) is very touching. Fortunately subtitled!
I've embedded it for you, and here's a link to Silverlode's instructions for future reference: http://newboards.theonering.net/...latest_reply;so=ASC; Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..." Dwarves: "Pretty rings..." Men: "Pretty rings..." Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
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