Tolkien and The Silmarillion

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Tolkien and The Silmarillion
Tolkien silmarillion.gif
AuthorClyde S. Kilby
PublisherWheaton, Ill.: Harold Shaw
ReleasedApril 1976
Pages89
ISBN0877888167

Tolkien and The Silmarillion is a book by Clyde S. Kilby, which describes Kilby's interaction with J.R.R. Tolkien in the summer of 1964, and his reading of the manuscript of The Silmarillion, the first "outsider" to see it. Kilby also writes about Tolkien's friendship with C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams.

The book includes an inscription written by Tolkien in a copy of Perelandra by C.S. Lewis. Also included are extracts from numerous letters (see Letter to Clyde S. Kilby, Letter to Joan O. Falconer and Letter to Roger Verhulst) and references to conversations between Tolkien and Kilby.

From the publisher[edit | edit source]

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion has been one of the most eagerly awaited books of this century. It tells the story of Middle Earth (sic) before the events of The Lord of the Rings.

Clyde Kilby spent a summer working with Tolkien on the manuscript of The Silmarillion. In this book he describes that time. He builds up a fascinating portrait of Professor Tolkien, his work as a Christian writer, and his friendship with C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams and the rest of 'The Inklings'.

Cover of the US edition by Harold Shaw Publishers

Contents[edit | edit source]

  1. First Meeting
  2. Summer with Tolkien
  3. Chronology of Composition and Geography of Middle-Earth (sic)
  4. Tolkien as Christian Writer
  5. Tolkien, Lewis and Williams

Originally, a synopsis of The Silmarillion was to be included, but this was removed at the request of Christopher Tolkien. The summary was subsequently published in VII: An Anglo-American Literary Review, Volume 19, 2002. A translation of this chapter was also included in La Feuille de la Compagnie 3.

External links[edit | edit source]

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