Tolkien's Literary Executor

[Lalwendë]

Ever wondered what was in Tolkien's will about his work? This is from another member of the Tolkien Society:

’Upon Trust to allow my son Christopher full access to the same* in order that he may act as my Literary Executor with full power to publish edit alter rewrite or complete any work of mine which may be unpublished at my death or to destroy the whole or any part or parts of any such unpublished works as he in his absolute discretion may think fit and subject thereto’

*unpublished works

So Christopher has full powers over all his father's unpublished works. I'd happen to trust him not to do terrible rewrites or edits, but it makes you wonder what else is unpublished, and will it always remain that way?

[narfforc]

Bizzarely you can buy a copy of Tolkiens will on Ebay. I have thought about it, but somehow it feels wrong to buy such a thing. Anyway Christopher isn't getting any younger, I wonder who the flame will be passed to next, and will they be more accessable.

[Lalwendë]

I don't know. I'd be interested to read it myself. A will is after all just a legal document. With many other writers, we have just about everything, including private diaries, to read, so we actually don't have that much to read that was personal of Tolkien's. I don't really think his diaries would be much help to us anyway, as they'd just give us more to argue about, knowing how contradictory diaries can be when we're just writing about our feelings on any given day!

[Eonwe]

Originally Posted by Lal

it makes you wonder what else is unpublished, and will it always remain that way?

Or destroyed!

I certainly hope not!

[narfforc]

That is a good point, I wonder if Christopher is in possesion of his fathers diaries, if any existed, I am sure they are mentioned somewhere, it would have been normal for one of his generation and position to keep some form of diary. I wonder if that is what Tolkien alludes to in the matter of destroying anything. Was there not mention of a second Letters book?, there must have been thousands, I have often wondered to what extent Christopher purged that book of any dubious statement by his father, in much the same way that holy men did at The Council of Nicea, when deciding which books would fit the Judeo/Christian Myth best, therefore omitting the Book of Enoch and such like.

[Durelin]

It also makes you wonder if any of his other children felt rather cheated.

Family heirlooms can often undo families. I've heard that this was the case in the Tolkien family as well, but was it really?

Now there's another thought...will Christopher pass down the writings to one of his children (does he have children?)?

I wonder how many generations the Tolkien works can be passed down before they pass into myth...

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Durelin

It also makes you wonder if any of his other children felt rather cheated.

Family heirlooms can often undo families. I've heard that this was the case in the Tolkien family as well, but was it really?

Now there's another thought...will Christopher pass down the writings to one of his children (does he have children?)?

I wonder how many generations the Tolkien works can be passed down before they pass into myth...

Well there's a family trust so the profits will be distributed through that, and I can imagine they'd go equally. However when Christopher is gone i imagine the literary part of the will would then pass on to the Trust to decide once more who will hold the reigns.
But whoever gets 'control', I wonder if, being so far removed from truly knowing Tolkien and his mind (as only a son or daughter could) they would be? A lot of Christopher's hard work must have sprung from his intimate knowledge of his own father and what his mindset was?

[Alchisiel]

I read an article once that Tolkien complained to his wife that Christopher would call him on things in the story such as the color of one of the Dwarves' hoods and such things as that as he built the story, calling him that 'dratted boy'. It makes since then to have Christopher edit and complete his father's works-at least to me. I do wonder who'll take the reins next though-does have me worried.

[davem]

Actually, it is quite worrying. The literary executor, apparently, has the right to alter or destroy any of the works. I recall that when the movie Blade Runner was due to come out Philip K Dick (writer of the novel on which it was based 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep') was asked to 're-write' the novel to fit the movie storyline & offered a substantial amount of money to do so. Dick refused.

This is not a one off though. Enid Blyton's Noddy books have been 'updated' so that the original villains (Gollys) have been replaced by new ones (Goblins), & Michael Moorcock removed a controversial rape scene from the culmination of his novel 'Gloriana' due to objections from feminist critics like Andrea Dworkin. The original & the later endings have been published together in the latest edition.

Now, as far as Tolkien's works are concerned a precedent for such 'alterations' to the text has already been set. Tolkien himself made alterations to the text, partly for creative reasons, partly due to the Ace Books 'problem'. CT has continued the process, with his authorisation of 300-400 changes (most of them, admittedly, very slight) to LotR for the 50th Anniversary edition.

So, what I'm saying is, when the 25th Anniversay Special Edition of the Movies comes out in high def 3d we may all possibly find that the storylines of the movies & the books aren't all that different any longer.

Or even that LotR ends up even more of a 'Christian' work than it 'already' is....

[Lalwendë]

Very good point. It makes me wonder if we ought to be selecting, at some point, an 'authorised' text. But who can do that? Us, the fans? The estate?

It's also quite scary thinking about the amount of extremism in this world, both in political terms and in terms of political correctness, which is a constantly shifting factor.

Should texts move 'with the times', or should they be fossilised and preserved? It's in a way the ultimate, most extreme form of reader response to allow dogma of any kind to interfere with literature. Fringe critical views can eventually become more popular and gain primacy, and so not only will readings change but texts themselves could change. In the case of the Tolkien estate, as it grows further away from those in the family who knew the Professor, will it turn into just a cash cow to be milked?

[The Saucepan Man]

If the experience of Tom and Jerry is anything to go by, no doubt the pipeweed will be quietly edited out at some point ...

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

If the experience of Tom and Jerry is anything to go by, no doubt the pipeweed will be quietly edited out at some point ...

Oh yes. And the Tom & Jerry thing was all because of one complaint! As religion has declined, something else focussed on 'sin' has taken its place and that's the 'health' lobby. I understand they had to go easy on the smoking in the films - note how Merry tells Pippin he smokes too much, which is about the last thing you'd expect a Hobbit to say. I don't doubt it will be excised altogether from future editions of the films seeing as the powers that be are trying to have any film with any smoking in it whatsoever classified as 18 or X certificate.

[davem]

At least CT has in the forefront of his mind his father's own wishes & hopes for the work. I wonder if those who follow him in the role will feel the same need or desire. How far one takes 'respect' for the author's wishes is a vexed question. For instance, Tolkien himself repeatedly attacked the breaking down of literary works in search of 'sources'. He first condemned this approach in the 'Tower' allegory in The Monsters & the Critics essay, & towards the end of his life attacked it in terms of approaching his own work - comparing it to a man who, after eating a meal, uses an emetic & sends the result to a chemist for analysis. Tolkien clearly found such an approach to his work wrongheaded & insulting, & requested it not to be done.

However, he's dead now...

[Mithalwen]

I think that anyone can get a copy of any will for a small fee so I wouldn't bother with E-Bay.

Having just aquired the letters, it is made clear by Carpenter that he made the selection and CT "commented" and that the restrictions were mainly space related - he does seem to have had free access .. and not all the letters show Tolkien as a "plaster saint" .

I doubt that CT as a scholar would destroy much - certainly if it had bearing on the work. However I wouldn't blame him if he chose to destroy personal letters.

I have just found a clump of letter my parents wrote me when I was a student/abroad, while they are precious as tangible evidence of affection they contain little of interest, and I can't help thinking in an age before cheap telephone calls and email that even Tolkien's letters are going to contain a lot of mundane trivia .... we may be missing on quantity not quality!

Tolkien did write diaries ... I think Carpenter drew on them or at least referred.

I do wonder about what will happen when CT dies. His younger son, Adam, has translated some of HoME into French so he may pick up the baton but I imagine the trust will prevent any individual family member having quite the same influence. In some ways Hammond and Scull seem to be the anointed heirs...