Christopher Tolkien

[Hammerhand]

I'm sure there has been a thread on this very interesting man before... but never mind.

What do you folks think of him? Dislike him for being "over protective" and "shunning the films"? Like him for "treasuring" the legacy of his father and keeping the Tolkien seal authentic?

I was very surprised to behold a lot of controversy surrounding the man and his decisions for the Tolkien estate, motion pictures and household - After a thorough perusal i decided to come here to gain a more balanced opinion on the man or monster that is Christopher Tolkien!


Personally... i think he's brilliant

[MatthewM]

I would like to give a sturdy opinion on this, but I do not know enough about CT to really judge. From what I know of him, he did an excellent job perserving and bringing to light JRRT's works like The Letters and HoMe.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Christopher is a very kind and generous gentleman of the old school- certainly he has been so to me, and to many Tolkien scholars and readers! He is also, however, private and rather shy- but not a hermit!- and really, really dislikes giving interviews. This has resulted in the Press printing some really bizarre fictions about the poor man, some of which appear to be motivated by petty spite.

His life's work has been to preserve and present his father's written legacy. The History of Middle-earth took fourteen years of steady work, for essentially no financial return: it was basically a break-even proposition. CRT did it because he thought it was important for (some portion of) the public to see his father's literary process from the beginning. He has steadfastly resisted the temptation to 'milk the cash cow' (as Saul Zaentz has done so shamelessly)- even though of course he could have become rich on a Jo Rowling level had he approved Timothy Zahn-penned Middle-earth novels and Saturday morning hobbit cartoons and a line of Lord of the Rings-branded funeral caskets (I'm not making this last one up). It therefore seemed to him proper to remain completely neutral on the Peter Jackson movies- which in Networld of course was turned into 'opposition.' He was unfairly castigated for blocking the Hobbit movie (in fact a rights dispute between New Line and MGM), and a props museum in New Zealand (actually blocked by Zaentz' Tolkien Enterprises).

Perhaps the most brutal attacks, though, have come from a warped and distorted Web version of the strained relationship between CRT and the son of his first marriage, Simon. (In the developed version, CT 'disinherited' him for attending the LR premiere!) In actual fact, it was Simon who used the PJ hype to flog his own novel and air his dirty laundry, to which Christopher has dignifiedly chosen not to respond publicly. It is a documented fact, however, that Simon was never removed from the board of the family company, since he was never on it in the first place; and the formation of the company occurred two years before PJ's Fellowship was released.

Reading between the lines, my *opinion* (I stress that) is that Simon is all about the money, and has agitated for years to sell out and milk the cash cow- certain things he has done and said create the impression of venality- and his father understandably did not want that attitude represented on the Board.

By contrast, CRT's second son Adam has expressed his concern over the name Tolkien becoming merely a 'brand,' which augurs well for the future.

Oh, yes: Christopher does NOT keep wild boar.

[Mithalwen]

I can only second William's comments (though from a less informed position). It has always baffled me that people who presumably admire JRRT, could think him so blinded in judgement that they believe that the child he had such a close relationship with was a monster.

I am so grateful that he spent so much of his life on HoME and personally I enjoy his editorial and dry humour that emerges from time to time. I suspect that a lot of Christopher's critics are basically jealous of the relationship and the access to documents - I mean we all think we are great Tolkien scholars don't we ...

There is a thread elsewhere that links to the activities of the Tolkien Trust. Christopher and other family members (eg Priscilla and Michael's daughter Joan ) are trustees and millions of pounds have been distributed with the minimum of fuss to a lot of humanitarian and educational causes. This is not publicised by the family but if you look at the individual charity websites the Trust is often the major donor. Hardly the mark of a family that is in general self serving.

Simon clearly "has issues" as the Americans would say... not uncommon after family breakdown and it is a shame that it has blighted his father to this extent.

Adam had the great courtesy to send a personal response to a comment I made on The Children of Hurin, which was unexpected but delightful. On the evidence of his interviews, I think he will be a "safe pair of hands" among the younger generation.

[Lalwendë]

What they say

Yes, CT has been victim of some very bad publicity I think, and it's unfair considering that he has devoted his life to keeping us supplied with books like HoME. Some might say that this has given him a job for life and an income etc but on the other hand, I certainly would not like to be the one responsible for keeping the uber-critical Tolkien fans supplied with new texts and caretaking the unpublished work. It seems a thankless task to me.

The Tolkien family in general are very respectful of the Professor's memory, kindly souls to fans and just because they do not wish to make a big fuss about the great man himself, does not mean they are 'cold fish'!

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Some might say that this has given him a job for life and an income etc

And "some" ought to know better, since CT certainly has no lack of money! Had he chosen to, he could have lived like Paris Hilton and a Saudi playboy rolled into one- and if he really wanted more loot, it would have been vastly easier and more profitable to sell out to crass commercialization than to spend years on the minimal-return HoME.

Instead, he lives quite modestly considering his means- rather like Bilbo, I suppose: "comfortably well-off," not "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." I note also that his children have all gone out to earn a living, not loll around like idle trust-fund kids. And as noted above the Tolkien Trust has made a point of generous, even lavish philanthropy.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

It has always baffled me that people who presumably admire JRRT, could think him so blinded in judgement that they believe that the child he had such a close relationship with was a monster.

Well, there would be historical precedents: Marcus Aurelius the philosopher-emperor positively doted on his son Commodus, even though everyone around them knew the boy was an absolute stinker.

But this of course was *not* the case with JRRT!

[Galin]

I haven't much to add as Mr. Hicklin's posts above have essentially spoken for me.

So well said indeed (and I just wanted to say so)!

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hickli

And "some" ought to know better, since CT certainly has no lack of money! Had he chosen to, he could have lived like Paris Hilton and a Saudi playboy rolled into one- and if he really wanted more loot, it would have been vastly easier and more profitable to sell out to crass commercialization than to spend years on the minimal-return HoME.

Instead, he lives quite modestly considering his means- rather like Bilbo, I suppose: "comfortably well-off," not "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." I note also that his children have all gone out to earn a living, not loll around like idle trust-fund kids. And as noted above the Tolkien Trust has made a point of generous, even lavish philanthropy.

Indeed.

It's sour grapes to say that CT has 'fed' off the memory and legacy of his father because had he wished it, CT could have really exploited the literary estate and us fans! His father after all gave him carte blanche to do what he wanted with the papers and many less scrupulous sons would have sold them off like the family silver.

Tolkien left his family with something which could provide a modest income to keep them safe for a number of years, or something they could exploit and they have chosen the former. Quietly respectable I'd say.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

His father after all gave him carte blanche to do what he wanted with the papers and many less scrupulous sons would have sold them off like the family silver.

Absolutely. Given that a single JRRT letter goes for thousands at auction these days, imagine the cash bonanza had CRT taken the truckload of manuscript pages he inherited and flogged them at Sotheby's! Instead, after editing them for publication he has donated them gratis to Marquette or the Bodleian.

[radagastly]

I seem to recall that Mozart's wife got "so much" per page of his music when he died. CT has done quite well by his father, I'd say. Not to mention that his role as "first reader" made him (at least in this case) almost a co-author.

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hickli

I note also that his children have all gone out to earn a living, not loll around like idle trust-fund kids.

I forgot to mention that Adam has translated the Book of Lost Tales into French which is an impressive achievement. I know he grew up there but it is usual to translate into ones "langue maternelle" and having studied French to a high level and lived there I can fully appreciate the magnitude of that achievement. It is nice that he has had a scholarly involvement with the works as translator and it seems with CoH.

[Sauron the White]

Thank you to William for his several posts here. They have been both illuminating and educational for me.