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Originally Posted by Morwen
This of course would be one of the signs of the Apocalypse.
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I think some of those horsemen are already riding pretty hard.
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Originally Posted by davem
I don't know. CT produced the '77 Sil because his father had been promising to publish the Silmarillion for years, & had always wanted to see it in print. CT's 'contribution' was mainly the final 3 chapters, which Tolkien had not brought into a sufficiently complete state (probably the understatement of the century). For the rest CT has basically published what his father left in pretty much the state he left it.
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This is the point over which there is much controversy, much contention. Anyone who has been reading
Aiwendil's Chapter by Chapter discussion on The Silm knows that this statement is equally an understatement--although of course I know you,
davem have sworn off the chapter by chapter discussions, so likely I'm sure your take would differ from
Aiwendil's. STill, you should take a look at what has been posted so far.
CT's role has not been strictly speaking that of an editor who comes on the scene like Athena, fully armed. (I think it was Athena--Roman mythology is getting so hazzy these days.) One could well say that rarely has has a writer been able to create--one might say educate or even perfect--a reader for his own work. CT was first an audience of what was close to if not precisely an oral telling of one of the tales (however much you might discount its canonicity,
davem.) (Heavens! There's JRRT muddying up his own Legendarium.
) CT was also a member of The Inklings; his name is included on that hand written list which hands on the wall of the Bird and Baby--and Tolkien even wryly identifies himself as the father of the above named 'Christopher Tolkien.' CT must then have been party to all those wranglings and recitals over manuscripts. He also was what would now be called a beta reader, so intimately was he involved in the writing of LotR, Tolkien Sr. sending off chapters to him while he was waging war in South Africa. Then of course he became literary executor and by his own acknowledgement he regrets some of the creative work he did when producing The Silm.
In fact, I think it fair to say that Tolkien Sr. created not only an ideal reader for his work in his son, but he created an ideal inheritor of the mantle of Middle earth translator.
And none of this had anything to do with vultures or money. It is this situation which is so starkly unique in the literary world which gives breathe to the aspirations of other readers. And Tolkien created those conditions.