Canon: what ARE we babbling about? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Lalwendë · 08-23-2005, 06:15 AM

I'm going to be hypocritical.

Just five minutes ago I told davem I wasn't going to be arguing any more today abut this. But then I looked at Christopher Tolkien's introduction to the Sil:

Quote:

A complete consistency (either within the compass of The Silmarillion itself or between The Silmarillion and other published writings of my father's) is not to be looked for, and could only be achieved, if at all, at heavy and needless cost.

Christopher Tolkien too notes how the pursuit of consistency would have a high cost. Dropping The Hobbit is too high a price to pay for me, as consistency is not half as attractive as is diversity within the legendarium.

View Poll Results: Canonicity means:
The author's published works, during his lifetime	3	15.00%
The author's published works including those edited/published posthumously	5	25.00%
ALL of the author's works, notes, letters, and ideas, published or not, conflicting or not	9	45.00%
What the reading community says is Canon	0	0%
What the BarrowDowns community says is Canon	1	5.00%
What the critics say is Canon	0	0%
Canon is whatever I, the reader, want it to be	1	5.00%
Something completely (or slightly) different [if you choose this last option, please explain yourself in the thread. Thank you]	1	5.00%
Voters: 20. You may not vote on this poll