Christopher Tolkien, the son of J.R.R. Tolkien, who had acted as editor and curator of his father’s works that had not yet been published when the senior Tolkien had died in 1973, has, himself, passed away. Christopher was 95 years old, and passed last night in a hospital in France, where he had been living.
I admired the job he did stewarding his father’s works; I also enjoyed reading all 12 volumes of HOMES that he produced along with SIL, UT, and the 3 latest story reconstructions.
A respectful farewell to CJRT.
Christopher carefully guarded his father’s legacy and was instrumental in getting the later works out to us the fans. Early on he had a lot to do with proofing the map of Middle Earth. Thank you Christopher, enjoy your stay at Mandos.
“Death is just another path, one that we all must take.” -Gandalf
His father could not have had a better steward of his literary estate. Thanks CJRT for your decades of diligent and painstaking work.
He didn’t just proof the map, he DREW at least two of the three maps that were published in LotR (the large scale Middle-earth map and the Shire map; I’m not sure if he drew the Gondor/Mordor map). He also was amanuensis for his father, typing up some of JRR’s drafts. And he contributed in some ways to the story; for example at one point JRR said that he was considering changing the name of Sam Gamgee to Sam Goodchild, but rejected the idea because he knew Christopher liked the Gamgee name. A fairly ridiculous scene at Farmer Maggot’s house, in which Frodo puts on the ring to play a prank, survived in drafts long after it was tenable, because the young Christopher liked it, but thankfully it was eventually removed.
RIP Christopher. You did a most admirable job with your father’s legacy. The History of Middle-Earth provides a truly remarkable insight into a great author’s work.
Y’all have already said it all so very, very well; RIP Mr. Tolkien.
Ditto.
I haven’t felt like this since Terry Pratchett died.
Ah, what a good son and a worthy guardian, editor and promoter of his father’s work. May he rest in peace.
I will not say do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.
