Posted by Lyn on January 15, 2006 at 04:57:47 from 207.200.116.66 user LynMellone.
In Reply to: Re: Ransome as enjoyed by children of J.R.R. Tolkien posted by deb on January 15, 2006 at 03:30:36:
Thank you!
As it happens, a very kind Ransome lover was able to scan the pages I needed from Signalling and send them to me. So just today I had the opportunity to read them for myself.
Having already known of the letters from the Tolkien perspective it was very interesting to read the originals and imagine the two men: one, already a recognized author of a well-loved series of children's books, who went to the trouble to write to an unknown by putting his comments into the same context, using the same conceit that the other author had used; and the other, unknown but well-educated and stubborn, wanting to accommodate the one who had been so enjoyed by his own children and who (in case you did not know this) had been asked by the publisher to read The Hobbit -- but not really willing to give an inch!
I wonder what Ransome thought when, after Tolkien had told him about the corrections he would make, The Hobbit went on being reprinted year after year with no changes made. Perhaps it never crossed his mind again?
In any case, unbeknownst to him, Tolkien had immediately accepted his suggestions and had already asked the publisher to make the corrections before Ransome ever wrote back to explain himself.