Abstract
Soon after the publication of The Hobbit, Tolkien wrote in a letter to his publisher Stanley Unwin on October 15, 1937 (Letter 17), with some slight irony:
I think “Oxford” interest is mildly aroused. I am constantly asked how my hobbit is. The attitude is (as I foresaw) not unmixed with surprise and a little pity. My own college is I think good for about six copies, if only in order to find material for teasing me. Appearance in The Times convinced one or two of my more sedate colleagues that they could admit knowledge of my “fantasy” (i.e. indiscretion) without loss of academic dignity. The professor of Byzantine Greek bought a copy, “because first editions of ‘Alice’ are now very valuable.” I did hear that the Regius Professor of Modern History was recently seen reading “The Hobbit.” It is displayed by Parkers but not elsewhere (I think).
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Copyright information
© 2011 Arne Zettersten
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Zettersten, A. (2011). A Don on a Sidetrack. In: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Double Worlds and Creative Process. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230118409_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230118409_15
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-38461-7
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-11840-9
eBook Packages: Palgrave Literature CollectionLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)