[Mithalwen]

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply. I was aware of every piece of criticism rather that despite having read a lot of criticism, I couldn't recall an instance of an attack of that nature. Nor do I have any issue with critical reviews which are part of the cut and thrust of the academic world. As long as not fraudulently concealed limitations as a scholar are not dishonourable, more inevitable...even if capacity for understanding were unlimited, time is not and there are so many things in the world to be interested in... hey ho.

I was thinking more of the "Gaudy Night" scenario (ironically Tolkien père disliked the book), where the supression of a thesis shattering document and its consequences are the catalyst for the drama. The scholar has enough integrity not to destroy the document and is thus incriminated.

Christopher's openess about errors is one of the factors that convince me he didn't know of a code, scheme and if he didn't know then it seems to me that claims of secret messages are delusional. But I agree that the anagrams are inherently unlikely even without the editorial context. Yet knowing that made it seem hardly worth investigating the substance.