Scholarly Edition of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

[Aiwendil]

With rather little fanfare (I assume, since I didn't hear about it at the time), a new edition of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil was published last October, with extensive commentary by Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull, and including some texts that, as far as I know, were previously unpublished.

Has anyone read this yet? I picked it up the other day but haven't had time to peruse it yet.

[Galadriel55]

Haven't heard of this yet, but I'm curious about which new texts were published there.

[Tar-Verimuchli]

If it's the pocket size version edited by Scull and Hammond, it has an introduction by the editors and a commentary. The new texts are the first few paragraphs of a Tom prose story, a poem about Tom and Goldberry originally published elsewhere called Once Upon A Time, and the poem An Evening in Tavrobel that it appears to be based on.

[Faramir Jones]

Aiwendil, I got the book you mentioned when it came out last October.

It reminded me of an edition I have of Marx and Engels' The Communist Manifesto, the commentry being far larger than the original text!

It is a small, attractive looking volume, with the dust jacket and inside the covers having a copy of Pauline Baynes' original artwork used on the dust jacket for the first edition.

Inside we first have the 'Introduction' by Mr. Hammond and Ms. Schull. It contains an overview of the debate on who or what Tom Bombadil is; the background to the book's publication, in terms of its contents and Ms. Baynes' illustrations, Tolkien being worried that some of the poems were old and not originally intended for LotR; and its reception, the book selling well for one of verse.

What follows are what was in the original book: Tolkien's Preface, the poems, and the Baynes illustrations.

Then we have a 'Commentary' by Hammond and Schull of over 150 pages, looking at each poem in turn, its background (including an earlier version if it was published earlier), and explanations of some of the words and phrases used.

There follows a gallery of 3 illustrations of the earliest examples of Tolkien's 'Elvish' alphabet.

Second last is an 'Appendix' in 2 parts. The first is a 3 paragraph fragment on Tom Bombadil, found among Tolkien's papers in the Bodleian Library; the second is 'Once Upon a Time' a third poem by Tolkien about Tom and Goldberry, published in a 1965 collection of poems and stories for children. Also in this part is the 1924 poem 'An Evening in Tavrobel', suggested as an ancestor of 'Once Upon a Time'.

The book then finishes with a bibliography.

In terms of whether this book is worth buying, I would say 'Yes', if you are interested in looking at the background to the material in The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. It is a nice-looking, nicely-sized, not expensive book, containing as well as the original material an introduction to and a long commentary on it as well as related materials from other sources.

I hope the above answers some of your queries, Aiwendil and Galadriel55.

[Galin]

Originally Posted by Faramir Jones

Then we have a 'Commentary' by Hammond and Schull of over 150 pages, looking at each poem in turn, its background (including an earlier version if it was published earlier), and explanations of some of the words and phrases used.

Interesting info, thanks Faramir.

With respect to the part of your post that I quoted, and although I'm guessing the answer is no, but do H&S look at all at the poem Tolkien was thinking of including (Kortirion), but did not include?

I am intrigued that JRRT was thinking of including the updated Kortirion poem, and if so, how it was to be taken from an internal pespective, as it then would have been part of the imagined "translated" corpus.

[Faramir Jones]

Originally Posted by Galin

With respect to the part of your post that I quoted, and although I'm guessing the answer is no, but do H&S look at all at the poem Tolkien was thinking of including (Kortirion), but did not include?

As a general answer to your question, Galin, pages 11-7 of the 'Introduction' deal with the issue of what poems were decided on for the book, including those that were rejected.

Specifically regarding 'The Trees of Kortirion', in a letter of 5th February 1962 from Tolkien to Rayner Unwin, already referred to by H and S in their Chronology, part of their Companion and Guide, pages 587-8, Tolkien said he had 'raked over' his collection of poems, and sent 4 more of them, including 'The Trees of Korthirion'. He singled out that poem, calling it 'too long and too ambitious and even if considered good enough would probably upset the boat'. He suggested that if 1-2 more poems were required, they be taken from those in LotR.

Unwin, in a letter of 12th February to Tolkien, one not referred to in the 'Introduction' but referred to on page 588 of the Chronology, listed the poems received from Tolkien, agreed that 'Kortirion' did not fit but thought that 1-2 poems from LotR could be included. A letter from Tolkien to him dated 12th April said that he had placed the 16 items 'in an order'. They were the final selection of poems published in the book.

I hope this is of assistance.