Christopher Tolkien

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hickli

And "some" ought to know better, since CT certainly has no lack of money! Had he chosen to, he could have lived like Paris Hilton and a Saudi playboy rolled into one- and if he really wanted more loot, it would have been vastly easier and more profitable to sell out to crass commercialization than to spend years on the minimal-return HoME.

Instead, he lives quite modestly considering his means- rather like Bilbo, I suppose: "comfortably well-off," not "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." I note also that his children have all gone out to earn a living, not loll around like idle trust-fund kids. And as noted above the Tolkien Trust has made a point of generous, even lavish philanthropy.

Indeed.

It's sour grapes to say that CT has 'fed' off the memory and legacy of his father because had he wished it, CT could have really exploited the literary estate and us fans! His father after all gave him carte blanche to do what he wanted with the papers and many less scrupulous sons would have sold them off like the family silver.

Tolkien left his family with something which could provide a modest income to keep them safe for a number of years, or something they could exploit and they have chosen the former. Quietly respectable I'd say.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

His father after all gave him carte blanche to do what he wanted with the papers and many less scrupulous sons would have sold them off like the family silver.

Absolutely. Given that a single JRRT letter goes for thousands at auction these days, imagine the cash bonanza had CRT taken the truckload of manuscript pages he inherited and flogged them at Sotheby's! Instead, after editing them for publication he has donated them gratis to Marquette or the Bodleian.

[radagastly]

I seem to recall that Mozart's wife got "so much" per page of his music when he died. CT has done quite well by his father, I'd say. Not to mention that his role as "first reader" made him (at least in this case) almost a co-author.