The Single Greatest (Publishing) Tragedy in Tolkien's Life (yet another rant)

[HerenIstarion]

Originally Posted by davem

It seems we pro-HoMe-ers are all a bit uncomfortable with the 'Myths Transformed' period & feel it was a mistake for Tolkien to try & change his Legendarium in the way he did.

Tut-tut. Some of us are perfectly comfortable, you know:

Canonicity 127
Evil Things 114 (see also 92 and below). Wait, it was you whom I was posting to on both occassions!

(What miss-stakes-s-ss, my precious-ss, what miss-stakes-s-ss?)

No true accounts for anything that happened, just a refraction of eyewitness' perception, further altered by the worldview of the scribe and mistakes of his nearsighted copier.

I would also spice the post up by much quoted (by yours truly, mainly ) line of 'Leaf by Niggle':

Things might have been different, but they could not have been better

Said by Niggle (allegedly representing Tolkien, or creative aspect of his personality) himself, as he stopped to worry about 'unfinishness' of his work. The quote expresses my feelings about the issue perfectly: Of course, I would certainly like to have more plots to read about ME, but, again, where is the guarantee that even if Tolkien wrote tenfold amount of stories, I would not crave for more all the same? As it is, I'm glad things happened as they did, and diving into the 'world', with facts but no 'plots' is equally satisfying.