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A collection of illustrated letters from Father Christmas recapping the activities of the preceding year at the North Pole. The letters were written by the author to his children.
J.R.R. TOLKIEN (1892-1973) is the creator of Middle-earth and author of such classic and extraordinary works of fiction as The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. His books have been translated into more than fifty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.
His mother died when he was only twelve and both he and his brother were made wards of the local priest and sent to King Edward's School, Birmingham, where Tolkien shine in his classical work. After completing a First in English Language and Literature at Oxford, Tolkien married Edith Bratt. He was also commissioned in the Lancashire Fusiliers and fought in the battle of the Somme. After the war, he obtained a post on the New English Dictionary and began to write the mythological and legendary cycle which he originally called "The Book of Lost Tales" but which eventually became known as The Silmarillion.
In 1920 Tolkien was appointed Reader in English Language at the University of Leeds which was the beginning of a distinguished academic career culminating with his election as Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. Meanwhile Tolkien wrote for his children and told them the story of The Hobbit. It was his publisher, Stanley Unwin, who asked for a sequel to The Hobbit and gradually Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, a huge story that took twelve years to complete and which was not published until Tolkien was approaching retirement. After retirement Tolkien and his wife lived near Oxford, but then moved to Bournemouth. Tolkien returned to Oxford after his wife's death in 1971. He died on 2 September 1973 leaving The Silmarillion to be edited for publication by his son, Christopher.
Author biography courtesy of HarperCollins (UK).
I have a hard copy of this book which I bought in the '70's or early '80's and absolutely love. When I saw this enhanced ebook version, I excitedly bought it, hoping to carry the magical art of Tolkien around with me on my Nook Color. I was sorely dissapointed with this ebook version, however. The copies of the original Father Christmas letters are cramped and sometimes stretched on the screen and you can't zoom in to actually see them. What's the point of buying this book if you can't enjoy the letters and the artwork? This enhanced version gives you the chance to hear the letters read to you, which might be nice for children, but I'd recommend you skip the ebook, buy the hard copy and read it aloud to your children yourself while enjoying the beautiful Father Christmas letters as they were meant to be seen.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 12, 2012
I've read a couple reviews that you can't zoom in on the pictures & hand-written letters, but I'm able to on my NOOK Color. Two quick taps on the screen opens a picture, then you can zoom & move around. Wonderful addition to the Tolkien legendarium.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 15, 2008
While my kids think this is a neat book, I think I enjoy this book the most. This is the sweetest book all about the magic of Christmas. It has imspired my husband and I to write our own letters to our kids from Santa even though we're not as creative or artistic as Tolkin. It is a perfect gift to give to friends and family for Christmas.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 30, 2004
I loved this book so much. J.R.R. Tolkien's writings are beautiful and sweet; I really wished that I could meet Father Christmas and the North Polar Bear. His own illustrations were gorgeous. As I was reading the last page of the book, I felt like crying, because I was saying good-bye to a very wonderful story. I will totally read this book again the next holiday season!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book was very good! The drawings were great and I loved the pop ups. None of them were torn or ripped, and they were beautiful. I got this for my little sister for Christmas, and she loved it. She reads it every night before she goes to bed. It was a very good Christmas present, and I would recommend it for people of all different ages! My sister and I enjoyed this very much. :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 22, 2012
I had hopes of interesting, humorous, and perhaps inspiring Christmas letters because of the famous name author here. Unfortunately, I found most of the letters to be as anyone might make up for their child's Christmas. We're this not a famous author, I don't think these letters would have made it further than a family album keepsake, for sentimental reasons only!! Disappointing at best!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 27, 2011
Completely recommend to all parents with kids or those who are kids at heart! :-)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 16, 2010
I've always loved Tolkien, but had no idea he ever wrote this. The way it is put together is very cool and I really enjoyed reading it. In fact, it still hasn't made it's way home from my office to my kids!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 15, 2013
SMILE I LIKE CAPS
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Posted January 16, 2013
Fun notes to his boys
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Posted December 8, 2012
I think this is dumb even though i did nnot read it
0 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 10, 2011
Like the Christmas of my childhood in book!! The format is a little hard to use on my nook & I wish the volumn was louder, but it has the quality of an old-fashioned Christmas that I love!
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Posted December 18, 2012
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Posted January 29, 2011
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Overview
They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the accident-prone North Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father ...