Tributes to Tolkien’s son and editor after he dies aged 95
CHRISTOPHER TOLKIEN, the son of The Lord Of The Rings author JRR Tolkien, has been hailed as a “titan” of fantasy literature following his death aged 95.
The Tolkien Society, which promotes the life and works of the revered fantasy writer, confirmed the news in a statement on Twitter.
Oxford Universityeducated Tolkien was the author’s third and youngest son, and was responsible for editing and publishing much of his father’s work following his death in 1973.
These included The Silmarillion, The Children Of Hurin, and Beren And Luthien, which flesh out the complex world of elves and dwarves created by his father.
He also drew the original maps of Middle-earth which
JRR TOLKIEN: decorated the trilogy of books released in the 1950s following the success of the prequel, The Hobbit.
He signed off his work as “CJRT”, going by his full name Christopher John Reuel Tolkien, in the same manner as his father.
Tolkien Society chairman
Shaun Gunner said: “All of us in the Tolkien Society will share in the sadness at the news of Christopher Tolkien’s death, and we send our condolences to (his wife) Baillie, (children) Simon, Adam, Rachel and the whole Tolkien family at this difficult time.
“Christopher’s commitment to his father’s works have seen dozens of publications released, and his own work as an academic in Oxford demonstrates his ability and skill as a scholar.”
Tolkien was critical of Peter Jackson’s Oscarwinning The Lord Of The Rings film trilogy. He told Le Monde, he criticised the adaptations, saying: “They gutted the book, making an action film for 15 to 25-yearolds.”