Beutlin wrote:G. Why did J.R.R. Tolkien not release “The Silmarillion” in his lifetime?
The short answer is that he simply wasn't able to complete it to his satisfaction. It had gotten to big, and too complicated, and he was too tired and worn out by his efforts and by life to complete a version that satisfied his own exacting standards. Too unanswered questions, too many branches in the road, and no Gandalf to lead him down the right one. One book that I would recommend reading if you can find a copy is
Tolkien and the Silmarillion by Clyde Kilby. This very short book (90 pages or so) describes Kilby's experience coming to England (he was an American author and one of the first Inklings scholars) in order to assist Tolkien in completing
The Silmarillion. I think that book would give you some good insight into the question of why Tolkien never finished the work, and it is well worthwhile otherwise.
Were there ever any plans to release it?
Tolkien wanted to publish it before he ever started writing LOTR, but it was rejected by his publisher, who wanted a sequel to
The Hobbit instead. After he completed LOTR he wanted the two works published together, and actually went to a different publisher (Milton Waldman, hence the famous Letter 131). When that fell through, Tolkien went back to Unwin and agreed to publish LOTR by itself. Once it became clear that LOTR was a success way beyond either Tolkien's or Unwin's wildest imagination, the publisher was keen to publish
The Silmarillion as soon as Tolkien completed it. He just never did.
Was the posthumous release of “the Silmarillion” done according to Tolkien’s will?
If by "Tolkien's will" you mean the legal document that Tolkien left expressing his posthumous wishes, absolutely, because he granted Christopher Tolkien the right to "publish edit alter rewrite or complete any work of mine which may be unpublished at my death or to destroy the whole or any part or parts of any such unpublished works as he in his absolute discretion may think fit and subject thereto." If you mean in a more general sense of whether the published book conformed to what he would have like it to have been, that is a much more complicated question. Charles Noad directly addresses this question (and very much answers it in the negative) in his essay "On the Construction of ‘The Silmarillion’," published in
Tolkien's Legendarium: Essays on the History of Middle-Earth, edited by Verlyn Flieger and Carl F. Hostetter (and one of the truly crucial books on Tolkien, in my opinion). And, of course, the question is address at length in my own
Arda Reconstructed.
H. On February 6th, 2014, Voronwë wrote that Christopher’s views were different from his father’s, and that this influenced his work (
http://newboards.theonering.net/forum/g ... 276#712479). Could you expand on that? Did all of Tolkien’s children leave the Church? Does leaving the church here mean opting out of the Church or not going to church anymore? Why did Christopher Tolkien turn away from Catholicism? Was this due to his strict Catholic upbringing (which is a mere assumption of mine)?
I don't have anything to add to what I said in the linked TORN post, other than to note that Tolkien's oldest son most very definitely did leave the church, as he was a Roman Catholic priest.
I. I once read on Wikipedia (I know, not a proper source) that Tolkien was not happy with some changes of the Second Vatican Council? What were his main issues with the reforms?
I have nothing to add about this.
J. When reading “The Quest of Erebor” in my copy of the Annotated Hobbit recently, I came to the conclusion that this Thorin reminded me more of film-Thorin than the Thorin from the Hobbit-book. Am I the only one who thinks so? Oh and why did Tolkien not include that story in the LOTR appendices? I would have preferred it to some of the calendars.
I very much agree that film-Thorin is much more similar to the Thorin of "The Quest of Erebor" and of the LOTR appendix A than he is to the Thorin of The Hobbit (just younger looking). And I think that is a very good thing. As for why it wasn't included, for whatever reason he decided that there wasn't room. But at least we still get to read it, in several different versions.
K. Which places you have come across in your life have reminded you the most of certain locations in Middle-earth?
Redwood and Sequoia forests give me the feeling of Lothlórien, simply for the sense of awe that they generate. Also, when I look across Monterey Bay from Santa Cruz seeming the land out in the distance always makes me think of the Tol Eressëa.
"And tales and rumours arose along the shores of the sea concerning mariners and men forlorn upon the water who, by some fate or grace or favour of the Valar, had entered in upon the Straight Way and seen the face of the world sink below them, and so had come to the lamplit quays of Avallónë."
L. Which scenario for future film adaptations do you consider most likely to happen in the near future (10-20 years)?
1. A remake of “The Hobbit”/”The Lord of the Rings”
2. A spinoff film set in the Third Age, which concerns for ex. Aragorn or Earl?
3. A Silmarillion film?
4. A TV series
No opinion.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
