Tolkein’s Fingerprint
Comments: 4
This would make a great hoax.
New Tolkien book discovered
The AustralianA YELLOWING manuscript by J.R.R.Tolkien discovered in an Oxford library could become one of the publishing sensations of 2003.
The 2000 handwritten pages include Tolkien’s translation and appraisal of Beowulf, the epic 8th century Anglo-Saxon poem of bravery, friendship and monster-slaying that is thought to have inspired The Lord of the Rings.
Is this the tip-off line? –
“I started looking through, and realised I had found an entire book of material that had never seen the light of day. As I turned the page, there was Tolkien’s fingerprint in a smudge of ink.”
Talk about the black swan of trespass!
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Posted to Books • 2002.12.30 (Mon) • 21:12
Comments
Posted by captain nemo underwater 2003.01.06, 13:54
This is like a Sherlock Holms question: “How did Sherlock know the account was a hoax?” It works that way because your brain is working on the Beowulf part and thinking, “yea, could be.”
Posted by jh 2003.01.11, 15:48
I have been reading quite a bit about literary hoaxes recently (or a certain literary hoax) so yes, it’s defintely been on my mind.
I thought the fingerprint part could be the tip-off because how would we ever know whether it’s Tolkein’s fingerprint or not? I doubt he left a rap sheet we could check against.
Posted by jo 2003.11.24, 02:54
Tolkien’s fingerprint? How did they know it was his? Had he had a run-in with the law? I knew it: the Ring was plagiarism all along. BTW, after his death, I did some painting in his former writing room: no atmosphere whatsoever. Wanna see a pic? I am sure I can learn to use the scanner.
Posted by Tania Winter 2005.06.27, 22:35
People who do medieval lit. are lible to have other bad hobbits!
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