The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Volume 1: Chronology. Christina Scull

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СКАЧАТЬ College meeting. – He receives from Allen & Unwin proofs of signatures A–H of The Hobbit.

      21 February 1937 Tolkien writes to Allen & Unwin. He has corrected the first proofs of The Hobbit but would like to keep them until he has the complete set, since he has noticed some minor discrepancies in the text, and between the text and the illustrations, though few printers’ errors. He wishes to learn when the rest of the proofs will arrive, and notes that he will deal with them quickly as he can correct a batch of about eight signatures within twenty-four hours of receipt. He notes that the defects he had pointed out in The Trolls still appear in proof, and supposes that it has not been possible to correct them.

      24 February 1937 C.A. Furth writes to Tolkien. The fine lines in The Trolls have broken when reduced, but there is no room to enlarge the illustration. They plan to meet on Saturday, 27 February, and can discuss the point further at that time. – Tolkien receives the rest of the Hobbit proofs. He is asked to replace unavoidable alterations and deletions with words taking up as nearly as possible the same amount of space. With these, or soon afterward, he is sent rough proofs of the remaining two drawings, which are to be included in The Hobbit.

      27 February 1937 C.A. Furth visits Tolkien in Oxford. Tolkien will remark in his letter of ?10 March that he was a poor host, too concerned with his own troubles. Probably at this meeting Furth asks Tolkien to produce a design for the dust-jacket of The Hobbit.

      March 1937 In the preface to his edition of The Battle of Maldon (1937) E.V. Gordon thanks Tolkien for reading proof and making ‘many corrections and contributions…. Professor Tolkien, with characteristic generosity, gave me the solution to many of the textual and philological problems discussed in the following pages’ (p. vi).

      2 March 1937 The typescripts of Farmer Giles of Ham and Roverandom are returned to Tolkien by Allen & Unwin.

      4 March 1937 Tolkien attends an English Faculty Library Committee meeting. – A revised version of Tolkien’s poem Iumonna Gold Galdre Bewunden (first composed perhaps at the end of 1922) is published in the Oxford Magazine for 4 March 1937.

      ?10 March 1937 Tolkien returns to Allen & Unwin corrected proofs of The Hobbit with the two additional illustrations in position, as well as marked proofs of the two endpapers and the original drawing of Thror’s Map. He suggests that the endpapers would be best printed in black and red. In a letter to C.A. Furth he apologizes for sending them a week later than expected, but other matters suddenly became urgent, and also for the many alterations he has made. He realizes that he should have re-read The Hobbit before it went for typesetting. While proofreading he found considerable confusions of narrative and geography. He has had to alter about sixteen pages considerably, though he has tried as far as possible to ensure that the revisions occupy the same space as the text that was set. He thinks it advisable to see revised proofs of the most heavily altered sections. He asks if Allen & Unwin have decided when The Hobbit will be published; if at an early date, he will try to produce a dust-jacket design at once.

      12 March 1937 Tolkien chairs a meeting of the English Faculty Board. C.S. Lewis asks that four representatives of the Board meet the joint committee of the English and Classical Associations to consider Greek and English studies. He, Tolkien, M.R. Ridley, and possibly C.T. Onions are willing to do so.

      13 March 1937 Hilary Full Term ends.

      23 March 1937 C.A. Furth writes to Tolkien, confirming that he certainly will be sent proofs of the most heavily corrected sections of The Hobbit, though the printers might prefer to reset the entire book. Tolkien’s corrections may exceed an author’s usual allowance. It is unfortunate that Allen & Unwin had not realized that the typescript ‘which Miss Dagnall persuaded you to send us was never really intended for printing without further revision’ (Tolkien–George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins). The same colours must be used on both endpapers (Tolkien would prefer Wilderland to appear in black and blue); he agrees with Tolkien that black and red would be best. The runes, indistinct in the proof (in a failed attempt to suggest ‘moonletters’), will be replaced with the more carefully drawn version Tolkien has returned to them, and will be printed in black rather than red and without a halftone effect. The book will be published when it is ready. Allen & Unwin hope that Tolkien will be able to design a dust-jacket for The Hobbit, but this is not urgent as he still has to see revised proofs.

      30 March 1937 Tolkien writes to C.A. Furth. He hopes that revised proofs of The Hobbit will come to him during vacation, which ends on 24 April. He will try to produce a dust-jacket design for the book.

      31 March 1937 C.A. Furth writes to Tolkien, belatedly returning a Hobbit drawing. The printers are revising the typesetting of the whole book. They hope to send Tolkien some of the revised proofs the weekend of 3–4 April, and all of the proofs by about 7 April.

      7 April 1937 Oxford University Press sends Tolkien proofs of his essay Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.

      13 April 1937 Revised proofs for The Hobbit apparently having arrived as promised, Tolkien now returns them together with proofs of the endpapers. He writes to Allen & Unwin, pointing out that he has altered eight words to correct narrative errors he missed before, and he has marked a few other corrections, some of errors made in the revised typesetting. He takes note of the cost of excess correction, and ‘must pay what is just, if required; though I shall naturally be grateful for clemency’ (Letters, p. 16). He passes the endpapers but regrets that Wilderland is not being printed in black and blue as he had wished. He wonders if both endpapers would not be better in black and blue, which would mean changing ‘red’ to ‘blue’ on p. 30 of the text; but on second thought he decides to accept red. He is sorry that it has proved impossible (as it seems) to substitute better drawn runes he has supplied for Thror’s Map. He thinks some of the illustrations badly placed, but is unable to judge how they will fall on the finished page. He sends a draft design for the dust-jacket, but foresees objections: it has too many colours (blue, green, red, black); it needs simplifying; the lettering could be improved. He explains the runic inscription in the border. He would be glad to hear as soon as possible if the design is of any use, as he has little time left before the beginning of term in which to make a new drawing.

      15 April 1937 C.A. Furth writes to Tolkien. The margins around the Hobbit illustrations will be adjusted before printing. He apologizes for not including Tolkien’s more careful drawing of the ‘moon-letters’ for Thror’s Map, and cannot understand how this happened. He thinks the dust-jacket design ‘admirable’, but suggests that the red colouring be omitted, which would improve the clarity of the title and remove a ‘flush on the central mountain, which makes it look to our eyes just a trifle like a cake’ (Tolkien–George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins). He suggests that the runes in the border should be against a green background. He returns Tolkien’s original art for redrawing, and to ensure a jacket of correct proportions he will send Tolkien a dummy of the book.

      15–?17 April 1937 Tolkien takes a walking holiday in the *Quantock Hills in Somerset with C.S. Lewis and Owen Barfield. He finds it hard going to walk more than twenty miles a day in rough country while carrying a pack.

      25 April 1937 Trinity Full Term begins. Tolkien’s scheduled lectures and classes for this term are: Outlines of Old English Phonology and Grammar on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12.00 noon in the Examination Schools, beginning 27 April; and Old English Verse Texts (Class), at an hour and place to be arranged. – Tolkien writes to C.A. Furth. He has redrawn the Hobbit dust-jacket, but does not think it much improved. It is СКАЧАТЬ