Tolkien's Lost Chaucer

De: John M. Bowers

Narrado por: Jennifer M. Dixon

Tolkien's Lost Chaucer uncovers the story of an unpublished and previously unknown book by the author of The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien worked between 1922 and 1928 on his Clarendon edition Selections from Chaucer's Poetry and Prose, and though never completed, its 160 pages of commentary reveals much of his thinking about language and storytelling when he was still at the threshold of his career as an epoch-making writer of fantasy literature. Drawing upon other new materials such as his edition of "The Reeve's Tale" and his Oxford lectures on "The Pardoner's Tale", this book reveals Chaucer as a major influence upon Tolkien's literary imagination.

©2019 John M. Bowers (P)2020 Tantor

English Major's Nerdy Pleasure

I knew Tolkien the philologist. I knew Tolkien the father of fantasy writing in the modern age. I knew Tolkien the Inkling, the Roman Catholic, the professor, and I think I had heard about Tolkien's role in the OED. I have a copy of Tolkien's *Beowulf* translation/commentary and Baugh's *Chaucer's Major Poetry.* Of course, it goes without saying that I still have my 1970s era *Hobbit/Lord of the Rings* collection.

HOWEVER, I did not know that Tolkien was a Chaucerian scholar who translated, compiled, and edited Clarendon Chaucer in the 1920s. Sadly, he never finished (rather the same way Chaucer never finished *The Canterbury Tales*) and his work was boxed up and shelved until rediscovered 2006. Bowers curated the notes, proofs, letters, and marginalia into a cohesive story of Tolkien's Chaucerian work, particularly his inability to be succinct. The book is a fascinating and deep look at Tolkien's linguistic mind and how he was influenced by his research into Middle English poetry.

I had no idea how much of Chaucer was in the *LoR.* Evidently even Tolkien didn't realize it until he read his proofs while preparing to teach the Pardoner's Tale.

Narrator Jennifer M. Dixon is excellent when sped up to 1.25%.