fellowship

note on the text
out before us, sorted out, commented upon, and served up
to a reader like a feast. We are shown innumerable instances
in the minutest detail of the thought-process itself at work.
We see the author fully absorbed in creation for its own sake.
And this is all the more exceptional because this is a history
not only of the unfolding of a story and its text, but of the
evolution of a world. There is an additional wealth of material
beyond simple narrative text. There are maps and illustrations.
There are languages and writing systems, and the histories
of the peoples who spoke and wrote in these systems.
All of these additional materials add multiple dimensions of
complexity to our appreciation of the invented world itself.
Fifty years into the published life of The Lord of the Rings,
it seems extraordinary to me that we have not only such a
masterful work of literature but also as a companion to it an
unparalleled account of its writing. Our gratitude as readers
goes to both of the Tolkiens, father and son.
xix
Douglas A. Anderson
May 2004