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Letters from Father Christmas
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Can you imagine writing to Father Christmas and actually getting a reply? For more than twenty years, the children of J.R.R. Tolkien received letters from the North Pole - from Father Christmas himself! They told wonderful stories of mischief and disaster, adventures, and battles: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place, how the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's house, and many others.
Now, for the first time, these letters are brought to life with specially arranged holiday music.
REVIEW:
"Tolkien at his relaxed and ingenious best." The Times of London
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
J.R.R. TOLKIEN (1892-1973) is the creator of Middle-earth and author of such classic extraordinary works of fiction as 'The Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings', and 'The Silmarillion.' His books have been translated into more than fifty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.
©1997, 2004 (P)1997 Harper Collins UK
Can you imagine writing to Father Christmas and actually getting a reply? For more than twenty years, the children of J.R.R. Tolkien received letters from the North Pole - from Father Christmas himself! They told wonderful stories of mischief and disaster, adventures, and battles: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place, how the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's house, and many others.
Now, for the first time, these letters are brought to life with specially arranged holiday music.
REVIEW:
"Tolkien at his relaxed and ingenious best." The Times of London
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
J.R.R. TOLKIEN (1892-1973) is the creator of Middle-earth and author of such classic extraordinary works of fiction as 'The Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings', and 'The Silmarillion.' His books have been translated into more than fifty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.
©1997, 2004 (P)1997 Harper Collins UK
111 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 1976
3012 people are currently reading
30285 people want to read
About the author
J.R.R. Tolkien
786 books77.3k followersJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien: writer, artist, scholar, linguist. Known to millions around the world as the author of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien spent most of his life teaching at the University of Oxford where he was a distinguished academic in the fields of Old and Middle English and Old Norse. His creativity, confined to his spare time, found its outlet in fantasy works, stories for children, poetry, illustration and invented languages and alphabets.
Tolkien’s most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium’ that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children’s stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
Tolkien’s most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium’ that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children’s stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,452 reviews
December 21, 2018
Tolkien must have been an excellent farther to his children. To put so much thought and effort into the making of these letters speaks of nothing but devotion. They’re so well crafted by a master of the pen. The calligraphy, alone, is fantastic to look at. It’s quite revealing too. It’s like a little peek into the family life of the Tolkien’s, one which shows the patriarch as a kindly gentleman that he no doubt was. This is a great little book.
I do recommend this edition in particular because it shows the original print along with a text version. This means it can be read easily because some of the originals are quite dense.
I do recommend this edition in particular because it shows the original print along with a text version. This means it can be read easily because some of the originals are quite dense.
December 15, 2024
A lovely collection of illustrated letters from Father Christmas to Tolkien's children.
The tone and content of the letters changes over time to reflect the children growing up, andTolkien Father Christmas doesn’t shy away from mentioning the horrors of the world, including war and hunger. The letters incorporate aspects of the children’s lives and things they'd written to him, but there is some continuity in the stories of what FC and his elves etc get up to. Lovely illustrations, too.
There are similarities with Mervyn Peake's Letters from a Lost Uncle, which I reviewed HERE.
A Bonding Book that Made a Tolkienite (two, actually)
I love this because it prompted "Father Christmas" to write similar letters to my own child over several years and because it kindled the flames of Tolkien fandom in my child, and thus, albeit to a lesser extent, me.
We went on to The Hobbit (see my review HERE), which I had disliked as a child, sowing the seeds of overlapping, but distinct reading tastes, that continues to this day. It also led my child to a world of like-minded friends at school, university, and beyond.
The letters my child received (and wrote in reply) incorporated some of the characters and plot from Tolkien (the North Polar Bear, for instance), but added new characters (especially Windley, a naughty girl elf). As with Tolkien's children, the exchanges continued a little after the real author was known, but it remained a wonderful imaginative stimulus and a shared semi-secret world.
Lego was a great passion. My child had pirate Lego, Ancient Egyptian Lego, and Star Wars Lego amongst others, but really wanted Roman Lego. For several years, they wrote to Father Christmas, asking for some. Each year, Father Christmas found it harder to come up with a new excuse - especially once said child knew the truth of Father Christmas and presented ever more challenging arguments as to why the elves could surely make it, and that there would be many other enthusiastic recipients. Eventually, Father Christmas said that most Roman things were ruins now, so they could just use regular Lego as ruins!
When my child turned 18, I asked if they still wanted a stocking from Father Christmas, but they said they'd rather just have regular presents. That year, the final gift from Father Christmas was a solitary Lego figure - a Roman soldier. (Thank you, internet!)
The Big Question
When just beginning to question the plausibility of Father Christmas, my child asked "How does Father Christmas make a profit?" (probably after listening to my father pontificating on matters of economics and personal finance).
I'd have questioned the premise that he needs or wants to make a profit, but my husband came up with an excellent answer: branding, licensing, and franchising.
The Ethics of Lying about Father Christmas
When I was a new mother, I wondered about the ethics of telling and acting out such an overt and detailed "lie" as Father Christmas delivering presents. It seemed less obviously fiction than reading Peter Rabbit or recounting fairy stories, which I was happy to do.
I didn't want to deprive my child of a core part of our culture, but thought I might feel guilty for deceiving, or that they might feel betrayed when the truth came out.
I need not have worried: as soon as my child could talk, their vivid imagination was apparent. I was drawn into that world, and we redrew it together. If I hadn't "invented" Father Christmas and many other fantasies, my child would have done so. And I am glad.
Other Imaginary Friends
My child's purest inventions were Sitty the cat - for whom they tried to sneak real cat food into my shopping basket - and Sitty's friend, Ruffy the dog. Distinct personalities evolved, and we spent many hours creating, retelling, and reworking stories about them.
But there was one time when I found my child, aged about three, sobbing uncontrollably. Between the stifled, hiccuping tears, they told me Sitty had said she didn't want to be friends any more! What sort of imaginary friend says that?! Fortunately, she relented quite quickly, there was no long-term trauma, and it's now a well-loved family anecdote.
A vivid imagination, fed by good books, is a powerful, symbiotic, mystical force. Thank you Tolkien.
The tone and content of the letters changes over time to reflect the children growing up, and
There are similarities with Mervyn Peake's Letters from a Lost Uncle, which I reviewed HERE.
A Bonding Book that Made a Tolkienite (two, actually)
I love this because it prompted "Father Christmas" to write similar letters to my own child over several years and because it kindled the flames of Tolkien fandom in my child, and thus, albeit to a lesser extent, me.
We went on to The Hobbit (see my review HERE), which I had disliked as a child, sowing the seeds of overlapping, but distinct reading tastes, that continues to this day. It also led my child to a world of like-minded friends at school, university, and beyond.
The letters my child received (and wrote in reply) incorporated some of the characters and plot from Tolkien (the North Polar Bear, for instance), but added new characters (especially Windley, a naughty girl elf). As with Tolkien's children, the exchanges continued a little after the real author was known, but it remained a wonderful imaginative stimulus and a shared semi-secret world.
Lego was a great passion. My child had pirate Lego, Ancient Egyptian Lego, and Star Wars Lego amongst others, but really wanted Roman Lego. For several years, they wrote to Father Christmas, asking for some. Each year, Father Christmas found it harder to come up with a new excuse - especially once said child knew the truth of Father Christmas and presented ever more challenging arguments as to why the elves could surely make it, and that there would be many other enthusiastic recipients. Eventually, Father Christmas said that most Roman things were ruins now, so they could just use regular Lego as ruins!
When my child turned 18, I asked if they still wanted a stocking from Father Christmas, but they said they'd rather just have regular presents. That year, the final gift from Father Christmas was a solitary Lego figure - a Roman soldier. (Thank you, internet!)
The Big Question
When just beginning to question the plausibility of Father Christmas, my child asked "How does Father Christmas make a profit?" (probably after listening to my father pontificating on matters of economics and personal finance).
I'd have questioned the premise that he needs or wants to make a profit, but my husband came up with an excellent answer: branding, licensing, and franchising.
The Ethics of Lying about Father Christmas
When I was a new mother, I wondered about the ethics of telling and acting out such an overt and detailed "lie" as Father Christmas delivering presents. It seemed less obviously fiction than reading Peter Rabbit or recounting fairy stories, which I was happy to do.
I didn't want to deprive my child of a core part of our culture, but thought I might feel guilty for deceiving, or that they might feel betrayed when the truth came out.
I need not have worried: as soon as my child could talk, their vivid imagination was apparent. I was drawn into that world, and we redrew it together. If I hadn't "invented" Father Christmas and many other fantasies, my child would have done so. And I am glad.
Other Imaginary Friends
My child's purest inventions were Sitty the cat - for whom they tried to sneak real cat food into my shopping basket - and Sitty's friend, Ruffy the dog. Distinct personalities evolved, and we spent many hours creating, retelling, and reworking stories about them.
But there was one time when I found my child, aged about three, sobbing uncontrollably. Between the stifled, hiccuping tears, they told me Sitty had said she didn't want to be friends any more! What sort of imaginary friend says that?! Fortunately, she relented quite quickly, there was no long-term trauma, and it's now a well-loved family anecdote.
A vivid imagination, fed by good books, is a powerful, symbiotic, mystical force. Thank you Tolkien.
December 22, 2019
Even though Christmas has become so commercial and not many kids know the true meaning of Christmas, I‘ve always loved the magic of believing in Santa Claus or St. Nicholas or Father Christmas or the other names he’s known as throughout the world. I got to wondering this year whether or not the young children in my life, my two youngest grandchildren and four of my great nephews still believed. Their mothers said they do. I hope so, for one more year at least.
This is a lovely book of letters that Tolkien wrote his children over the years and they are loving and sweet and funny and they sometimes reflected the hard things that were happening around the world - the depression, the war. They also reflected the changes in his children over the years as his boys grow up and the last letters are to his youngest daughter. A father shares his love for his children and for the magic of Father Christmas with stories and drawings, adventures of gnomes and goblins and the wonderfully funny antics of Polar Bear. I wish he had included the letters that the children sent to Father Christmas. A beautiful book, nonetheless. Off to read “Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus”.
This is a lovely book of letters that Tolkien wrote his children over the years and they are loving and sweet and funny and they sometimes reflected the hard things that were happening around the world - the depression, the war. They also reflected the changes in his children over the years as his boys grow up and the last letters are to his youngest daughter. A father shares his love for his children and for the magic of Father Christmas with stories and drawings, adventures of gnomes and goblins and the wonderfully funny antics of Polar Bear. I wish he had included the letters that the children sent to Father Christmas. A beautiful book, nonetheless. Off to read “Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus”.
January 3, 2025
REREAD (2024): This books remains the perfect Christmas read. I'll literally never cherish anything more during the Christmas season. I assure you you will be bawling your eyes out by the end—it is the most wholesome, yet heartbreaking read. (Also makes me wanna reread all my other Tolkien books and get my hands on a biography of this man—he was simply the best!)
Quick list of my favorite moments:
● Tolkien started writing these letters when his eldest son, John, was three years old. He would continue to write them for over 20 years, until his youngest daughter, Priscilla, was 14 years old.
● Tolkien's different calligraphy styles are a sight to behold—he put so much thought into every single design of these letters, it makes me so soft, e.g. Polar Bear's handwriting is very clunky and big bc he has "a fat paw", as Polar Bear himself explains in one letter from 1925
● The 1925 ends thus: "Lots of love to you both and Christopher, whose name is rather like mine." (Christopher Tolkien was born November 1924.) And bestie, when I tell you I already BROKE DOWN CRYING reading these lines because Christopher would be the one kid who would do the most to keep his father's legacy alive—DO NOT TALK TO ME
● in 1927, year of the great depression, Father Christmas writes to the kids: "I get poorer and poorer: still I hope that I have managed to bring you all something you wanted." — as an adult it becomes so clear how much Tolkien struggled, yet still wanted to put his family first; THIS MAN! It's also noticeable how much more detailed this letter is compared to ones from previous years; though the kisd didn't get many materialistic presents that year, their father put all his love into the letter design
● in 1927, FC also writes: "I haven't heard from John this year, I suppose he is growing too big and won't even hang up his stocking soon." BESTIES I AM CRYING
● in 1929, PB's signature being his paw — I love it!
● Tolkien's illustrations are such a delight and it's fun to see how they echo his later illustrations for The Hobbit, e.g. the mountain from the 1931 letter (see p. 73)
● throughout the years, you can really tell that Christopher was the one child most enthusiastic about the letters and FC's stories; he seems to be the one who wrote the most back <3 — which again makes me so soft bc it's a foreshadowing to the later role that Christopher would play in his father's life and the huge contribution(s) he would make to his legacy
● the Christmas tree and skating on the frozen lake illustration on p. 114 might be my favorite (SO PRETTY!)
● the letter from 1934 also made me cry (AGAIN) bc it is one of the first letters directly addressed to Priscilla and in it, FC writes: "Dear Priscilla, thank you for your nice letters. Lots of love. [...] Can you read thus yourself yet: it is my best writing? Polar Bear sends love. He is glad you have called your bear Bingo: he thinks it is a jolly name..." And the reason this makes me cry is that I myself am reading this letter in 2024—I'm reading this letter adressed to 5-year-old Priscilla Tolkien, only to realise that in 2024 she has already been dead for two years. LIKE YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND, this is so beautiful, yet so depressing.
● Tolkien is also hella funny and there's so much fun banter between FC and PB and the elfs, one of my favorite dialogues comes when FC tries to write a poem for Priscilla stating "...You're half past nine" (in order for the rhyme to work), only for the elf to interject: "She's not a clock." — LMAO THIS IS PEAK HUMOR TO ME
● the letter from 1942 is so fucking detailed that I couldn't fail but note that it's remarkable HOW MUCH EFFORT Tolkien still put into these letters after literally two decades of writing them—IN A WORLD OF BOYS HE'S A ... GENTLEMAN !!!
● also the last letter from 1943, only addressed to Priscilla, in which FC states/laments that she will be hanging up her stocking just once more and their exchange will stop bc she is growing up and getting to old for these shenanigans (DO YOU HEAR ME SOB???), never fails to make me cry for another reason as well bc in it FC writes: "I shall not forget you. [Besties, I am already dissolved into tears!!!] We always keep the old numbers of our old friends, and their letters; and later on we hope to come back when they are grown up and have houses of their own and children." And besties, do you know why that makes me cry? Priscilla Tolkien lived to be 91 but never got married and certainly never had any children of my own. As I will likely share her fate I'm not saying that this wasn't by her own design (and who can blame her with a father who set the standard so damn high??) but it's still bittersweet to read how Tolkien envisioned the future of his daughter, only for it to turn out so differently.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (2018):
I can't believe I'm saying this but I finished this book bawling last night. I haven't cried so much upon finishing a book since ... oh well, I forgot I read Crooked Kingdom at the beginning of March but, you get me, it's been a month. ;)
This collection of Christmas letters touched me in a way I would've never anticipated. They are a manifestation of "show, not tell" – Tolkien's love for his kids, and how much thought and care and love for detail he put into their upbringing shines through his letters to them. It is so apparent how much love Tolkien had for his four children, how much love he had for storytelling, inventing languages, and drawing pictures.
I feel weird writing this but I felt so close to him as a human being and all of his children as well. We notice them growing up throughout the span of 23 years in which Tolkien wrote them these Father Christmas letters. We notice how the eldest no longer believes in Father Christmas, no longer puts up his stockings and no longer responds to F.C.'s letters. I noticed Tolkien's heartbreak over this as well. Of course, you want your kids to grow up and become their own people, but it's natural for parents to not want to let go so quickly. These moments of vulnerability touched me the most.
When the last letter came around in 1943, the year Tolkien's youngest child Priscilla forgot to write to Father Christmas because she no longer believed in him, I cried so so so much.
Oh boy, I'm getting really, really sappy over this but this collection is honestly my favorite work of Tolkien's. I'm aware that I wouldn't have loved it so much hadn't I read so much of his fiction before, and so on a rational level The Silmarillion will always be my fave, but on an emotional level it's these damn letters. They showed me how fucking much I vibe with Tolkien's sense of humor. He was so funny and clever with his jokes, I can't wrap my head around it.
These letters mean a heck of a lot to me and have solidified Tolkien as one of my absolute favorite authors. And yes, I'm reading Christmas books in April, don't @ me.
Quick list of my favorite moments:
● Tolkien started writing these letters when his eldest son, John, was three years old. He would continue to write them for over 20 years, until his youngest daughter, Priscilla, was 14 years old.
● Tolkien's different calligraphy styles are a sight to behold—he put so much thought into every single design of these letters, it makes me so soft, e.g. Polar Bear's handwriting is very clunky and big bc he has "a fat paw", as Polar Bear himself explains in one letter from 1925
● The 1925 ends thus: "Lots of love to you both and Christopher, whose name is rather like mine." (Christopher Tolkien was born November 1924.) And bestie, when I tell you I already BROKE DOWN CRYING reading these lines because Christopher would be the one kid who would do the most to keep his father's legacy alive—DO NOT TALK TO ME
● in 1927, year of the great depression, Father Christmas writes to the kids: "I get poorer and poorer: still I hope that I have managed to bring you all something you wanted." — as an adult it becomes so clear how much Tolkien struggled, yet still wanted to put his family first; THIS MAN! It's also noticeable how much more detailed this letter is compared to ones from previous years; though the kisd didn't get many materialistic presents that year, their father put all his love into the letter design
● in 1927, FC also writes: "I haven't heard from John this year, I suppose he is growing too big and won't even hang up his stocking soon." BESTIES I AM CRYING
● in 1929, PB's signature being his paw — I love it!
● Tolkien's illustrations are such a delight and it's fun to see how they echo his later illustrations for The Hobbit, e.g. the mountain from the 1931 letter (see p. 73)
● throughout the years, you can really tell that Christopher was the one child most enthusiastic about the letters and FC's stories; he seems to be the one who wrote the most back <3 — which again makes me so soft bc it's a foreshadowing to the later role that Christopher would play in his father's life and the huge contribution(s) he would make to his legacy
● the Christmas tree and skating on the frozen lake illustration on p. 114 might be my favorite (SO PRETTY!)
● the letter from 1934 also made me cry (AGAIN) bc it is one of the first letters directly addressed to Priscilla and in it, FC writes: "Dear Priscilla, thank you for your nice letters. Lots of love. [...] Can you read thus yourself yet: it is my best writing? Polar Bear sends love. He is glad you have called your bear Bingo: he thinks it is a jolly name..." And the reason this makes me cry is that I myself am reading this letter in 2024—I'm reading this letter adressed to 5-year-old Priscilla Tolkien, only to realise that in 2024 she has already been dead for two years. LIKE YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND, this is so beautiful, yet so depressing.
● Tolkien is also hella funny and there's so much fun banter between FC and PB and the elfs, one of my favorite dialogues comes when FC tries to write a poem for Priscilla stating "...You're half past nine" (in order for the rhyme to work), only for the elf to interject: "She's not a clock." — LMAO THIS IS PEAK HUMOR TO ME
● the letter from 1942 is so fucking detailed that I couldn't fail but note that it's remarkable HOW MUCH EFFORT Tolkien still put into these letters after literally two decades of writing them—IN A WORLD OF BOYS HE'S A ... GENTLEMAN !!!
● also the last letter from 1943, only addressed to Priscilla, in which FC states/laments that she will be hanging up her stocking just once more and their exchange will stop bc she is growing up and getting to old for these shenanigans (DO YOU HEAR ME SOB???), never fails to make me cry for another reason as well bc in it FC writes: "I shall not forget you. [Besties, I am already dissolved into tears!!!] We always keep the old numbers of our old friends, and their letters; and later on we hope to come back when they are grown up and have houses of their own and children." And besties, do you know why that makes me cry? Priscilla Tolkien lived to be 91 but never got married and certainly never had any children of my own. As I will likely share her fate I'm not saying that this wasn't by her own design (and who can blame her with a father who set the standard so damn high??) but it's still bittersweet to read how Tolkien envisioned the future of his daughter, only for it to turn out so differently.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (2018):
I can't believe I'm saying this but I finished this book bawling last night. I haven't cried so much upon finishing a book since ... oh well, I forgot I read Crooked Kingdom at the beginning of March but, you get me, it's been a month. ;)
This collection of Christmas letters touched me in a way I would've never anticipated. They are a manifestation of "show, not tell" – Tolkien's love for his kids, and how much thought and care and love for detail he put into their upbringing shines through his letters to them. It is so apparent how much love Tolkien had for his four children, how much love he had for storytelling, inventing languages, and drawing pictures.
I feel weird writing this but I felt so close to him as a human being and all of his children as well. We notice them growing up throughout the span of 23 years in which Tolkien wrote them these Father Christmas letters. We notice how the eldest no longer believes in Father Christmas, no longer puts up his stockings and no longer responds to F.C.'s letters. I noticed Tolkien's heartbreak over this as well. Of course, you want your kids to grow up and become their own people, but it's natural for parents to not want to let go so quickly. These moments of vulnerability touched me the most.
When the last letter came around in 1943, the year Tolkien's youngest child Priscilla forgot to write to Father Christmas because she no longer believed in him, I cried so so so much.
My dear Priscilla,It really reminded me of the interaction between Kat and her father in 10 Things I Hate About You: "You know fathers don't like to admit it when their daughters are capable of running their own lives. It means we've become spectators. Bianca still let's me play a few innings - you've had me on the bench for years. When you go to Sarah Lawrence, I won't even be able to watch the game."
A very happy Christmas! I suppose you will be hanging up your stocking just once more: I hope so for I have still a few things for you. After this I shall have to say "goodbye", more or less: I mean, I shall not forget you. We always keep the old numbers of our old friends, and their letters; and later on we hope to come back when they are grown up and have houses of their own and children.
Oh boy, I'm getting really, really sappy over this but this collection is honestly my favorite work of Tolkien's. I'm aware that I wouldn't have loved it so much hadn't I read so much of his fiction before, and so on a rational level The Silmarillion will always be my fave, but on an emotional level it's these damn letters. They showed me how fucking much I vibe with Tolkien's sense of humor. He was so funny and clever with his jokes, I can't wrap my head around it.
At twelve, or later,I loved that he created these different personas (Father Christmas, the North Polar Bear, Ilbereth etc.) because the interaction between them (in the letters) was fucking golden and remained authentic and true to their origin throughout the curse of 23 years, e.g. the North Polar Bear always interjecting "RUDE" when the other characters were calling him out. :> How is that even possible? Tolkien was such a dedicated hoe, I am shooketh! But he also didn't fail to address important issues of the time such as World War II and the environment. I loved that he raised his kids to value humility and see things in perspectives; after all, looking at the grand scheme of things, these UK kids were very well off.
he will arrive – and hopes once more
that he has chosen from his store
the things you want. You're half past nine;
[Ilbereth interjecting: She is not a clock!]
These letters mean a heck of a lot to me and have solidified Tolkien as one of my absolute favorite authors. And yes, I'm reading Christmas books in April, don't @ me.
December 20, 2025
The letters that “Father Nicholas Christmas” wrote to the children of J.R.R. Tolkien between the years 1920 and 1943 represent one of the most impressive Christmas gifts that I know of. A talented author with a unique gift for building fantasy worlds enhanced the magic of his family’s Christmas seasons through a decades-long series of annual letters that, over time, developed an elaborate and internally consistent world of the kind for which Tolkien is known and loved. Those letters, collected by Baillie Tolkien and published in 1976 as Letters from Father Christmas, provide a unique look into Tolkien’s literary imagination, and make for a Christmas book of particular imaginative depth and resonance.
One single letter from 1920, addressed to 3-year-old John and sent from “Christmas House, North Pole,” constitutes a modest beginning to what later becomes a sort of epic Christmas fantasy. Father Christmas, in shaky red handwriting, assures little John in his one-page letter that “I am just off now for Oxford with my bundle of toys” (p. 10). It is a quiet introduction to what will become a particularly magical Christmas land.
By 1923, Father Christmas is getting a bit more detailed in his setting-forth of North Pole life. He informs 6-year-old John that he thinks the reason for his shaky handwriting is that “I am nineteen hundred and twenty four – no, seven! – years old on Christmas Day” (p. 15) – reflecting, perhaps, Father Christmas’ awareness that Great Britain’s switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, back in 1752, makes him three years older than he thought he was. The letters abound in just this kind of fun and vivid detail; and 1923 also represents the beginning of Father Christmas sending his letters, without fail, to the Tolkien children every December for the next 20 years.
By December 20, 1926, when Father Christmas is writing from “Cliff House, Top of the World,” to 9-year-old John, 6-year-old Michael, and 2-year-old Christopher, the world of Cliff House is being set forth in more complete detail. The letters, with North Pole stamps and postmarks, are longer and more elaborate, and are accompanied by drawings that give this North Pole world a gorgeous, otherworldly feel – much like the Tolkien illustrations that one can see on the covers of the Ballantine Books paperback printings of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
And new characters have made their presence known as well. An unintentional agent of chaos is the North Polar Bear, a friendly and well-meaning fellow who nonetheless has a penchant for accidentally causing some trouble. In the 1926 letter, Father Christmas tells the Tolkien boys how “The tap for turning on the Rory Bory Aylis fireworks is still in the cellar of my old house. The North Polar Bear knew he must never, never touch it. I only let it off on special days like Christmas.” But the North Polar Bear, thinking that the tap had been cut off, inadvertently flooded the pole with two years’ worth of Northern Lights illumination in just one night. Stars were shaken out of place, and the Man in the Moon fell into Father Christmas’ back garden. Father Christmas adds that the Man in the Moon “ate quite a lot of my Christmas chocolates before he said he felt better and climbed back to mend it and get the stars tidy” (p. 26).
The 1927 letter to the Tolkien boys shows that order has been to some extent restored – Father Christmas reports that the Man in the Moon, knocked out of the sky the year before, “paid me a visit the other day – a fortnight ago exactly – he often does about this time, as he gets lonely in the Moon, and we make him a nice little Plum Pudding (he is so fond of things with plums in!)” (p. 33)
Yet the North Polar Bear continues to be an unintentional agent of chaos; F.C. reports that “Yesterday he was snowballing the Snow Man in the garden and pushed him over the edge of the cliff so that he fell into my sleigh at the bottom and broke lots of things – one of them was himself. I used some of what was left of him to paint my white picture. We shall have to make ourselves a new gardener when we are less busy” (pp. 32-33). The North Polar Bear, whose handwriting – a thick, runic scrawl – contrasts with Father Christmas’ shaky penmanship – regularly inserts into the letters fun defences of his own behaviour.
The illustrations throughout Letters from Father Christmas are a particular treat. One picture, from the 1929 letter, is described by Father Christmas as “a special picture” for 5-year-old Christopher; Father Christmas says that “It shows me crossing the sea on the upper North wind, while a South West gale – reindeer hate it – is raising big waves below” (p. 49). In the accompanying illustration, Father Christmas, seen from a distance, looks rather like a red-suited Gandalf, standing at the reins of his sleigh; reindeer push forward gamely against grey-clouded winter skies, whilst a stormy sea of pastel blues and greens rages below.
And while we’re on the subject of reindeer, aficionados of the flying variant of the genus Rangifer will be glad to hear Father Christmas expatiate on the proper way to deploy flying reindeer on Christmas Eve. In his letter of December 23, 1932, Father Christmas informs all four of the Tolkien children that “I usually use 7 pair (14 is such a nice number), and at Christmas, especially if I am hurried, I add my 2 special white ones in front” (p. 81). No red-nosed Rudolph in the lead, I’m sorry to say; the book Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer did not appear on the scene until 1939, and the Gene Autry song would be another ten years in the making.
The letters also reflect the often-difficult reality of the historical context within which Tolkien – excuse me, Father Christmas – is writing. Against the backdrop of a worldwide economic depression, Father Christmas adds that “I am not able to carry quite as much toy-cargo as usual this year, as I am taking a good deal of food and clothes (useful stuff): there are far too many people in your land, and others, who are hungry and cold this winter” (p. 85). Here, one senses how a loving parent is trying to acknowledge uncomfortable realities while at the same time providing comfort and reassurance for his children.
As Christmases follow upon one another, the world of Letters from Father Christmas comes more and more to resemble that of The Lord of the Rings. Cliff House is periodically invaded by goblins, and the North Polar Bear distinguishes himself in the fights that result. Father Christmas hires an Elven assistant named Ilbereth, whose elegant script contrasts with both Father Christmas’s shaky handwriting and North Polar Bear’s thick runic scrawl.
With the beginning of the Second World War in 1939, Father Christmas finds that he must acknowledge the terrible reality of that war. Writing solely to 10-year-old Priscilla on Christmas Eve in 1939, Father Christmas states that “I am very busy and things are very difficult this year owing to this horrible war. Many of my messengers have never come back” (p. 134). One year later, again to Priscilla, he writes that “This horrible war is reducing all our stocks, and in so many countries children are living far from their homes” (pp. 140-41). And in the 1941 letter to Priscilla, he reports that fewer children are even writing to F.C. “I expect it is because of this horrible war, and that when it is over things will improve again, and I shall be as busy as ever. But at present many people have lost their homes: or have left them; half the world seems in the wrong place” (p. 143).
And two years later, in the last of the letters, Father Christmas writes to 14-year-old Priscilla at Christmas of 1943 that “I suppose you will be hanging up your stocking just once more; I hope so, for I have still a few little things for you.” Parents all round the world may find a special pathos in the words that follow – Father Christmas’ parting words to the last of the Tolkien children with whom he corresponds: “After this, I shall have to say ‘goodbye’, more or less; I mean, I shall not forget you. We always keep the numbers of our old friends, and their letters; and later on we hope to come back when they are grown up and have houses of their own and children” (pp. 156-57).
It is a moving evocation of the way Christmas traditions grow and change over the years, in families that celebrate the holiday – and is part of what makes Letters from Father Christmas such a particularly memorable Christmas book.
One single letter from 1920, addressed to 3-year-old John and sent from “Christmas House, North Pole,” constitutes a modest beginning to what later becomes a sort of epic Christmas fantasy. Father Christmas, in shaky red handwriting, assures little John in his one-page letter that “I am just off now for Oxford with my bundle of toys” (p. 10). It is a quiet introduction to what will become a particularly magical Christmas land.
By 1923, Father Christmas is getting a bit more detailed in his setting-forth of North Pole life. He informs 6-year-old John that he thinks the reason for his shaky handwriting is that “I am nineteen hundred and twenty four – no, seven! – years old on Christmas Day” (p. 15) – reflecting, perhaps, Father Christmas’ awareness that Great Britain’s switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, back in 1752, makes him three years older than he thought he was. The letters abound in just this kind of fun and vivid detail; and 1923 also represents the beginning of Father Christmas sending his letters, without fail, to the Tolkien children every December for the next 20 years.
By December 20, 1926, when Father Christmas is writing from “Cliff House, Top of the World,” to 9-year-old John, 6-year-old Michael, and 2-year-old Christopher, the world of Cliff House is being set forth in more complete detail. The letters, with North Pole stamps and postmarks, are longer and more elaborate, and are accompanied by drawings that give this North Pole world a gorgeous, otherworldly feel – much like the Tolkien illustrations that one can see on the covers of the Ballantine Books paperback printings of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
And new characters have made their presence known as well. An unintentional agent of chaos is the North Polar Bear, a friendly and well-meaning fellow who nonetheless has a penchant for accidentally causing some trouble. In the 1926 letter, Father Christmas tells the Tolkien boys how “The tap for turning on the Rory Bory Aylis fireworks is still in the cellar of my old house. The North Polar Bear knew he must never, never touch it. I only let it off on special days like Christmas.” But the North Polar Bear, thinking that the tap had been cut off, inadvertently flooded the pole with two years’ worth of Northern Lights illumination in just one night. Stars were shaken out of place, and the Man in the Moon fell into Father Christmas’ back garden. Father Christmas adds that the Man in the Moon “ate quite a lot of my Christmas chocolates before he said he felt better and climbed back to mend it and get the stars tidy” (p. 26).
The 1927 letter to the Tolkien boys shows that order has been to some extent restored – Father Christmas reports that the Man in the Moon, knocked out of the sky the year before, “paid me a visit the other day – a fortnight ago exactly – he often does about this time, as he gets lonely in the Moon, and we make him a nice little Plum Pudding (he is so fond of things with plums in!)” (p. 33)
Yet the North Polar Bear continues to be an unintentional agent of chaos; F.C. reports that “Yesterday he was snowballing the Snow Man in the garden and pushed him over the edge of the cliff so that he fell into my sleigh at the bottom and broke lots of things – one of them was himself. I used some of what was left of him to paint my white picture. We shall have to make ourselves a new gardener when we are less busy” (pp. 32-33). The North Polar Bear, whose handwriting – a thick, runic scrawl – contrasts with Father Christmas’ shaky penmanship – regularly inserts into the letters fun defences of his own behaviour.
The illustrations throughout Letters from Father Christmas are a particular treat. One picture, from the 1929 letter, is described by Father Christmas as “a special picture” for 5-year-old Christopher; Father Christmas says that “It shows me crossing the sea on the upper North wind, while a South West gale – reindeer hate it – is raising big waves below” (p. 49). In the accompanying illustration, Father Christmas, seen from a distance, looks rather like a red-suited Gandalf, standing at the reins of his sleigh; reindeer push forward gamely against grey-clouded winter skies, whilst a stormy sea of pastel blues and greens rages below.
And while we’re on the subject of reindeer, aficionados of the flying variant of the genus Rangifer will be glad to hear Father Christmas expatiate on the proper way to deploy flying reindeer on Christmas Eve. In his letter of December 23, 1932, Father Christmas informs all four of the Tolkien children that “I usually use 7 pair (14 is such a nice number), and at Christmas, especially if I am hurried, I add my 2 special white ones in front” (p. 81). No red-nosed Rudolph in the lead, I’m sorry to say; the book Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer did not appear on the scene until 1939, and the Gene Autry song would be another ten years in the making.
The letters also reflect the often-difficult reality of the historical context within which Tolkien – excuse me, Father Christmas – is writing. Against the backdrop of a worldwide economic depression, Father Christmas adds that “I am not able to carry quite as much toy-cargo as usual this year, as I am taking a good deal of food and clothes (useful stuff): there are far too many people in your land, and others, who are hungry and cold this winter” (p. 85). Here, one senses how a loving parent is trying to acknowledge uncomfortable realities while at the same time providing comfort and reassurance for his children.
As Christmases follow upon one another, the world of Letters from Father Christmas comes more and more to resemble that of The Lord of the Rings. Cliff House is periodically invaded by goblins, and the North Polar Bear distinguishes himself in the fights that result. Father Christmas hires an Elven assistant named Ilbereth, whose elegant script contrasts with both Father Christmas’s shaky handwriting and North Polar Bear’s thick runic scrawl.
With the beginning of the Second World War in 1939, Father Christmas finds that he must acknowledge the terrible reality of that war. Writing solely to 10-year-old Priscilla on Christmas Eve in 1939, Father Christmas states that “I am very busy and things are very difficult this year owing to this horrible war. Many of my messengers have never come back” (p. 134). One year later, again to Priscilla, he writes that “This horrible war is reducing all our stocks, and in so many countries children are living far from their homes” (pp. 140-41). And in the 1941 letter to Priscilla, he reports that fewer children are even writing to F.C. “I expect it is because of this horrible war, and that when it is over things will improve again, and I shall be as busy as ever. But at present many people have lost their homes: or have left them; half the world seems in the wrong place” (p. 143).
And two years later, in the last of the letters, Father Christmas writes to 14-year-old Priscilla at Christmas of 1943 that “I suppose you will be hanging up your stocking just once more; I hope so, for I have still a few little things for you.” Parents all round the world may find a special pathos in the words that follow – Father Christmas’ parting words to the last of the Tolkien children with whom he corresponds: “After this, I shall have to say ‘goodbye’, more or less; I mean, I shall not forget you. We always keep the numbers of our old friends, and their letters; and later on we hope to come back when they are grown up and have houses of their own and children” (pp. 156-57).
It is a moving evocation of the way Christmas traditions grow and change over the years, in families that celebrate the holiday – and is part of what makes Letters from Father Christmas such a particularly memorable Christmas book.
December 26, 2022
Christmas Letters
Wow, Tolkien's children received letters from Santa from 1920 to 1943, until his youngest daughter was 14. In this collection of letters, Santa shares his adventure at the North Pole with goblins, elves, gnomes, and polar bears. I can't imagine how thrilled his children must have been to get these every year.
Love the spirit of Christmas and father's love.💌🎄
Wow, Tolkien's children received letters from Santa from 1920 to 1943, until his youngest daughter was 14. In this collection of letters, Santa shares his adventure at the North Pole with goblins, elves, gnomes, and polar bears. I can't imagine how thrilled his children must have been to get these every year.
Love the spirit of Christmas and father's love.💌🎄
December 24, 2025
Another wonderful annual re-read!!
A masterful piece of writing by J.R.R. Tolkien, which is a collection of the letters he penned as ‘Father Christmas’ over the years of his children’s upbringing. The letters are in response to those sent by the Tolkien children over the years, in which Father Christmas explores some of the drama he had up at the North Pole. With a handful of splendid characters who add even more excitement in a way only Tolkien can do, this is the perfect collection to read each and every year. I highly recommend the audio version, as it increases the excitement even more!
Kudos, Mr. Tolkien, for another great piece. I may not be a fantasy nut, but this book was right up my alley!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A masterful piece of writing by J.R.R. Tolkien, which is a collection of the letters he penned as ‘Father Christmas’ over the years of his children’s upbringing. The letters are in response to those sent by the Tolkien children over the years, in which Father Christmas explores some of the drama he had up at the North Pole. With a handful of splendid characters who add even more excitement in a way only Tolkien can do, this is the perfect collection to read each and every year. I highly recommend the audio version, as it increases the excitement even more!
Kudos, Mr. Tolkien, for another great piece. I may not be a fantasy nut, but this book was right up my alley!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
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December 8, 2021
[First read: 28th November, 2015.
Second read: 10th December, 2016.]
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is best known for his high fantasy series The Lord of the Rings and the pre-cursor, The Hobbit, as well as being one of the foremost respected professors on Anglo-Saxon Britain, but behind closed doors he was a wonderful father and a tremendous family man. He had four children, John, Michael, Christopher and Priscilla, and with every passing year they would receive hand-written and illustrated replies from Father Christmas, detailing all of his escapades up in the North Pole.
This book is a wonder to behold. I am a pro-consumerist, anti-capitalist far-left-wing socialist and I pretty much despise Christmas, but this book holds within its pages every little thing that I can tolerate about the festive holidays. This is what I wish Christmas were still about: not spending £50 on cards, or buying a PS4 and an XBOX One for your child because they want both of them, but loving your family through thick and thin, and war, and using Father Christmas as a catalyst for teaching young children the importance of giving as well as receiving and the value of money.
Each letter was hand-written by Tolkien in a shaky script to denote Father Christmas's advanced years, but his drawings were utterly superb. Every year, Father Christmas would try and sort out all the world's presents, but Polar Bear and his friends would upset everything whilst having an enormous amount of fun. As the years went by, more and more characters were added and a whole race of Goblins was brought in to wage war against the beautiful splendour of Father Christmas.
The thing that struck me the most about this book is the fact that I was surprised how surprised I was at Tolkien's imagination. He also tried to deal with things like war in a way that a child can understand without shying away from how truly terrible it is. It is a lesson in Being Bloody Nice and I truly loved this book. It made me believe that one day I may end up liking Christmas: perhaps maybe even loving it.
Second read: 10th December, 2016.]
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is best known for his high fantasy series The Lord of the Rings and the pre-cursor, The Hobbit, as well as being one of the foremost respected professors on Anglo-Saxon Britain, but behind closed doors he was a wonderful father and a tremendous family man. He had four children, John, Michael, Christopher and Priscilla, and with every passing year they would receive hand-written and illustrated replies from Father Christmas, detailing all of his escapades up in the North Pole.
This book is a wonder to behold. I am a pro-consumerist, anti-capitalist far-left-wing socialist and I pretty much despise Christmas, but this book holds within its pages every little thing that I can tolerate about the festive holidays. This is what I wish Christmas were still about: not spending £50 on cards, or buying a PS4 and an XBOX One for your child because they want both of them, but loving your family through thick and thin, and war, and using Father Christmas as a catalyst for teaching young children the importance of giving as well as receiving and the value of money.
Each letter was hand-written by Tolkien in a shaky script to denote Father Christmas's advanced years, but his drawings were utterly superb. Every year, Father Christmas would try and sort out all the world's presents, but Polar Bear and his friends would upset everything whilst having an enormous amount of fun. As the years went by, more and more characters were added and a whole race of Goblins was brought in to wage war against the beautiful splendour of Father Christmas.
The thing that struck me the most about this book is the fact that I was surprised how surprised I was at Tolkien's imagination. He also tried to deal with things like war in a way that a child can understand without shying away from how truly terrible it is. It is a lesson in Being Bloody Nice and I truly loved this book. It made me believe that one day I may end up liking Christmas: perhaps maybe even loving it.
December 8, 2015
3.5 When I first started reading this I thought what a fantastic idea, one I wish I has thought of when my children were young. Soon though I was caught up in the letters, waiting for the further adventures of polar bear and the cubs, the goblins and the old Ancient bear as well as the happenings on the North Pole. We can tell as the children age and quit believing in Santa as well as insights to what is happening in the rest of the world. Loved the colored pictures too.
Clever, clever, Tolkien. Lucky, lucky children.
Clever, clever, Tolkien. Lucky, lucky children.
December 5, 2022
What a darling little book of letters written from J.R.R. Tolkien (Father Christmas) to his children, John, Michael, Christopher and Pricilla. I found it interesting that a man of so much imagination gave his children such common names.
The illustrations that he drew to accompany the letters are remarkable and I shall now think of Polar Bear as a Christmas staple, the way I think of the Grinch.
What a lovely glimpse into the person Tolkien was! These are very personal interactions with his children and say quite a lot about his relationship with them.
Here’s to Christmas, imagination and fathers.
(A special thank you to my friend, Angela M., for putting this one on my radar).
The illustrations that he drew to accompany the letters are remarkable and I shall now think of Polar Bear as a Christmas staple, the way I think of the Grinch.
What a lovely glimpse into the person Tolkien was! These are very personal interactions with his children and say quite a lot about his relationship with them.
Here’s to Christmas, imagination and fathers.
(A special thank you to my friend, Angela M., for putting this one on my radar).
December 24, 2021
Excuse thick writing I have a fat paw. I help Father Christmas with his packing; I live with him. I am the GREAT (Polar) BEAR
J.R.R. Tolkien ~~ Letters from Father Christmas
This was my first J.R.R. Tolkien read. I was enchanted by this delightful book.
Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien's children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful color drawing. They were from Father Christmas, telling wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: How all the reindeer got loose and scattered all over the place; How the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's house in the dining room; How he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; How there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lives in the caves beneath the house, and many more! Sometimes the Polar Bear would scrawl a note, and sometimes Ilbereth the Elf would write in his elegant flowing script, adding yet more life and humor to the stories.
Polar Bear always seems to get himself into trouble whether he is falling down the stairs, overflowing the bathtub, breaking the North Pole or turning on two years worth of the Northern Lights all at one time. Luckily Santa is patient with him and Polar Bear eventually saves the day when the North Pole is invaded by evil goblins who want to steal all the presents. Letters from Father Christmas is sure to delight readers of all ages.
I will enjoy myself for years to come rereading this book, and making it part of my Christmas reading traditions.
J.R.R. Tolkien ~~ Letters from Father Christmas
This was my first J.R.R. Tolkien read. I was enchanted by this delightful book.
Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien's children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful color drawing. They were from Father Christmas, telling wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: How all the reindeer got loose and scattered all over the place; How the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's house in the dining room; How he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; How there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lives in the caves beneath the house, and many more! Sometimes the Polar Bear would scrawl a note, and sometimes Ilbereth the Elf would write in his elegant flowing script, adding yet more life and humor to the stories.
Polar Bear always seems to get himself into trouble whether he is falling down the stairs, overflowing the bathtub, breaking the North Pole or turning on two years worth of the Northern Lights all at one time. Luckily Santa is patient with him and Polar Bear eventually saves the day when the North Pole is invaded by evil goblins who want to steal all the presents. Letters from Father Christmas is sure to delight readers of all ages.
I will enjoy myself for years to come rereading this book, and making it part of my Christmas reading traditions.
December 29, 2022
What a delightful book. Tolkien took time every year, not only to write a letter to his Children as Father Christmas, but to decorate the letter, draw Pictures and take special care with the lettering (in different colors), using different handwriting styles for Father Christmas, the Polar Bear and the Elf Illbereth. The stories are funny, but even hard to read as they were on a Kindle the letters themselves were gorgeous and fun to look at. He must have spent hours each December concocting and creating them with loving care.
Second “reading”:
I listened to an audiobook version, which was nice, except for the musical interludes. They weren’t bad per se, but very repetitive and too long. About 75% of them were the same tune (Joy to the World) and the rest split between two other tunes. The narrators were very good and I enjoyed the reading of the letters.
This book is really infinitely better in print, preferably on actual paper with the wonderful drawings Tolkien included in the letters. It’s lovely to listen to it and look at the book at the same time.
Second “reading”:
I listened to an audiobook version, which was nice, except for the musical interludes. They weren’t bad per se, but very repetitive and too long. About 75% of them were the same tune (Joy to the World) and the rest split between two other tunes. The narrators were very good and I enjoyed the reading of the letters.
This book is really infinitely better in print, preferably on actual paper with the wonderful drawings Tolkien included in the letters. It’s lovely to listen to it and look at the book at the same time.
December 26, 2018
Quite charming collection of letters Tolkien wrote ummm I mean Nicholas Christmas wrote to Tolkien's children during the 1930s. I think this would be best enjoyed with a cup of eggnog, a fireside, a hardback copy to look at the illustrations, and the audio copy to follow along with the reader.
12/25/18 annual audio reread #268
12/25/18 annual audio reread #268
December 24, 2018
This was so sweet and heartfelt. Such lucky children to have Tolkien as their father. And such gorgeous illustrations!! Really worth reading around Christmas time. This will certainly be a book I share with my future children.
December 29, 2019
Reread December 2019:
Honestly, there's nothing I have to say here except:
1) the illustrations are precious
2) tOLKIEN
3) HE WROTE THIS
4) and it's Christmas themed
5) so like . . . go read it?
(yes, this is my fourth year in a row reading it & I will never stop)
/ / /
Reread December 2018:
This never fails to make me smile. My favorite Christmas read. :)
/ / /
Reread December 2017:
OKAY SO IT'S ADORABLE. And it's written by Tolkien.
That's all you need to know. ;)
/ / /
I loved this so much! *hugs book* It's definitely the best Christmas book I've read--and it will for sure be something I reread again at Christmastime. ^_^ Honestly, it reminds me so much of The Hobbit, purely because of the fun characters and humor. An instant Christmas favorite. <3
Honestly, there's nothing I have to say here except:
1) the illustrations are precious
2) tOLKIEN
3) HE WROTE THIS
4) and it's Christmas themed
5) so like . . . go read it?
(yes, this is my fourth year in a row reading it & I will never stop)
/ / /
Reread December 2018:
This never fails to make me smile. My favorite Christmas read. :)
/ / /
Reread December 2017:
OKAY SO IT'S ADORABLE. And it's written by Tolkien.
That's all you need to know. ;)
/ / /
I loved this so much! *hugs book* It's definitely the best Christmas book I've read--and it will for sure be something I reread again at Christmastime. ^_^ Honestly, it reminds me so much of The Hobbit, purely because of the fun characters and humor. An instant Christmas favorite. <3
December 21, 2023
“I hope you will like the little things I have sent you.”
Of course, dear Santa! I loved each and every present you ever brought! You brightened my world; you were invisible, yet your presence at a specific time on a specific night, filled my heart with joy and warmed my soul. May you always live!
Helga
This book is a collection of letters written by the real old Santa from the North Pole between 1920 and 1943.
Cast of characters include Santa, his secretary who’s naturally an elf and an unsurprisingly sleepy Polar bear and two cubs. Goblins (guess whom they represent) also make an appearance. While the rivalry between the elf and the polar bear and their misadventures put smiles on our faces, the letters themselves are tinged with sadness, as they were mostly written during the Second World War.
Of course, dear Santa! I loved each and every present you ever brought! You brightened my world; you were invisible, yet your presence at a specific time on a specific night, filled my heart with joy and warmed my soul. May you always live!
Helga
This book is a collection of letters written by the real old Santa from the North Pole between 1920 and 1943.
Cast of characters include Santa, his secretary who’s naturally an elf and an unsurprisingly sleepy Polar bear and two cubs. Goblins (guess whom they represent) also make an appearance. While the rivalry between the elf and the polar bear and their misadventures put smiles on our faces, the letters themselves are tinged with sadness, as they were mostly written during the Second World War.
December 10, 2019
A friend reviewed this this very morning insisting the audiobook was a must-listen and so I bought it this morning for a couple dollars on Audible and got my steps in listening to this wonderful, wonderful collection. If you have a couple hours in the car or around the house this Christmas, nothing will be more Christmassy than this collection of letters from JRR Tolkien to his children.
December 20, 2024
A lovely read, I would have loved to be one of Tolkien's kids & leading an extensive correspondence with St. Nick.
(Sorry Dad, I love you & you are the top and the uncontested & uncrowned King of DIY-land, but you would have never written/drawn me letters pretending to be Father Christmas!!! :)
(Sorry Dad, I love you & you are the top and the uncontested & uncrowned King of DIY-land, but you would have never written/drawn me letters pretending to be Father Christmas!!! :)
December 28, 2020
The only word to describe this book by is...wait for it... PRECIOUS!!!
🎅🏼💕
This was my first time reading anything "written" by Tolkien...or should I say Father Christmas?
🥰
I admire his imagination, creativity, and love for his children greatly! Not only the wonderful letters of the many adventures of Father Christmas captured my heart, but the charming illustrations he sent with them!
🎄❄️
This book reminds me of when I was a child, waking up on Christmas morning each year and finding a note from Santa Claus or Mr. C!
💕
I'm so happy to have another new holiday favorite!
🎅🏼💕
This was my first time reading anything "written" by Tolkien...or should I say Father Christmas?
🥰
I admire his imagination, creativity, and love for his children greatly! Not only the wonderful letters of the many adventures of Father Christmas captured my heart, but the charming illustrations he sent with them!
🎄❄️
This book reminds me of when I was a child, waking up on Christmas morning each year and finding a note from Santa Claus or Mr. C!
💕
I'm so happy to have another new holiday favorite!
December 21, 2020
Cliff House, Top of the World, Near the North Pole [insert date]:
I think the author needs no introduction. But this little gem of a book proves that the man didn't "just" invent Middle-Earth, the place of epic fantasy. No, he was a man with a great imagination in general.
Apparently, like so many children around the world, his kids would write to Father Christmas. Only in their case, he wrote back! Throughout his childrens' childhoods, there would be a letter every December. The letters, the envelopes, even the stamps were handmade by Tolkien (see pictures below), complete with scraggly handwriting (so as not to be recognized). The letters were written by Father Christmas himself or the North Polar Bear living with him or some of the elves, detailing life at the North Pole, the accidents and preparations for the highest of holidays.
The first letter is from 1920, the last one from 1943 (that ones written during the war were especially touching). All of them are charming and full of warmth and kindness.
A wonderful collection that spreads the Christmas cheer and is a real eye-catcher if you have the print edition. The perfect read for anyone enjoying the holidays and delighting in tales of mischief and the right kind of spirit for this time of year.
P.S.: *Here* is my review of the slipcased deluxe edition.
I think the author needs no introduction. But this little gem of a book proves that the man didn't "just" invent Middle-Earth, the place of epic fantasy. No, he was a man with a great imagination in general.
Apparently, like so many children around the world, his kids would write to Father Christmas. Only in their case, he wrote back! Throughout his childrens' childhoods, there would be a letter every December. The letters, the envelopes, even the stamps were handmade by Tolkien (see pictures below), complete with scraggly handwriting (so as not to be recognized). The letters were written by Father Christmas himself or the North Polar Bear living with him or some of the elves, detailing life at the North Pole, the accidents and preparations for the highest of holidays.
The first letter is from 1920, the last one from 1943 (that ones written during the war were especially touching). All of them are charming and full of warmth and kindness.
A wonderful collection that spreads the Christmas cheer and is a real eye-catcher if you have the print edition. The perfect read for anyone enjoying the holidays and delighting in tales of mischief and the right kind of spirit for this time of year.
P.S.: *Here* is my review of the slipcased deluxe edition.
December 31, 2024
Audible sale (#1 of 40) 2 hours 7 min. Narrated by Derek Jacobi, John Moffatt, Christian Rodska (A)
Update December 30, 2024. I listened to this again, but I almost forgot to finish it. Christmas 1933 Father Christmas sends news from the North Pole of the Great Goblin War. Fortunately, the golden horn was handy to call for assistance, and a Christmas disaster was averted! Only Tolkien ould make the season more exciting and merrier by including goblins.
How exciting to be one of Tolkien's four children and receive a lovely letter and paintings from Father Nicholas each Christmas! From 1920 through 1943, delightful stories about what happened at the North Pole were told by Father Christmas and North Polar Bear. And such mischievous, creative tales they were! It was interesting seeing how the stories evolved with the addition of each child and the aging of the children. Even the war affected the best efforts of Father Christmas, I have listened to the book twice and expect to listen to it more before this Christmas. It just makes me happy!
The audio version has delightful original Christmas music that bridges each letter to make up for the absence of the paintings done by Tolkien. This book is available on Amazon, and I believe I know what book my four grandsons will be receiving next Christmas. They are too old to "believe" in magic, but I hope they will save them for their own families in the future.
A little research made me aware that editions before 2004 contain actual letters that could be removed from envelopes in the book. I wonder how many letters were lost along the way? A big thank you to the Tolkien parents and children for recognition of the value of these letters and saving them. I hope the rights to the letters are never sold. I don't want to imagine what commercialization would do to them!
Update December 30, 2024. I listened to this again, but I almost forgot to finish it. Christmas 1933 Father Christmas sends news from the North Pole of the Great Goblin War. Fortunately, the golden horn was handy to call for assistance, and a Christmas disaster was averted! Only Tolkien ould make the season more exciting and merrier by including goblins.
How exciting to be one of Tolkien's four children and receive a lovely letter and paintings from Father Nicholas each Christmas! From 1920 through 1943, delightful stories about what happened at the North Pole were told by Father Christmas and North Polar Bear. And such mischievous, creative tales they were! It was interesting seeing how the stories evolved with the addition of each child and the aging of the children. Even the war affected the best efforts of Father Christmas, I have listened to the book twice and expect to listen to it more before this Christmas. It just makes me happy!
The audio version has delightful original Christmas music that bridges each letter to make up for the absence of the paintings done by Tolkien. This book is available on Amazon, and I believe I know what book my four grandsons will be receiving next Christmas. They are too old to "believe" in magic, but I hope they will save them for their own families in the future.
A little research made me aware that editions before 2004 contain actual letters that could be removed from envelopes in the book. I wonder how many letters were lost along the way? A big thank you to the Tolkien parents and children for recognition of the value of these letters and saving them. I hope the rights to the letters are never sold. I don't want to imagine what commercialization would do to them!
January 1, 2021
This was sweet.
Almost every November or December from 1920 to 1943 one or several letters would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien’s children. In strange spidery handwriting Father Christmas would tell them about life at the North Pole. Those tales were accompanied by color drawings and sometimes also by additional notes written by the North Polar Bear and later also by Father Christmas’ secretary, an Elf named Ilbereth.
Tolkien put a lot of work into these letters. Not only did he come up with a new story for his children pretty much every year, the envelopes are also handmade, and he drew the pictures and even designed the post stamps.
The original letters are reproduced here and thankfully accompanied by a word-for-word transcript, as they are sometimes a little hard to read.
This is a wonderfully designed book with high-quality production values.
I won’t lie, though, it took some time to win me over. Don’t get me wrong, I think what Tolkien did for his kids is just wonderful. But I was asking myself initially, why should I read the letters that someone else wrote to his children? Will it be like reading a couple of short stories that I have no connection to, and that were not meant for a wider audience anyway?
It was a little like this, in the beginning. But of course, these letters are building on each other, and they are so full of warmth and kindness, and mischief. The banter between Father Christmas and the Polar Bear was really quite funny. The drawings are also often funny, and sweet.
You can see how over the years the kids were developing a friendship with Father Christmas, and then ultimately grew out of it. You can also see how the letters are changing in the light of events back then, namely the Second World War. The last letter to his daughter was particularly profound and made me a little sentimental.
A nice read for the holiday season.
Almost every November or December from 1920 to 1943 one or several letters would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien’s children. In strange spidery handwriting Father Christmas would tell them about life at the North Pole. Those tales were accompanied by color drawings and sometimes also by additional notes written by the North Polar Bear and later also by Father Christmas’ secretary, an Elf named Ilbereth.
Tolkien put a lot of work into these letters. Not only did he come up with a new story for his children pretty much every year, the envelopes are also handmade, and he drew the pictures and even designed the post stamps.
The original letters are reproduced here and thankfully accompanied by a word-for-word transcript, as they are sometimes a little hard to read.
This is a wonderfully designed book with high-quality production values.
I won’t lie, though, it took some time to win me over. Don’t get me wrong, I think what Tolkien did for his kids is just wonderful. But I was asking myself initially, why should I read the letters that someone else wrote to his children? Will it be like reading a couple of short stories that I have no connection to, and that were not meant for a wider audience anyway?
It was a little like this, in the beginning. But of course, these letters are building on each other, and they are so full of warmth and kindness, and mischief. The banter between Father Christmas and the Polar Bear was really quite funny. The drawings are also often funny, and sweet.
You can see how over the years the kids were developing a friendship with Father Christmas, and then ultimately grew out of it. You can also see how the letters are changing in the light of events back then, namely the Second World War. The last letter to his daughter was particularly profound and made me a little sentimental.
A nice read for the holiday season.
December 25, 2023
I found this beautiful hardback edition of Letters From Father Christmas at Topping & Company in St. Andrews Scotland. This is my third time reading the book. It felt quite fitting to finish it on Christmas Day! The book has amazing illustrations by Tolkien, and it was an amusing and delightful book. I highly recommend it.
December 31, 2023
Still a favourite, of course <3
December 21, 2019
Sono in pieno periodo tolkien-iano e chi se ne libera più!? :-D
Dopo l'affascinante viaggio in "Lo Hobbit", mi ritrovo al Polo Nord con Babbo Natale e i suoi amici. Tolkien dal 1920 al 1943, per 23 anni confeziona decine e decine di letterine da Babbo Natale per i suoi figli, ovviamente i figli sapevano che queste bellissime letterine venissero da Babbo Natale, chissà che emozione nei loro occhi e soprattutto nei loro cuori. Perchè siamo all'inizio del 1900 e non ora all'inizio del 2000, dove internet, social network e televisione a profusione, incombono sulle povere menti in crescita dei bambini, sfatando i loro sogni, le loro fantasie...
Così mi trovo davanti dei veri e propri capolavori, sia in come Tolkien ha confezionato e strutturato le lettere, ma anche per il tocco delizioso dato dalle numerose illustrazioni, magnifiche!
Non sono letterine banali, ma così dense di folklore, attenzione alle situazioni quotidiane, sociali ed anche divertenti, piene di felicità e gioia.
Sublime!
Dopo l'affascinante viaggio in "Lo Hobbit", mi ritrovo al Polo Nord con Babbo Natale e i suoi amici. Tolkien dal 1920 al 1943, per 23 anni confeziona decine e decine di letterine da Babbo Natale per i suoi figli, ovviamente i figli sapevano che queste bellissime letterine venissero da Babbo Natale, chissà che emozione nei loro occhi e soprattutto nei loro cuori. Perchè siamo all'inizio del 1900 e non ora all'inizio del 2000, dove internet, social network e televisione a profusione, incombono sulle povere menti in crescita dei bambini, sfatando i loro sogni, le loro fantasie...
Così mi trovo davanti dei veri e propri capolavori, sia in come Tolkien ha confezionato e strutturato le lettere, ma anche per il tocco delizioso dato dalle numerose illustrazioni, magnifiche!
Non sono letterine banali, ma così dense di folklore, attenzione alle situazioni quotidiane, sociali ed anche divertenti, piene di felicità e gioia.
Sublime!
December 4, 2017
When I started reading this, I was charmed with this illustrations and the idea of J.R.R. Tolkien even writing just these letters to his children, and then when I began reading this, I realized what a treasure this was, and I wished I had thought of doing something similar for my own children… and then I realized how it would pale in comparison to these letters, the stories they hold in them from Father Christmas to his children through the years.
And what years they were, the first of these being written in 1920. His oldest was then only three years old when he began writing these, and they were continued through for over twenty years. Even though Santa may live at the North Pole, he was not oblivious to the problems the world was facing, then, and there are some nods to the leaner years, where Santa may have sent fewer items than in the past since there were so many difficulties for other children in the world. At the same time, each letter contained enough charm, humorous events, and an occasional word from the North Polar Bear, Santa’s chief assistant.
I would recommend a print copy, since the pictures in this are wonderful, but if you have an iPad, you won’t miss out on the lovely colours this offers.
Growing up, my belief in Santa was pretty strong, most of the homes in my neighborhood contained children, some with two, some with four children, most with three, but Santa came to our home with a giant red leather-bound book, in which he had stories of things we’d done throughout the year written down, so when it was our turn to sit on his lap, we often were cautioned about things we’d done wrong and congratulated for things we’d done right. Since this was a neighborhood ritual, we all gathered at one house and patiently waited our turn. Santa was the same from year to year, with a real beard and no stuffing needed, and his “suit” was clearly his own, nothing new about it. He was, as we all knew, the real deal.
Fans of Tolkien will love this, as well as those who are looking for a nice, charming Christmas story.
Included are copies of all of the letters, you can see how shaky Santa’s handwriting is, and the drawings add so much more to what is already delightful, I loved the lengths he went to so that his children would have something to believe in.
December 31, 2024
This is a re-read for me, and it's still as wonderful and wholesome as I remembered :')
December 25, 2021
2017 review: ADORABLE! <333 I think reading this may become an annual Christmas tradition.
2018 update: Just listened to it on audio for the second year in a row and still love it. <3 Definitely a keeper for the list of annual traditions. :D
2018 update: Just listened to it on audio for the second year in a row and still love it. <3 Definitely a keeper for the list of annual traditions. :D
September 10, 2023
[ESP/ENG]
2ª lectura:
Qué decir de estas cartas que no se haya dicho ya, incluido yo mismo más abajo... Lo intentaré.
Que Tolkien tenía facilidad para elaborar historias y universos propios es de sobra conocido, y lo mismo se podía decir para las lenguas. Lo que se conoce menos es su faceta como ilustrador, y aunque no era muy pródigo, ilustró bastantes de sus obras en un momento u otro. Así que para Navidad, juntó todo esto y escribió una carta de respuesta del propio papá Noel a su hijo. Eso fue en 1920, y hasta 1943 siguió enviando misivas a sus hijos.
En estas misivas Nicholas Christmas, su nombre real, contaba todo lo que le iba sucediendo de un año a otro, con profusión de detalles y con muchos personajes. Y además ilustraba las mismas, bien en la propia carta o bien como imágenes adjuntas. Aquí dejo un enlace a varias de esas ilustraciones, aunque trasteando en la web hay muchas más de sus obras más conocidas.
Dibujos de papá Noel
La edición que yo tengo, llamada de lujo por algo, es maravillosa. Viene en su propia caja, roja con ribetes blancos simulando escarcha o nieve y rematada con un sello de papá Noel. El libro en sí es tapa dura, con papel semi cartulina, ideal para estas cartas y dibujos, y en él vienen tanto reproducciones de las misivas originales, un puntazo, como la propia traducción al español. En cada carta viene su fecha y membrete, y a diferentes tintas y tonos la escritura de varios personajes (papá Noel, Karhu el oso polas o el elfo Ilbereth). Además viene un desplegable al inicio con una reproducción ordenada de todos los sellos que llevaban los sobres de las cartas.
Para lectura en navidades es idóneo, y si los niños ya saben el secreto, hacelo en familia también es algo fantástico.
1ª lectura:
Poco que decir de este compendio de cartas que no se haya dicho mil veces.
Incluye la correspondencia de los niños Tolkien desde 1920 hasta 1943 (no todas, pero casi) con Papá Noel. Y estas son una auténtica maravilla. Las diferentes caligrafías que usa para cada personaje, los idiomas que usa, que son no muy elaborados pero muy diferentes, y sobre todo los muy variados y muy maravillosos dibujos que acompañan a estas cartas.
La edición que yo tengo en concreto es realmente magnífica: el encuadernado, el papel, la reproducción de los sobres y sellos...todo conforma un ejemplar espectacular.
-------------------
2nd reading:
What to say about these letters that hasn't already been said, including myself below... I'll try.
That Tolkien had a facility for creating his own stories and universes is well known, and the same could be said for languages. What is less known is his facet as an illustrator, and although he was not very prodigal, he illustrated quite a few of his works at one time or another. So for Christmas, he put all this together and wrote a reply letter from Father Christmas himself to his son. That was in 1920, and until 1943 he continued to send letters to his children.
In these letters Nicholas Christmas, his real name, recounted everything that was happening to him from one year to the next, in profusion of details and with many characters. And he also illustrated them, either in the letter itself or as attached images. Here I leave a link to several of those illustrations, although browsing the web there are many more of his best-known works.
Father Christmas illustrations
The edition that I have, called deluxe for a reason, is wonderful. It comes in its own box, red with white rimming simulating frost or snow and topped with a Santa Claus stamp. The book itself is hardcover, with semi-cardboard paper, ideal for these letters and drawings, and it includes both reproductions of the original letters, a stamp, and the Spanish translation itself. In each letter comes its date and letterhead, and in different inks and tones the writing of various characters (Father Christmas, Karhu the polas bear or Ilbereth the elf). In addition, there is a drop-down at the beginning with an ordered reproduction of all the stamps that the envelopes of the letters carried.
For reading at Christmas it is ideal, and if the children already know the secret, doing it as a family is also something fantastic.
1st reading:
Little to say about this compendium of letters that has not been said a thousand times.
Includes the Tolkien children's correspondence from 1920 to 1943 (not all, but almost) with Father Christmas (Nicolas Christmas being his real name). And these are a real wonder. The different calligraphies that he uses for each character, the languages that he uses, which are not very elaborate but very different, and above all the enormous variety of very wonderful drawings that accompany these letters.
The edition that I have in particular is truly magnificent: the binding, the paper, the reproduction of the envelopes and stamps...everything makes up a spectacular copy.
2ª lectura:
Qué decir de estas cartas que no se haya dicho ya, incluido yo mismo más abajo... Lo intentaré.
Que Tolkien tenía facilidad para elaborar historias y universos propios es de sobra conocido, y lo mismo se podía decir para las lenguas. Lo que se conoce menos es su faceta como ilustrador, y aunque no era muy pródigo, ilustró bastantes de sus obras en un momento u otro. Así que para Navidad, juntó todo esto y escribió una carta de respuesta del propio papá Noel a su hijo. Eso fue en 1920, y hasta 1943 siguió enviando misivas a sus hijos.
En estas misivas Nicholas Christmas, su nombre real, contaba todo lo que le iba sucediendo de un año a otro, con profusión de detalles y con muchos personajes. Y además ilustraba las mismas, bien en la propia carta o bien como imágenes adjuntas. Aquí dejo un enlace a varias de esas ilustraciones, aunque trasteando en la web hay muchas más de sus obras más conocidas.
Dibujos de papá Noel
La edición que yo tengo, llamada de lujo por algo, es maravillosa. Viene en su propia caja, roja con ribetes blancos simulando escarcha o nieve y rematada con un sello de papá Noel. El libro en sí es tapa dura, con papel semi cartulina, ideal para estas cartas y dibujos, y en él vienen tanto reproducciones de las misivas originales, un puntazo, como la propia traducción al español. En cada carta viene su fecha y membrete, y a diferentes tintas y tonos la escritura de varios personajes (papá Noel, Karhu el oso polas o el elfo Ilbereth). Además viene un desplegable al inicio con una reproducción ordenada de todos los sellos que llevaban los sobres de las cartas.
Para lectura en navidades es idóneo, y si los niños ya saben el secreto, hacelo en familia también es algo fantástico.
1ª lectura:
Poco que decir de este compendio de cartas que no se haya dicho mil veces.
Incluye la correspondencia de los niños Tolkien desde 1920 hasta 1943 (no todas, pero casi) con Papá Noel. Y estas son una auténtica maravilla. Las diferentes caligrafías que usa para cada personaje, los idiomas que usa, que son no muy elaborados pero muy diferentes, y sobre todo los muy variados y muy maravillosos dibujos que acompañan a estas cartas.
La edición que yo tengo en concreto es realmente magnífica: el encuadernado, el papel, la reproducción de los sobres y sellos...todo conforma un ejemplar espectacular.
-------------------
2nd reading:
What to say about these letters that hasn't already been said, including myself below... I'll try.
That Tolkien had a facility for creating his own stories and universes is well known, and the same could be said for languages. What is less known is his facet as an illustrator, and although he was not very prodigal, he illustrated quite a few of his works at one time or another. So for Christmas, he put all this together and wrote a reply letter from Father Christmas himself to his son. That was in 1920, and until 1943 he continued to send letters to his children.
In these letters Nicholas Christmas, his real name, recounted everything that was happening to him from one year to the next, in profusion of details and with many characters. And he also illustrated them, either in the letter itself or as attached images. Here I leave a link to several of those illustrations, although browsing the web there are many more of his best-known works.
Father Christmas illustrations
The edition that I have, called deluxe for a reason, is wonderful. It comes in its own box, red with white rimming simulating frost or snow and topped with a Santa Claus stamp. The book itself is hardcover, with semi-cardboard paper, ideal for these letters and drawings, and it includes both reproductions of the original letters, a stamp, and the Spanish translation itself. In each letter comes its date and letterhead, and in different inks and tones the writing of various characters (Father Christmas, Karhu the polas bear or Ilbereth the elf). In addition, there is a drop-down at the beginning with an ordered reproduction of all the stamps that the envelopes of the letters carried.
For reading at Christmas it is ideal, and if the children already know the secret, doing it as a family is also something fantastic.
1st reading:
Little to say about this compendium of letters that has not been said a thousand times.
Includes the Tolkien children's correspondence from 1920 to 1943 (not all, but almost) with Father Christmas (Nicolas Christmas being his real name). And these are a real wonder. The different calligraphies that he uses for each character, the languages that he uses, which are not very elaborate but very different, and above all the enormous variety of very wonderful drawings that accompany these letters.
The edition that I have in particular is truly magnificent: the binding, the paper, the reproduction of the envelopes and stamps...everything makes up a spectacular copy.
December 27, 2019
PRECIOSO.
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