They offer a lovely snapshot of family life and what Tolkien was like as a father. With dates from 1920-1943, many contain wonderful little stories that are so very creative and sweetly innocent. Who knows? It might even inspire some parents to add a little spice to Christmas mornings, themselves.įunny, charming letters from Father Christmas written by Tolkien to his children, in reply to their letters. This audio experience is just as much silly fun for the older as it is for the younger. This audiobook is recommended to listeners who enjoy a bit of imagination blended into their Christmas holiday and want something shorter than two hours in length. Hats off to Derek Jacobi, John Moffatt, and Christian Rodska for bringing these fun little characters to life and putting a smile on the faces of listeners everywhere. The narration was also absolutely terrific, it's hard to imagine anyone could have done better. The level of creativity is heart warming as the letters relate the yearly adventures of Father Christmas and his helpers as they prepare to make their great gift deliveries, most notably the clumsy and lovable North Polar Bear. This book is less a book and more of a collection of letters from 'Father Christmas' and his silly companions to the children of the famous author J.R.R. Not very wise for of course goblins can’t hurt HIM but their caves are very dangerous.” The snow, the entrance to treacherous caves and the smell of goblin will be instantly familiar to readers of the book Tolkien was working on at the time, The Hobbit, the first of the adventures of Middle-earth.Heart warming letters from a creative father. He slid down a rocky slope, more rock fell on him, and he could not climb back: “But almost at once he smelled goblin & became interested & started to explore. In one letter Polar Bear “found a hole in the side of a hill & went inside because it was snowing”. Many recount the adventures of his friend and helper the Polar Bear – in 1926 he accidentally switched on all the Northern Lights – or the goblins who attempted to steal the stored presents in 1932. One showed his reindeer and sleigh arriving over the Oxford skyline – “your house is just about where the three little black points stick up out of shadow on the right”. Some years Father Christmas was evidently very busy, and could only pass on the briefest snippets of news, and other years, when he had time on his hands, he could include elaborate multi-layered paintings. The illustrated letters continued to arrive every Christmas Eve, sometimes delivered by a postman who had been persuaded to include them with the more boring letters and cards, sometimes materialising on the hearth rug with a handmade stamp. The 1932 letter told how goblins had attempted to steal presents stored ready for Christmas.

Letters father christmas tolkien