Some things you probably didn't know about
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, inventor of Nevbosh
Of all the authors represented at Printed Page, the one whose books are hardest to keep stocked is probably JRR Tolkien. No surprise, really: Tolkien is one of the most widely read authors in the world. "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" set the tone for all western works of epic fantasy that were to follow, yet the intricate world-building and attention to detail in his books remain unparalleled. But while many readers know his books, not as many may know these facts about JRR Tolkien:
-Tolkien was born in South Africa. He lost both parents early in life; his father when he was four and his mother when he was 12.
-Tolkien's mother gave him his passion for languages. She introduced him to the basics of Latin before he even started school.
-Tolkien loved making up languages. Tolkien's cousins Mary and Marjorie Incledon invented a language called Animalic, based primarily on animal names. When Marjorie outgrew Animalic, Mary and Tolkien invented a more sophisticated language called Nevbosh.
-Tolkien met his future wife, Edith, when he was 16 and she was 19. They wanted to marry, but Tolkien's guardian disapproved and forbade his ward to see or correspond witih Edith. Tolkien and Edith were separated for three years, but when he turned of age, Tolkien asked Edith to marry him. She agreed -- and broke off her engagement with another man.
-Tolkien and his friends formed clubs that were important to them; one brought together lovers of tea, Latin and Greek. Tolkien formed multiple clubs in college. Later in life, the informal discussion group called the Inklings included C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams.
-Tolkien worked briefly on the Oxford English Dictionary. His first civilian job after serving in WWI was at the OED, where he started with research on the words warm, wasp, water, wick, and winter. He left in 1920 to pursue his academic career.
-In 1917, Tolkien had developed Quenya, an elvish language that he had invented to a great degree of sophistication. From it had emerged another elvish language that he called Sinadrin. His invented languages now required a history to be truly alive. Tolkien's quest to uncover the history of the languages he invented, and his grand ambition to create a mythology for England, led to the inception of "The Silmarillion."
-Tolkien loved a good laugh. Tolkien was known for his rather schoolboyish sense of humor, and, as told by a friend, "he would dress up as an Anglo-Saxon warrior complete with an axe and chase an astonished neighbour down the road."
Source: Senjuti Patra
Our next session of book school is Saturday, March 16
Printed Page's popular "Printed Page College of Biblio Knowledge" is coming soon. Whether you're a newby collector or a long-time bibliophile, you're guaranteed to get something out of this short, fun session. It's from 9 to 10:30 am. Enrollment is limited, and spots go fast, so let us know if you want to attend by dropping us an email to theshop@printedpagebookshop.com.
