Letters from Father Christmas

Letters from Father Christmas

  • Downloads:8917
  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2021-11-24 09:53:31
  • Update Date:2025-09-06
  • Status:finish
  • Author:J.R.R. Tolkien
  • ISBN:0008406847
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

Published to celebrate the first ever ‘letter from Father Christmas’ in 1920, this beautiful oversized edition of Tolkien’s famous illustrated letters from ‘Father Christmas’, includes a wealth of charming letters, pictures and decorated envelopes, and promises to be a festive feast for Tolkien fans of all ages。


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 coloured drawing or some sketches。


The letters were from Father Christmas。


They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how all 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 into 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 lived in the caves beneath the house!


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 humour to the stories。 No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by the inventiveness and ‘authenticity’ of Tolkien’s Letters from Father Christmas。


This classic festive book of Tolkien’s enchanting Father Christmas letters, written to his children between the 1920s and the 1940s, has been reworked into a sumptuous, new standard hardback edition。 It contains high-quality digital reproductions of his wonderful letters and pictures, including a number of them appearing in this format for the first time, and a revised introduction by Baillie Tolkien。

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Reviews

Sara

I loved reading these letters from Father Christmas to Tolkien’s children。 The pictures were beautiful and so creative。 It’s even inspired me to maybe try this with my daughter。 My favorite character was Polar Bear。 His shenanigans were so much fun to read about, along with the war with the goblins。 This also had photographs of the actual letters he sent。 I’m so glad these were saved and shared with the world。

Jennifer

This was fun to read。 What a family treasure these letter must have been! The slowly fleshed out stories and characters in the letters and the detailed drawings were so delightful。 That polar bear! I enjoyed watching the changes in the letters over the years, watching the dates and knowing what was going on in the world and seeing how Father Christmas explained his shortages around the times of The Great Depression and WWII。 It made me a little sad to read that Father Christmas was going to stop This was fun to read。 What a family treasure these letter must have been! The slowly fleshed out stories and characters in the letters and the detailed drawings were so delightful。 That polar bear! I enjoyed watching the changes in the letters over the years, watching the dates and knowing what was going on in the world and seeing how Father Christmas explained his shortages around the times of The Great Depression and WWII。 It made me a little sad to read that Father Christmas was going to stop writing (probably because Tolkien's children grew up)。 J。 R。 R。 Tolkien loved his children so much to provide this yearly treasure for them。 。。。more

TaxusNocturnus aka Tisa Vizek Borovina

There is nothing much to say except what a wonderful father and what an imaginative writer。

Emily

I know this rating is underwhelming。 It simply wasn't as magical as I had hoped and felt more personal to the family than I anticipated。 I know this rating is underwhelming。 It simply wasn't as magical as I had hoped and felt more personal to the family than I anticipated。 。。。more

Sophie Miller

So fun!

Sue

So adorable。 So Tolkien。 I wish I'd thought of doing this for my kids。 So adorable。 So Tolkien。 I wish I'd thought of doing this for my kids。 。。。more

Hannah Liu

He is so sweet。 Love the stories he wrote as also all the drawing and role-playing haha

Valerie

This book is gorgeous。 I have read a much smaller edition of this, so thought I would check this one out。 It's wonderful to be able to see Tolkien letters and artwork in a larger format。 This is not really one to read in bed at night。 Much too large, so it is more like a coffee table book。 It is fun to read these cute letters from Tolkien to his children and the fun and imaginative artwork that accompanies it。 This one to enjoy and savor。 This book is gorgeous。 I have read a much smaller edition of this, so thought I would check this one out。 It's wonderful to be able to see Tolkien letters and artwork in a larger format。 This is not really one to read in bed at night。 Much too large, so it is more like a coffee table book。 It is fun to read these cute letters from Tolkien to his children and the fun and imaginative artwork that accompanies it。 This one to enjoy and savor。 。。。more

Becky

What a delightful read!!! Of course the imagination is exactly what I'd expect from J。 R。 R。 Tolkien。 I find parts of growing up a little sad; and, seeing the letters to Father Christmas stop, as the children aged, was one of those times。 I love that the letters and pictures were saved and shared with us, the Readers。 What a delightful read!!! Of course the imagination is exactly what I'd expect from J。 R。 R。 Tolkien。 I find parts of growing up a little sad; and, seeing the letters to Father Christmas stop, as the children aged, was one of those times。 I love that the letters and pictures were saved and shared with us, the Readers。 。。。more

Sabrina Mills

So cute and heartwarming

Arnie

Enjoyed this via Audible。 Lots of fun。 Great Characterization! I particularly enjoyed when "Polar Bear" would interject。 A very warm interpretation of a father's letters to his children as "Father Christmas" each year at Christmas time。 Including the difficult WWII years。 This will get your Christmas spirit up。 Enjoyed this via Audible。 Lots of fun。 Great Characterization! I particularly enjoyed when "Polar Bear" would interject。 A very warm interpretation of a father's letters to his children as "Father Christmas" each year at Christmas time。 Including the difficult WWII years。 This will get your Christmas spirit up。 。。。more

Gr1972

4。5 out of 5

Priya

The very idea at the core of this book makes it very special!For a parent to actually pen letters to his children to keep their sense of wonder and belief in an age old tradition intact and to do it for so many years is wonderful。The actual letters in cursive with their colourful doodles and accompanying drawings are amazing。 I think the effort and imagination is so cool。 Father Christmas narrates his role during Christmas to Tolkien's children in these letters that include the shenanigans of hi The very idea at the core of this book makes it very special!For a parent to actually pen letters to his children to keep their sense of wonder and belief in an age old tradition intact and to do it for so many years is wonderful。The actual letters in cursive with their colourful doodles and accompanying drawings are amazing。 I think the effort and imagination is so cool。 Father Christmas narrates his role during Christmas to Tolkien's children in these letters that include the shenanigans of his helper, the North Polar bear and several elves。 Filled with fun adventures that are illustrated colorfully, this set of letters is definitely a treasure for a child。The audio is brilliant with Christmas music in the background。 This book just gladdens the heart especially in these times when it's very difficult to evoke a sense of wonder in kids about the real world。 It's an adorable read/listen。 。。。more

Esperanza Navarro

This book was so sweet and cute! Complete with illustrations by Tolkien and images of his actual letters。 Tolkien has such an imagination! (D’oh lol) and creates the funniest and ventures for his children to read, from letters by Father Christmas and Polar Bear。 So endearing。 He also mentions the war and how he couldn’t get them certain books since they had been burned。 Such a telling of what time was like then。 This is a short, sweet Christmas book。 Very enjoyable。

Carrie

Read this years ago & loved it。 Was reminded of it because my dear cousin is reading & loving it!

Jenny

I think my affection for this book is rooted more in the story behind it than the writing itself。 While it would be reasonable to claim that almost every children's book is a labor of love, this one is more than most。 For more than twenty years, Tolkien wrote to his children as Father Christmas (and sometimes also the North Polar Bear), sharing the goings-on up at the pole and the adventures he got up to in his shaky handwriting (he is 1920+ years old, you know)。 If you're going to buy a copy, m I think my affection for this book is rooted more in the story behind it than the writing itself。 While it would be reasonable to claim that almost every children's book is a labor of love, this one is more than most。 For more than twenty years, Tolkien wrote to his children as Father Christmas (and sometimes also the North Polar Bear), sharing the goings-on up at the pole and the adventures he got up to in his shaky handwriting (he is 1920+ years old, you know)。 If you're going to buy a copy, make it the Centenary Edition, which includes images of all of the letters, envelopes, and drawings that he sent to his children--they are incredible works of art。 I'll admit to finding my mind wandering when some of the letters got long (battles with goblins who get into the cellar and steal all the presents aren't always my cup of tea), but he completely redeemed himself (if any such redemption was necessary) with his last letter to Priscilla, his youngest child。 I teared up, imagining Tolkien watching his daughter grow up, saying goodbye to such a beloved family tradition。 I plan to read this one to the girls this Christmas, but I'm not sure how I'm going to make it through that last letter without ugly crying。 Such a lovely, lovely book。 And the audio version isn't half bad either。Update, 11/23/21: I never read books twice in the same month, but ended up making this one our first Morning Time Christmas Book of 2021。 (This decision was partly motivated by the fact that it was available as an audiobook, and that way I could justify having a Christmas audiobook and a Christmas read-aloud going at the same time。 I might have teensy little obsession with Christmas books。 Possibly。) The narrator ended up being excellent, and the girls kept begging for "just one more letter" so we ended up flying through it much faster than expected。 Definitely a win, and one we will return to at future Christmases。 。。。more

Stefan Garland

Divno i toplo!Pisma ne samo da govore o zanimljivim i duhovitim dogodovštinama Deda Mraza i Belog Medveda (sva ljubav za njega), već i odišu toplinom porodičnog doma Tolkinovih i prikazuju koliko ta roditeljska ljubav može da bude divna pokretačka snaga bez koje mnoga Tolkinova dela ne bi postojala。

Jessica

Completely magical

Tricia Huskey

Just not my cup of tea。

RomRos

p。 26Father 🎅 had to hurry away and leave me to finish。 He is old and gets worried when funny things happen。 You would have laughed too! I think it is good of me laughing。 I must go and help pack。

Marcus Blackwood

Childhood memoriesI wish I could say more than beautiful, this collection touches on the wonderful and beautiful characteristics of being a parent。 Again, this book shouldn't be missed。 Childhood memoriesI wish I could say more than beautiful, this collection touches on the wonderful and beautiful characteristics of being a parent。 Again, this book shouldn't be missed。 。。。more

Mio Ratiu

I felt like a child again while listening to the audiobook。 It was so good that I want it on my shelf with my favorite books。 I think it is that kind of book that you always remember the feeling that you had while reading it and you will forever be in love with it。 I will definitely read it to my daughters this Christmas。

kat ࿐ྂ ༉‧₊˚✧

even though it was adorable, I couldn’t really get into the writing style

Ariel Rebstock

Very cute

Chardonay Willard

Such a lovely book! Ik really love IT!

Janette King

A lovely gift for Christmas for children of any age

Brad

HarperCollins Deluxe Hardcover Edition with Slipcase

Crystal

Cute little book! It will put you in the Christmas spirit no matter what time of year! I thought it was adorable that this father wrote stories of Father Christmas to his children。 They are quite imaginative and interesting! I liked seeing the original art that accompanied them also。 The wording and the illustrations really takes you back in time! It sounds like stockings were the “big deal” in the 1930’s in England。 I now want to look up Boxing Day parties and St。 Stephen’s Day parties! Books l Cute little book! It will put you in the Christmas spirit no matter what time of year! I thought it was adorable that this father wrote stories of Father Christmas to his children。 They are quite imaginative and interesting! I liked seeing the original art that accompanied them also。 The wording and the illustrations really takes you back in time! It sounds like stockings were the “big deal” in the 1930’s in England。 I now want to look up Boxing Day parties and St。 Stephen’s Day parties! Books like this make me want to visit England! 。。。more

Ipiu

À déguster lentement。 Je ne l'ai pas fini et je ne suis pas pressée。 Une fois par an, je lis quelques pages et je découvre la poésie douce de l'imagination d'un père fantasque。 Pour petits et grands ✨ À déguster lentement。 Je ne l'ai pas fini et je ne suis pas pressée。 Une fois par an, je lis quelques pages et je découvre la poésie douce de l'imagination d'un père fantasque。 Pour petits et grands ✨ 。。。more

Saru De Rinaldis

The book is amazing and I cannot rate it with less than 5 stars。 Tolkien is a genius, and this edition was great including the original letters and pictures。 Up to now everything is fine, but the transcription of the letters?? They omitted some paragraphs or rewritted some of them and, why for? I don't get it。 I tried to read the originals but some of the words or sentences were ininteligible because they were written by pencil or because of the handwritting, but that doesn't mean that the peopl The book is amazing and I cannot rate it with less than 5 stars。 Tolkien is a genius, and this edition was great including the original letters and pictures。 Up to now everything is fine, but the transcription of the letters?? They omitted some paragraphs or rewritted some of them and, why for? I don't get it。 I tried to read the originals but some of the words or sentences were ininteligible because they were written by pencil or because of the handwritting, but that doesn't mean that the people who worked in this edition had the right to change it。 。。。more