13 Aug 2010 09:37:38
Wow! Amazing news!!! The grandson of JRR Tolkien and the great-great grandson of Charles Dickens have collaborated for the first time on a verse retelling of a classic fantasy story.
The author of popular the Lord of the Rings poet Michael GR Tolkien, was inspired by Florence Bone's prose fantasy for children, The Rose-Coloured Wish, first published in 1923. It is not simple story, the story is about two children who set out to use an evil enchanter's wishing chain of stones to save their alpine valley, only to fall into trouble, the book was read to Tolkien in the 40s and 50s as a child, and he in turn read it to his own children.
It was the Tolkien’s new idea to pay tribute to the now-neglected tale and to "recreate the spirit of the original in new dress" through a verse retelling, which has just been published with the title Wish. The audiobook edition is narrated by Gerald Dickens, an actor and descendant of the Bleak House and Oliver Twist author.
"I worked with Gerald after considering and deciding against various possible readers with the help of my agent," said Tolkien. "I had heard his Dickens readings [Dickens has narrated audiobooks of titles including The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist] and felt he had great professional stature as an actor: a remarkable range of tones and shades of emphasis both in narrative and in dialogue."
Tolkien, who has published six collections of poetry, was forced to self-publish Wish through Authorhouse after publishers turned the book down.
The author of popular the Lord of the Rings poet Michael GR Tolkien, was inspired by Florence Bone's prose fantasy for children, The Rose-Coloured Wish, first published in 1923. It is not simple story, the story is about two children who set out to use an evil enchanter's wishing chain of stones to save their alpine valley, only to fall into trouble, the book was read to Tolkien in the 40s and 50s as a child, and he in turn read it to his own children.
It was the Tolkien’s new idea to pay tribute to the now-neglected tale and to "recreate the spirit of the original in new dress" through a verse retelling, which has just been published with the title Wish. The audiobook edition is narrated by Gerald Dickens, an actor and descendant of the Bleak House and Oliver Twist author.
"I worked with Gerald after considering and deciding against various possible readers with the help of my agent," said Tolkien. "I had heard his Dickens readings [Dickens has narrated audiobooks of titles including The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist] and felt he had great professional stature as an actor: a remarkable range of tones and shades of emphasis both in narrative and in dialogue."
Tolkien, who has published six collections of poetry, was forced to self-publish Wish through Authorhouse after publishers turned the book down.
