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Tolkien family to go into hiding because of films? - Lord of the Rings news - J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

January 07, 2001 at 06:52:56

Winona Kent of The Complete Sean Bean has forwarded a disturbing article to various Tolkien Webmasters.

According to an article in the Electronic Telegraph's Sunday, January 7, 2001 edition, members of the Tolkien family are looking forward to the upcoming movies with trepidation. Father John Tolkien, Tolkien's eldest son and a retired Catholic priest, is quoted as saying "The Tolkien family is under perpetual abuse of one kind or another. It goes on all the time. I am anticipating endless bother when the film actually comes out."

Father Tolkien's brother Christopher has already moved to France after being overwhelmed by fannish attention in the wake of publishing The Silmarillion (1977), Unfinished Tales (1980), and the twelve volumes of The History of Middle-earth series (1984-96). Christopher keeps wild boar in his garden to discourage unwanted visitors.

The Tolkien family has already initiated legal action against one Web site which is purportedly selling a book which the retired Tolkien claims makes defamatory allegations about his career as a Catholic priest. Tolkien's father was named one of the top 100 Catholics of the 20th century in honor of his literary achievements and his lifelong participation in the Roman Catholic faith.