Letters From Father Christmas

Title: Letters From Father Christmas

Author: JRR Tolkien (English, 1892-1973)
Penname: Father Christmas
Originally written: 1920-1943
Page count: 203

Dates read: 12/5/2020-12/17/2020
2020 book goal progress: 29 out of 20
Month category: Dec. - Christmas / Santa
Back to the Classics category: 

20th Century Classic


Read my other book reviews for my 2020 goal HERE.

Description on back of book:
Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for JRR Tolkien's children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful drawing. They were from Father Christmas, telling wonderful tales of life at the North Pole.

From the first note to Tolkien's eldest son in 1920 to the final poignant letter to his youngest daughter in 1943, this new edition celebrates the centenary of that first letter with a stockingful of charming letters, pictures, and decorated envelopes.

First letter:

"Christmas House, North Pole

1920 (Love to daddy, mummy, Michael, & auntie Mary)

Dear John,

I heard you ask daddy what I was like and where I lived. I have drawn Me and My House for you. Take care of the picture. I am just off now for Oxford with my bundle of toys - some for you. Hope I shall arrive in time: the snow is very thick at the North Pole tonight.

Your loving Father Christmas"

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 7.9/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters      - 10
Atmosphere   - 10
Writing Style - 10
Plot                - 5
Intrigue          - 5
Logic             - 5
Enjoyment     - 10
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Review:

This is such an adorable and wonderful short book! I'm glad I splurged and pre-ordered the new 2020 edition! It has all 34 letters in the 22 years that Father Christmas wrote his letters to the Tolkien children (1920 and 1923-1943). Each year there's a Christmas letter from about Dec 20th to the 25th. Sometimes there's also an early letter from about Oct 31 to early Dec... or sometimes there's a late letter from after Christmas. 

Most letters are addressed to all the children of 'stocking' age, with 2 exceptions. In 1924, Father Christmas wrote a letter addressed to John and another addressed to Michael (Christopher was only 1 month old and Priscilla had not been born). In 1934 (the only year with 3 letters), Father Christmas wrote a letter addressed to Christopher and another addressed to Priscilla (John and Michael were both past 'stocking' age by then). I wish some of the letters from the Tolkien children to Father Christmas were included in the book, too.  

The letters range from a couple of sentences to 7 pages long and most of them include a drawing. It's fun to see the simple writing grow to actual storytelling as his children get older. Father Christmas writes in shaky print (because he's old and cold), Polar Bear writes in thick, bold letters (because of his fat, heavy paw), and Ilbereth, an elf secretary, writes in nice cursive. I enjoyed all the typography of the letters - they are really beautiful. (I am glad the letters were transcribed, though. The originals can be difficult to read.)

You meet many characters throughout the letters: Snow Man (who's the gardener), other elves, gnomes, goblins, polar cubs, snowboys, and more. One particularly fun year is 1937, which was the year The Hobbit was first published. There were references to the book and a blurring of the lines between Santa's elves and the Elves of Middle-earth (which I've always toyed with in my imagination). Ilbereth, the elf secretary, even writes 'A very merry Christmas to you all' in Elvish! (Then Polar Bear feels like he's being shown up, so he writes in runes.)

Starting in 1939, the letters don't have the same spark of joy to them. This might be because her Father (Christmas/Tolkien) is only writing to Priscilla and knows he doesn't have many years left... but more likely it has to do with the war. The last 4 letters all mention the war, either directly or indirectly by talking about having low toy supplies and not being able to find all the children because so many have moved. As I started to read the last letter, I wondered if Tolkien knew this would be his last letter - and he did. He basically is saying goodbye to Priscilla and it's pretty sad. Overall, though, it really is a great and fun book - it just also happened to be written during a significant time in history.

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Father Christmas (JRR Tolkein) have the last words (and picture):

"We were beginning to get the first lot of parcels down out of the storerooms into the hall. Polar Bear insisted on taking an enormous pile on his head as well as lots in his arms. Bang Rumble Clatter Crash! Awful moanings and growlings.

I ran out onto the landing and saw he had fallen from top to bottom onto his nose leaving a trail of balls, bundles, parcels, and things all the way down - and had fallen on top of some and smashed them. I hope you got none of these by accident? I have drawn you a picture of it all."

-1928

Sample Typography:

bold  

Polar Bear

squiggle print

Father Christmas

CURSIVE

Ilbereth, elf secretary

bold

Polar Bear

(CURSIVE

Ilbereth)