Letter 134a

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 134a
Recipient	Michael Tolkien
Date	21 October 1952
Subject(s)	Home life

Letter 134a is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded edition.

Summary

In a letter to his son Michael, Tolkien expresses his birthday wishes and shares updates from his busy academic life. He notes the challenging conditions at home, with increased traffic noise affecting his wife's health and the recent departure of Priscilla making the house feel empty. Tolkien mentions the family's plans to move again, hoping to find a more suitable living situation, especially since Woodcote seems to suit Edith well and made her happy. He also conveys his pleasure at hearing about his new granddaughter Judith and sends love to Michael's other children.

Tolkien comments on the difficulties of maintaining his university duties amidst these personal challenges. He shares concerns about his son Christopher's recent illness and heavy workload, noting that Christopher is gaining recognition as a language tutor at several University Colleges. Despite the pressures of term time and his perennial struggle to prepare lectures in advance, Tolkien remains dedicated to his family and their well-being, expressing hope and support for Michael and his teaching endeavours.