Letter 241a

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 241a
Recipient	Rayner Unwin
Date	2 November 1962
Subject(s)	The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Pearl and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Letter 241a is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded edition.

Summary

Tolkien expresses his gratitude to Rayner Unwin for sending an advance copy of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. He shares the origin of the work, which started with his elderly aunt, and requests that a complimentary copy be sent to her directly from the firm, rather than from him.

Tolkien also discusses his translations of Pearl and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, noting that they are complete but require final revisions. He acknowledges that Pearl has been critiqued by an expert and needs careful attention. Finally, Tolkien mentions the unexpected burden of returning to lecturing, which has demanded more effort than anticipated to refresh his knowledge after long hiatus.