"J.R.R. Tolkien - The History of Middle-Earth - 00" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tolkien J.R.R)

Stern Warning
I'm not here to do your homework for you. Anyone who's looking for a quick, cheap essay on
Tolkien should keep in mind that I write in a style that won't be mistaken for a student's 500-
word theme. If you are stupid and lazy enough to cheat, you'll probably get what you deserve
when you try to hand in this stuff.

Enjoy.




-5-
Parma Endorion


iii. Introduction to the Second Edition (1998)
Since I first created Parma Endorion: Essays On Middle-earth, the web site has received
thousands of visits from interested Tolkien fans. It has "worn out" a few hit counters along the
way and I've lost track of how many people have actually dropped in on the main page of the
original site. That really no longer matters to me, to be honest. I've received so much email from
well-wishers that I know Parma Endorion is a success, and that it serves a purpose in helping to
explain a few of the mysteries of J.R.R. Tolkien's world.

Like THE LORD OF THE RINGS, Parma Endorion has grown in the telling. It was an ongoing
project in late 1996 and early 1997, until I finished the last of the essays I had envisioned for it.
And like LOTR the work has consistently received one complaint: it is too short.

I cannot promise to add any more essays to the collection. I have other projects, some related to
Middle-earth and some not. My time is fleeting and my energies are sometimes depleted. But
with this new edition I hope to take care of the one other complaint I have often received: Parma
Endorion is too hard to read. To be honest, I intentionally made it difficult to copy, but that had
the unfortunate effect of making it nearly illegible. So I've decided to stop playing with my
readers and just present the book as a book, with simple black on white text. I hope this decision
meets with general approval.

Many people have written to me asking for permission to copy the essays. I have reluctantly
agreed to this process on numerous occasions. After all, I can hardly prevent people from doing
so, and it's quite thoughtful of those who ask me to do so. So, if you do print out these pages,
please remember that this is my work, Copyrighted, owned by me. Unlike the authors of a
printed books, I get no compensation for my labors. This project has been a labor of love.

To the many students, teachers, and librarians who have written to me, I want to thank you for
your interest in my researches. Students, please check with your instructors before using this or
any other Web site as a source for your reports and term papers. I've found that a lot of educators
are encouraging students to use the Web, but you really owe it to yourselves to make sure it's
okay. It sounds trite, but if you cheat on a term paper, you're only cheating yourself.

For those of you who have asked, time and again: no, Parma Endorion is not my last word on
Tolkien research. I hope to one day find a publisher for a very detailed book that explores the
pseudo-histories and cultures of Tolkien's Middle-earth unlike any book previously published.