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oden came to Harrowdale I stopped。 Foresight had failed and there wasno time for thought。
It was during 1944 that； leaving the loose ends and perplexities of a warwhich it was my task to conduct； or at least to report； 1 forced myself totackle the journey of Frodo to Mordor。 These chapters； eventually to beeBook Four； were written and sent out as a serial to my son； Christopher； thenin South Africa with the RAF。 Nonetheless it took another five years beforethe tale was brought to its present end； in that time I changed my house； mychair； and my college； and the days though less dark were no less laborious。
Then when the 'end' had at last been reached the whole story had to berevised； and indeed largely re…written backwards。 And it had to be typed； andre…typed： by me； the cost of professional typing by the ten…fingered wasbeyond my means。
_The Lord of the Rings_ has been read by many people since it finallyappeared in print； and I should like to say something here with reference tothe many opinions or guesses that I have received or have read concerning themotives and meaning of the tale。 The prime motive was the desire of a taleteller
to try his hand at a really long story that would hold the attention ofreaders； amuse them； delight them； and at times maybe excite them or deeplymove them。 As a guide I had only my own feelings for what is appealing or
moving； and for many the guide was inevitably often at fault。 Some who haveread the book； or at any rate have reviewed it； have found it boring； absurd；
or contemptible； and I have no cause to plain； since I have similaropinions of their works； or of the kinds of writing that they evidentlyprefer。 But even from the points of view of many who have enjoyed my storythere is much that fails to please。 It is perhaps not possible in a long taleto please everybody at all points； nor to displease everybody at the samepoints； for I find from the letters that I have received that the passages orchapters that are to some a blemish are all by others specially approved。 Themost critical reader of all； myself； now finds many defects； minor and major；
but being fortunately under no obligation either to review the book or towrite it again； he will pass over these in silence； except one that has beennoted by others： the book is too short。
As for any inner meaning or 'message'； it has in the intention of theauthor none。 It is neither allegorical nor topical。 As the story grew it putdown roots （into the past） and threw out unexpected branches： but its maintheme was settled from the outset by the inevitable choice of the Ring as thelink between it and _The Hobbit。_ The crucial chapter； 〃The Shadow of thePast'； is one of the oldest parts of the tale。 It was written long before theforeshadow of 1939 had yet bee a threat of inevitable disaster； and fromthat point the story would have developed along essentially the same lines； ifthat disaster had been averted。 Its sources are things long before in mind； orin some cases already written； and little or nothing in it was modified by thewar that began in 1939 or its sequels。
The real war does not resemble the legendary war in its process or itsconclusion。 If it had inspired or directed the development of the legend； thencertainly the Ring would have been seized and used against Sauron； he wouldnot have been annihilated but enslaved； and Barad…d。r would not have beendestroyed but occupied。 Saruman； failing to get possession of the Ring； wouldm the confusion and treacheries of the time have found in Mordor the missinglinks in his own researches into Ring…lore； and before long he would have madea Great Ring of his own with which to challenge the self…styled Ruler ofMiddle…earth。 In that conflict both sides would have held hobbits in hatred
and contempt： they would not long have survived even as slaves。
Other arrangements could be devised according to the tastes or views ofthose who like allegory or topical reference。 But I cordially dislike allegoryin all its manifestations； and always have done so since I grew old and waryenough to detect its presence。 I much prefer history； true or feigned； withits varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers。 I thinkthat many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'； but the one resides in thefreedom of the reader； and the other in the purposed domination of the author。
An author cannot of course remain wholly unaffected by his experience；
but the ways in which a story…germ uses the soil of experience are extremelyplex； and attempts to define the process are at best guesses from evidencethat is inadequate and ambiguous。 It is also false； though naturallyattractive； when the lives of an author and critic have overlapped； to supposethat the movements of thought or the events of times mon to both werenecessarily the most powerful influences。 One has indeed personally to eunder the shadow of war to feel fully its oppression； but as the years go byit seems now often forgotten that to be caught in youth by 1914 was no lesshideous an experience than to be involved in 1939 and the following years。 By1918 all but one of my close friends were dead。 Or to take a less grievousmatter： it has been supposed by some that 'The Scouring of the Shire' reflectsthe situation in England at the time when I was finishing my tale。 It doesnot。 It is an essential part of the plot； foreseen from the outset； though inthe event modified by the character of Saruman as developed in the storywithout； need I say； any allegorical significance or contemporary politicalreference whatsoever。 It has indeed some basis in experience； though slender（for the economic situation was entirely different）； and much further back。
The country in which I lived in childhood was being shabbily destroyed before
I was ten； in days when motor…cars were rare objects （I had never seen one）
and men were still building suburban railways。 Recently I saw in a paper apicture of the last decrepitude of the once thriving corn…mill beside its poolthat long ago seemed to me so important。 I never liked the looks of the Youngmiller； but his father； the Old miller； had a black beard； and he was notnamed Sandyman。
_The Lord of the Ring