First thus. 102pp. Black cloth-covered boards with gilt lettering on the spine. Cream endpapers. 8vo. Cloth just a little pushed at spine ends. There's a charming gift inscription inked on the front free endpaper, parts of which are written in three of the Elvish languages that Tolkien created, inscription dated August 1989, else internally neat, clean, bright and tight throughout. In its original dust wrapper, very slightly shelf worn and very slightly bumped on extreme edges.
First published in 1964, Tree and Leaf goes a long way to explain Tolkien's vision of fantasy writing and its significance in the literary field. This edition also includes J R R Tolkien's essay On Fairy Stories, in which he discusses the fairy tale as a form of literature; one of his earlier short stories, Leaf by Niggle is also included as is his poem on the making of myths, Mythopoeia. There's also an introduction by Christopher Tolkien, editor of his father's posthumous works.
