Imephu yomhlaba ophakathi ezaliswe zizichazi-magama zika JRR Tolkien ifunyenwe yiThala leencwadi laseBodleian, eOxford. Imephu ekhumbuza izizukulwana zabalandeli ngeyona mibono mikhulu yakha yenziwa Yongezwe kokona kuqokelelwa kukhulu kwezinto ezinxulumene nomsebenzi wombhali, kubandakanya imibhalo-ngqangi ye-Hobbit kunye ne-Lord of the Rings.
Izichazi zombhali, ezibhalwe nge-inki eluhlaza kunye nepensile, zibonisa ukuba yayiyintoni indalo yehlabathi kwingqondo kaTolkien:
"IHobbiton ihlala malunga nobubanzi beOxford."
Amanqaku endawo ebekhona Umiselwe ukunika uPauline Baynes, umzobi obonisa imephu kwilizwe lakhe, i Izikhokelo zemozulu kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo ezingundoqo zembali.
“IMinas Tirith inobubanzi beRavenna (kodwa ziimayile ezingama-900 empuma yeHobbiton, kufutshane neBelgrade). Inxalenye engaphakathi yemephu (1400 yeemayile) iphantse ibe bubude beYerusalem. "
"Iindlovu zivela kumlo omkhulu ongaphandle kweMinas Tirith (njengoko zenzayo e-Italiya phantsi kukaPyrrhus), kodwa zizakuba kwindawo enye kwizitali ezimhlophe eHarad.
UPauline Baynes yayinguye kuphela umbonisi ovunyiweyo ngu-Tolkien kwaye wamazisa kumhlobo wakhe wase-Oxford u-CSLewis, awamncedayo ekuboniseni zonke iincwadi zakhe ze-Narnia. UTolkien noLewis babengamalungu eqela le-Inklings lababhali kunye nabaphengululi be-Oxford. Babehlala bedibana kwaye bafunde umsebenzi wamva nje kwindawo yokutyela ebizwa ngokuba "Ukhozi noMntwana."
Ipowusta yemephu yayi yapapashwa ngo-1970 kwaye yayingqamana nemifanekiso yokuqala yabalinganiswa bakaTolkienkodwa yayisekwe kwimephu yokusonga evela kwimiqulu yokuqala ye-trilogy ka-1954 evela kwiNkosi yeRings, eyayitsaliwe ngunyana kaTokien uChristopher, elandela imiyalelo katata wakhe.
UPauline Baynes wakrazula imephu kwikopi yakhe kwaye wayisa kuTolkien, owathi egqunywe ngamanqaku kubandakanya amagama eendawo ezininzi ongezelelweyo angaveli encwadini. Kuba uninzi lwamagama bebelulwimi lwabo olwenziweyo, beluthethwa ngokutyibilikayo ngabalandeli abaninzi ukuba ibali lifunyenwe, kuye kwafuneka ukwazisa ukuguqulelwa kunye nenkcazo yabanye:
"UEryn Vorn [= Ihlathi Elimnyama] ingingqi yehlathi elimnyama elinemithi [ipine?]"
Uye wabonisa imibala yeenqanawa kunye nemifuziselo yeeseyile zabo.
"I-Elves: iinqanawa ezincinci, ezimhlophe okanye ezingwevu ... Gondor, Iinqanawa eziMnyama nezeSilivere ... IiCorsairs zazineeyile ezibomvu ezinenkwenkwezi okanye iliso elimnyama."
UPauline Baynes wasweleka ngo-2008, kodwa ke imephu khange iphinde ifumaneke kude kube ngunyaka ophelileyo, ifakwe kwincwadi ebeyigcinile. Ivenkile yeencwadi eBlackwells iOxford iyithengisile kwaye yayixabisa nge- £ 60000. IBodleian ikwazile ukuyithenga enkosi kwizibonelelo ezivela kwi-V & A kunye nabahlobo kwithala leencwadi.
UChris Fletcher, umgcini weengqokelela ezizodwa ezenza iBodleian, utshilo iimephu zazingundoqo kwingxelo kaTolkien Kwaye ibiya kuba kukuphoxeka ukuba ibiphelele phesheya okanye kwingqokelela yabucala.
"Le mephu ethile Inika umbono wenkqubo yokuyila evelise eminye yemifanekiso yokuqala yoMhlaba ophakathi, uninzi lwethu esele luqhelene nalo. Kuluvuyo kuthi ukuba sikwazi ukuthenga le mephu. Ingayinto elihlazo ukuba le mephu iphelele phesheya okanye kwingqokelela yabucala. "
"UTolkien uchithe ixesha elininzi lobomi bakhe esixekweni kwaye wayecinga ngokucacileyo ngokubaluleka kwendawo njengoko kunokubonwa kwizinto ezenza imephu."
UMbindi womhlaba ayilohlabathi nje elivela kwiincwadi ezimbalwa, kodwa lihlabathi umbhali ngokwakhe awalibona engqondweni yakhe, wadala ukuba afezeke ngeenkcukacha ezinkulu ukuze ngakumbi malunga noku kusafunyanwa nanamhlanje. Ihlabathi lokwenyani elidlula imifanekiso eqhelekileyo ehamba neencwadi ezininzi namhlanje.