Letters in which JRR Tolkien labels Arthur Conan Doyle as not “distinguished as a particularly acute thinker” have emerged for sale on the 70th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings being published.
Bayliss Rare Books has launched the biggest collection of first editions and personal letters from the author to come up for sale in more than 20 years, worth almost £300,000.
One letter, dated January 1947 and sent to AW Riddle, is generally talking about language but says of the British author who created Sherlock Holmes he is “not himself distinguished as a particularly acute thinker”. It sold for £20,000 last week.
It also criticises the approach of his most famous character, the “consulting detective” who wore a deerstalker and lived at 221B Baker Street.
Read the full article at The Telegraph here.
