Just Tolkien

Em 1938, uma editora alemã manifestou interesse na publicação do Hobbit de Tolkien. O processo decorria com normalidade até que as autoridades alemãs questionaram a ascendência ariana do autor. Este, furioso, enviou aos editores duas respostas alternativas, desconhecendo-se qual foi efectivamente transmitida. Uma delas rezava assim:

Dear Sirs,

Thank you for your letter. I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people. My great-great-grandfather came to England in the eighteenth century from Germany: the main part of my descent is therefore purely English, and I am an English subject — which should be sufficient. I have been accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, and continued to do so throughout the period of the late regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I cannot, however, forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride.

* Retirado do excelente Letters of Note que aproveito para recomendar vivamente.