May 16, 2003

Re: Which Two Towers
Entwash

G, it was the publisher's decision to issue the book in three parts, necessitating a title for each. Tolkien and the pub went back and forth a bit on the titles, so the actual titles are the result of a negotiation. "The Two Towers" was suggested by the pub and, ultimately, Tolkien didn't fight it. But which were the two towers was never clearly specified and Tolkien couldn't name them. The back and forth on the three book titles is to be found in Tolkien's letters.

The filmmakers, obviously, decided to save the audience some head-scratching and resolve the issue, which was probably a wise choice.