Reviews

The Fall of Gondolin by J.R.R. Tolkien

csetters's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

debralewi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

loves_nurse's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

For the deep dive reader. A heavy tome, not quite finished, yet the story of beginning of middle earth.  Told with voices from both father and son Tolkein. A masterful feat considering how deep into the Lore that they both lived.

christianholub's review against another edition

3.0

Another fun book expanding one of the great "Lost Tales" from the early days of Middle-Earth. I think this one is a better fit for well-read Tolkien nerds ("Beren and Luthien," from last year, would make a better starting point, as would "The Silmarillion" itself) but still very enjoyable.

Here's my EW story on how the book came to be, even after Christopher Tolkien declared last year that "Beren and Luthien" would be his last: https://www.ew.com/books/2018/08/27/fall-of-gondolin-jrr-tolkien/

georgemavrakis's review against another edition

4.0

This is one of the great tales of the Elder Days. Begins with the story of the founding of the city of Gondolin, the coming of Tuor until its fall to the forces of Morgoth. I liked it a lot, especially the presentation of the houses of the Gondolin and the siege of the city.

The book starts with the full story and then some versions of the story are presented. So, if anyone wants to just read the story, he can stick only in the Original Tale chapter. Later chapters tell the evolutions of some parts of this story.

Recommended!

mystical_emerald's review against another edition

adventurous challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

szunyogver's review against another edition

Its weird to make a book out of the notes of the author that he probs did not intend  to publish

kerrycat's review against another edition

5.0

this fed both the Tolkien lover as well as the textual bibliographer in me - according to CT, this story is the very first of ME that JRRT is known to have written (after the Somme, when he had sick leave). it is First Age, prequel to my favorite JRRT, The Silmarillion, and as always, I am in awe of our great fortune in having CT's brilliance and devotion to his father's legacy, without which we would not have so much of Middle Earth in our hands.

he has included each version found of this sad but telling tale, with notes as to the condition in which it was found (handwritten? typed? erased? written-over? barely decipherable?) and textual changes between them (and how those changes are significant).

CT is now 94 and states that this is it for him - but didn't he say that after Beren and Luthien?

lynnw's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

thejigglerreads's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25