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cat_queen005's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-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
nonabgo's review against another edition
5.0
These are the stories of the children of Hurin and of Beren and Luthien, in verse form. It's interesting to see how the stories evolved towards the final-ish version in The Silmarillion. This third volume was an even greater challenge due to the fact that it's all in alliterative verse, so it might not appeal to Tolkien's regular audience. But the lays are beautifully written, the language is rich and each verse is a treasure in itself.
crystalmbookshelf83's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
verbadanga66's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
grygrnewerg's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
mimirtells's review against another edition
4.0
4/5 Stars (%73/100)
The History of Middle Earth is for hardcore Tolkien fans in my opinion. They are not necessary for the most part. However, if you've read everything from Tolkien multiple times (like me) you need to read this 12 book series. I could only find this one in Turkey since they are pretty rare. The other two books that I've found were extremely expensive so I decided not to buy them.
I'm glad I found this book because you learn more detailed information about Beleriand and its eventual destruction. Beleriand storyline was one of my favourite in The Silmarillion so this was fun to read.
The History of Middle Earth is for hardcore Tolkien fans in my opinion. They are not necessary for the most part. However, if you've read everything from Tolkien multiple times (like me) you need to read this 12 book series. I could only find this one in Turkey since they are pretty rare. The other two books that I've found were extremely expensive so I decided not to buy them.
I'm glad I found this book because you learn more detailed information about Beleriand and its eventual destruction. Beleriand storyline was one of my favourite in The Silmarillion so this was fun to read.
laraelwing's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
regitzexenia's review against another edition
4.0
Full review on my blog: Bookish Love Affair.
Truly a book for the nerds. Those who are interested in following the often quite convoluted creation of two of the more important tales in Tolkien's legendarium. The tales of Túrin son of Húrin and Tinúviel (more commonly known as the story of Lúthien and Beren) exist in many forms and in many diffeeent books, some of which I have yet to read. Christopher Tolkien does a quite good job of explaining the progress of the poems, or lays, in this book and how they develop into the later prose forms known from The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales. (The poem about Húrin's children in this book should not be confused with the book by the same title, as I understand it they're different stories, but as I haven't read the latter one yet I can't be sure). It is a heavy book to get through, but I for one found the earlier versions presented in this book quite interesting.
Truly a book for the nerds. Those who are interested in following the often quite convoluted creation of two of the more important tales in Tolkien's legendarium. The tales of Túrin son of Húrin and Tinúviel (more commonly known as the story of Lúthien and Beren) exist in many forms and in many diffeeent books, some of which I have yet to read. Christopher Tolkien does a quite good job of explaining the progress of the poems, or lays, in this book and how they develop into the later prose forms known from The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales. (The poem about Húrin's children in this book should not be confused with the book by the same title, as I understand it they're different stories, but as I haven't read the latter one yet I can't be sure). It is a heavy book to get through, but I for one found the earlier versions presented in this book quite interesting.
jessa_yes's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
smokowate's review against another edition
3.0
Mostly the children of Hurin an Beren and Luthien once more.. so I skipped most of the book, it was written earlier than the complete works on those 2 stories.