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l0rine's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
dorynickel's review against another edition
3.0
There are some really cool story components that make for great reading but just didn't fit into the eventual state of the legendarium (e.g., the Cool Cats, Turin's afterlife). I think I actually liked this version of Beren and Luthien better, but Children of Hurin and Fall of Gondolin less, than the Unfinished Tales versions. This book also demonstrates Tolkien's gift for imagery, where even his early drafts contain captivating images that stick in the reader's mind (and were often retained in later versions).
Also, if you're interested in the Tolkien legendarium as a mythology for England, this is the book for you. I've always found this idea intriguing, and I appreciate the work Christopher did to synthesize dozens of scraps of paper into a holistic history, even if that does result in reading a lot of Christopher's analysis when I'd rather be reading J.R.R.'s prose.
Also, if you're interested in the Tolkien legendarium as a mythology for England, this is the book for you. I've always found this idea intriguing, and I appreciate the work Christopher did to synthesize dozens of scraps of paper into a holistic history, even if that does result in reading a lot of Christopher's analysis when I'd rather be reading J.R.R.'s prose.
thatokiebird's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
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
4.0
Whew this book took me some time now. I've had it sitting on my shelf literally since I was a teenager. It took me years to read through Part I, and I finally finally started Part II near the beginning of this year. I had a four-ish hour airplane journey and thought if I only bring this book and this alone, I could read a large chunk of it since I didn't have anything else to distract me. I read about 75 pages that day, and the remaining 300+ pages took me about six more months.
As challenging as I find The Silmarillion, this multiplies that by at least five. It's a deep deep dive into alternate tellings of the stories of The Silmarillion, but with less fine-tuning and editing. Still it was a lot of fun to read through these alternate stories, and think about how the stories we know and love came to be. Christopher Tolkien does a stellar job with commentary at the end of each story, telling us the different iterations and changes from the included drafts to the final published story. I imagine what an overwhelming daunting task it was for him to take manuscripts, notebooks, scraps of his father's handwriting and turn it into these books, so hats off to him!
As challenging as I find The Silmarillion, this multiplies that by at least five. It's a deep deep dive into alternate tellings of the stories of The Silmarillion, but with less fine-tuning and editing. Still it was a lot of fun to read through these alternate stories, and think about how the stories we know and love came to be. Christopher Tolkien does a stellar job with commentary at the end of each story, telling us the different iterations and changes from the included drafts to the final published story. I imagine what an overwhelming daunting task it was for him to take manuscripts, notebooks, scraps of his father's handwriting and turn it into these books, so hats off to him!
sararene's review against another edition
3.0
I did enjoy many parts of this. The further detailing and delving into the two tales of Beren & Luthien and the Fall of Gondolin particularly.
But it loses a star for the last 50-60 pages. These are the more incomplete parts, comprised of notes, outlines, and bits here and there. Not that these have no value, but I found them much more difficult to get through and to hold my interest.
But it loses a star for the last 50-60 pages. These are the more incomplete parts, comprised of notes, outlines, and bits here and there. Not that these have no value, but I found them much more difficult to get through and to hold my interest.
basbleu_dans_labiblioteque's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
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
4.5
It was very interesting to see how stories such as Beren and Luthien or Turin Turambar had changed over time. I especially loved The Nauglafring! It echoed the story Der Ring Des Nibelungen, especially in the the cursed gold that corrupts all owners and the process of slaying the dragon from below, even including the avoidance of its poisonous blood.
obscura's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Incest, and War
ksull95's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
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
nonabgo's review against another edition
5.0
The same comments as for the first volume. Not a book for the casual Tolkien fan. It's a difficult read, especially due to the extensive usage of Old English. But it's great for those die-hard fans who want to know where it all started and how the mythology evolved.
xenobio's review against another edition
3.0
The only bits that are really worth reading are the Fall of Gondolin and Turambar and the Foaloke (the children of Hurin story). No matter how much work Christopher Tolkien has put into this, in the end it's still just a bunch of notes and not a collection of finished works and they're simply not enjoyable to read through for the most part. Also it's hard not to snicker the first few times you read "gnomes".