Reviews

Beren e Lúthien by J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien

woozy_woozle's review against another edition

5.0

A fascinating look into one of the more important stories in the lore of Middle-Earth. Christopher Tolkien does a remarkable job of analyzing the trajectory of his father's work yet is able to take a step back and allow the tale to unfold naturally. While some may take exception to the fact that the book is really just a collection of different forms of the same story, I believe this only reinforces Tolkien's appreciation for the epic tradition and the opportunity for reinterpretation without sacrificing greater narrative or thematic structures. A perfect, quick read for Tolkien fans, language enthusiasts, or someone looking for some classic high-romance

denw's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

lanid's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

isabellarobinson7's review against another edition

4.0

Rating: 4 stars

I'm always up for any Tolkien tale, especially if it has something to do with Elrond. Beren and Lúthien is the love story of Elrond's parents, the first between an elf and mortal, and what follows is a mixture of Greek and Norse mythologies. Lúthien felt quite similar to Freya at times (minus the cats), and Beren's impossible quest of sorts for this unobtainable object felt reminiscent to a lot of Greek tales, (Perseus springs to mind).

But that poetry was just mesmerizing. I am a complete sucker for alliteration or rhyming (but the latter has to be done well, no cheesy stuff) and the was Tolkien utilised them in a particular chapter was great. Here is a snippet:

"Nigh the foul spirit Morgoth made 
and bred of evil shuddering strayed
from its dark house, when Lúthien rose
and shivering looked upon his throes."

Just reading those lines is an experience. You don't get to see a whole lot of Tolkien's poetry in The Lord of the Rings, nor in The Hobbit, just little passages here and there (and of course the infamous song breaks) but here it shines. 

But it was quite romance-y, and I'm not a big fan of it. I also have to take into account that I automatically treat everything Tolkien touches as the Bible, and not rate them too high.

gsroney's review against another edition

3.0

This is for Tolkien completionists only. The more interesting bits involved Christopher Tolkien’s commentary on how this story evolved and what JRRT intended for the story. The lays, I must admit, were a struggle for me to read.

zemroner's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

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

1.75

laurenjpegler's review against another edition

1.0

*DNF @ 174

J.R.R. Tolkien is a hit-or-miss writer for me. Whereas I love Lord of the Rings, I didn't enjoy The Hobbit. It's quite evident that I didn't enjoy this one either. It was various short stories or epic poems about the same story - that of Beren and Luthien's relationship. Literally. The same story retold like 4 times. It was boring and quite tedious.

I really wanted to read the entirety, and, more importantly, enjoy it, but I just couldn't. Tolkien's writing style is very particular, and I just couldn't get into the story this time. I think he is an amazing poet, however. He writes so lyrically and beautifully, and the rhyming scheme is so lovely. I just got bored of reading the same story again.

I get what this edition was trying to do, but, like, it was also a little unnecessary. Christopher Tolkien could have chosen the best story and/or poem and published that in a small version. Just really didn't understand it, to be honest.

jacinta_almeida's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

The book is incredibly interesting. The whole evolution of the Lai of Tinuviel to the version of The Silmarillion is amazing. 
Even the rhymes in Portuguese rhyme. 

amanda1011's review against another edition

4.0

The book is a compilation of the multiple versions of the story as it evolved over time. Christopher Tolkien adds his own voice, explaining his father's thought process as details of the story changed.

lucasporra's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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? Yes

4.0