The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
scarletsky's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
isabellarobinson7's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3 stars
The Book of Lost Tales, Part 1 is a great book to read before going to sleep, not because it was mind numbingly boring that you can't keep your eyes open after reading a couple pages, but because Tolkien's writing style is so calming. That being said, one really needs to grasp the earlier stories, because the vast majority flow on directly (so much so that they could barely be called separate tales). Not sure when exactly, but I will be getting to Part 2 sometime in the future.
The Book of Lost Tales, Part 1 is a great book to read before going to sleep, not because it was mind numbingly boring that you can't keep your eyes open after reading a couple pages, but because Tolkien's writing style is so calming. That being said, one really needs to grasp the earlier stories, because the vast majority flow on directly (so much so that they could barely be called separate tales). Not sure when exactly, but I will be getting to Part 2 sometime in the future.
lenci's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
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.
daveketter's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nonabgo's review against another edition
4.0
Not for the casual Tolkien reader, this book (and the entire series) is for the hard core fans that wants to discover the entire mythology. It's a hard read, given that most tales are in a form that precedes the Silmarillion & LOTR and some details differ from the later books, but it's interesting to follow Tolkien's journey towards the stories that we came to love.
booksnbotanicals's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't get past Christopher Tolkien's forward and additional notes on each tale. As much as I have enjoyed the LOTR and the Silmarillion this book could not capture me and keep me enthralled. Every time I would start getting into a story it was broken with an explanation or list of names. Next time I'll skip past the contributions of jr. and just read the stories.
sallysocker's review against another edition
5.0
“whereat Lórien could not contain his joy, and even Mandos smiled.”
2023-01-18
This is the second time I read this and it’s even better than I remembered. The first time I read it I hadn’t gotten as deep into the lore as I have now and didn’t find this book as interesting to read as I did now. Last time I stoped at the first book and decided to read Tolkien’s other books first but now I plan to read the entire History of Middle-Earth.
This book was still hard to read especially if you aren’t a native English speaker, but this time I think it went better. In the Lost Tales the Valar have more personality which I love, in the Silmarillion they are just these people you don’t know much about. I think it’s really sad that Tolkien abandoned this more in depth version of the Valar. I like how the tales are told and how much more detailed they are.
2022-04-15
(4/5 stars)
So hard to read, but so worth it! I love how much more you get to read about the Valar and you get to know more about the beginning of the tales. Although it’s really a test to see how much you know about Tolkien’s world, because if you haven’t got a hold of The Silmarillion this book is going to be hard to read.
2023-01-18
This is the second time I read this and it’s even better than I remembered. The first time I read it I hadn’t gotten as deep into the lore as I have now and didn’t find this book as interesting to read as I did now. Last time I stoped at the first book and decided to read Tolkien’s other books first but now I plan to read the entire History of Middle-Earth.
This book was still hard to read especially if you aren’t a native English speaker, but this time I think it went better. In the Lost Tales the Valar have more personality which I love, in the Silmarillion they are just these people you don’t know much about. I think it’s really sad that Tolkien abandoned this more in depth version of the Valar. I like how the tales are told and how much more detailed they are.
2022-04-15
(4/5 stars)
So hard to read, but so worth it! I love how much more you get to read about the Valar and you get to know more about the beginning of the tales. Although it’s really a test to see how much you know about Tolkien’s world, because if you haven’t got a hold of The Silmarillion this book is going to be hard to read.