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scarletsky's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
sterlingprimerius's review against another edition
3.0
It took me some effort to wrap this one up. Maybe I was a bit Tolkien-tired or Great Tales-tired after reading all three back to back. My notes for this will be fairly similar to what I have already written in my review of [b:Beren and Lúthien|41015249|Beren and Lúthien|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533061452l/41015249._SY75_.jpg|53286704], so I'm not going to rehash this here.
Once again we're looking at a story that is not quite yet finished. Where [b:The Children of Húrin|597790|The Children of Húrin|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390692771l/597790._SY75_.jpg|5725966] contained a pretty much full story from beginning to end, with notes from Christopher Tolkien before and after, The Fall of Gondolin is more similar to Beren and Lúthien. As it contains multiple pieces of writing that pieced together form the Great Tale of The Fall of Gondolin.
Unlike the previous entry however this book is carried largely by two pieces of writing that are fairly large and combined form about half the book. Personally I feel like fewer notes from Tolkien, and cutting some of smaller texts would have made this book at lotter easier to read. The first of these large texts is about Tuor arriving at Gondolin and his life there until the Fall of Gondolin. The second is an expanded tale of his journey to Gondolin.
I would almost be tempted to add an additional star to this one, because of the way it ties up the Great Tales of the Elder Days, or the First age as it's known. All three great tales are clearly connected, and it is clear to see why Tolkien (the original JRR) thought of Lord of the Rings as a sequel to the Silmarillion (which contains all three tales in smaller scale). These tales all lead to the birth of Eärendil, son of Tuor, grandson of Huor, cousin to Turin and nephew to Hurin. He marries Elwing, who herself is descendant of Beren and Lúthien and thus a descendant of Melian. The same Melian who helped Hurin and Beren on multiple occasions. The bond of Eärendil and Elwing, both half-elven, produces two children. Elros, first king of Númenor and ancestor of Aragorn II and Elrond, the half-elven lord of Rivendel, ring-bearer of Vilya and father of Arwen.
After reading the three great tales I dare say that Gandalf wasn't the only Maia that had a hand in the destruction of the darkness in Middle-Earth. Melian indirectly had a hand in getting rid of Morgoth/Melkor and Sauron.
All in all the tales form a great deal of lore on the background of Lord of the Rings. Now I had originally intended to dive straight into The Fellowship of the Ring for a re-read after this, but after reading The Hobbit and these 3 great tales back to back, I think I need a pallet cleanser and I will return to Middle-Earth at a later time.
Once again we're looking at a story that is not quite yet finished. Where [b:The Children of Húrin|597790|The Children of Húrin|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390692771l/597790._SY75_.jpg|5725966] contained a pretty much full story from beginning to end, with notes from Christopher Tolkien before and after, The Fall of Gondolin is more similar to Beren and Lúthien. As it contains multiple pieces of writing that pieced together form the Great Tale of The Fall of Gondolin.
Unlike the previous entry however this book is carried largely by two pieces of writing that are fairly large and combined form about half the book. Personally I feel like fewer notes from Tolkien, and cutting some of smaller texts would have made this book at lotter easier to read. The first of these large texts is about Tuor arriving at Gondolin and his life there until the Fall of Gondolin. The second is an expanded tale of his journey to Gondolin.
I would almost be tempted to add an additional star to this one, because of the way it ties up the Great Tales of the Elder Days, or the First age as it's known. All three great tales are clearly connected, and it is clear to see why Tolkien (the original JRR) thought of Lord of the Rings as a sequel to the Silmarillion (which contains all three tales in smaller scale). These tales all lead to the birth of Eärendil, son of Tuor, grandson of Huor, cousin to Turin and nephew to Hurin. He marries Elwing, who herself is descendant of Beren and Lúthien and thus a descendant of Melian. The same Melian who helped Hurin and Beren on multiple occasions. The bond of Eärendil and Elwing, both half-elven, produces two children. Elros, first king of Númenor and ancestor of Aragorn II and Elrond, the half-elven lord of Rivendel, ring-bearer of Vilya and father of Arwen.
After reading the three great tales I dare say that Gandalf wasn't the only Maia that had a hand in the destruction of the darkness in Middle-Earth. Melian indirectly had a hand in getting rid of Morgoth/Melkor and Sauron.
All in all the tales form a great deal of lore on the background of Lord of the Rings. Now I had originally intended to dive straight into The Fellowship of the Ring for a re-read after this, but after reading The Hobbit and these 3 great tales back to back, I think I need a pallet cleanser and I will return to Middle-Earth at a later time.
dizzy_reception's review against another edition
4.0
I was expecting a story, and it does have a story for about the first 100 pages. However, most of the book is notes on the story writing process, not the actual story.
Still an interesting read, and I love learning about Tolkien's world. However, if you are a casual Lord of the Rings fan, this might not be for you.
Still an interesting read, and I love learning about Tolkien's world. However, if you are a casual Lord of the Rings fan, this might not be for you.
maartaa's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
daniel_nunes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
abey's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
venusaspirant's review against another edition
5.0
I FINALLY FINISHED THIS. 4.5/5 stars! Proper RTC soon!