Reviews

I'm not gonna lie, this was a slog in places. Tolkien can be difficult to read when he's organized and edited, but trying to get through so much plot that is contradictory to itself and without any consistency as far as names and such go is sometimes like wading through treacle. Very beautiful, very interesting treacle.
I started reading it and then quickly realized I needed some help keeping everything straight in my head, so I ended up reading it chapter for chapter in conjunction with the Silmarillion. I've read the Silmarillion before, which was very helpful, but I definitely needed to read the two together to avoid confusion. However, while this was very helpful (and all the more interesting, seeing the differences in detail) it made for a drawn out read.
The biggest thing I noticed was the contrast in quality between the two. This book was beautiful and well worth reading, but there were times when I read a chapter from the Silmarillion and then a chapter from the Tales and found it very obvious which was the draft and which was the re-worked version. Even Tolkien's drafts are amazing, but the Silmarillion is so much more refined, the language is more efficient, and the stories wander less.
Overall, though, it was lovely and worth the work to get through.

regitzexenia's review against another edition

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4.0

I've been wanting to start this massive series, The History of Middle-Earth, for a long, long time. Because as anyone knows, I bloody love Tolkien and Middle-Earth.

However, it took me a while to start, mostly because I don't have more than the first two books yet and I have a feeling that I'll be wanting to read book 3 right after I finish book 1.

Now, book 1.

If you have read The Silmarillion, you'll know that it is largely the story of the elves, their origins and such. Way, way before the events of our beloved The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. And if you have read Silmarilion, you'll find that you might recognise the stories in this book, as they would later become The Silmarillion -- along with part II.

This book offers an insight into the crafting of the massive and historically intricate universe that is Middle-Earth. And as such, I can't help but like it. Even if I might prefer the eventual "finished" stories of The Silmarillion.

For more thoughts on Lost Tales, you can check out my review of Part II, here.
Also reviewed together on my blog Bookish Love Affair.

rbembenek's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging slow-paced

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

3.75

wintergirl83's review against another edition

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4.0

Language is tough to get through but I expected that. A great read and I’m looking forward to volume 2.

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