Reviews

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

katie1775's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

mattleestew's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 Stars

I'll start off by saying that I greatly enjoy the story of Beren and Luthien. I had first read about them when I read The Silmarillion a while back. I'll also say that if you're a Tolkien fan at all, then you'll definitely enjoy this book and you need go no further. I did have a few gripes about the book overall though. Compared to the narrative of The Children of Hurin, it just doesn't hold up. Where in The Children of Hurin, the story is told as well...a story. Beren and Luthien is a little different.

A more appropriate title, in my honest opinion would be "The Making of Beren and Luthien" because it is more a history about how the story has evolved over the years as Tolkien changed it. That's not to say it's a bad thing either because it was really interesting seeing how it changed over the years.

Basically what I'm trying to say is don't read this book if you're expecting something like The Children of Hurin. If you're interested in seeing how the story of Beren and Luthien started and evolved over the years, read this book. If you just want to know the story then I would recommend just reading their excerpt from The Silmarillion.

Another pro for this book is that the artwork is beautifully done thanks to Alan Lee!

Overall, a definite must read for any Tolkien fan. If you're just interested just because, just know what to expect from this book so you aren't disappointed.

mooney_ec's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

beatrizrocha29's review against another edition

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slow-paced

2.0

richardchen's review against another edition

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adventurous sad slow-paced

5.0

rosedewit999's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

amybraunauthor's review against another edition

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5.0

It's been a long time since I read anything Lord of the Rings related, and I gotta say, this was a great re-entry into a rich, one of a kind world brimming with lore. I've always been interested in the Lay of Lúthien, but admittedly have never read much of it. Until now. And I LOVED it. The stories and their interpretations were romantic and sweeping, leaving you caught up in the adventures of honourable Beren, loyal Huan, and brave Lúthien. I couldn't get enough of the stories, the poems, and the illustrations. The only thing that really took me out of the story was when the author injected little anecdotes about the history of the stories themselves. This doesn't alter my opinion and I understand why it was done, but it jarred me a little when I was particularly raptured by an explosive ending scene. Still, these stories were like reading pure mythology. I can't recommend this book more to lovers of classic Tolkien and any kind of fantasy lore. It's not a long book, but it's a beautiful one, and you'll be just as entranced as I was.

bexwalsh's review against another edition

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adventurous informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

xavierdebecker's review against another edition

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3.75

A really interesting case study of the evolution of Tolkien's tale, particularly if you love the creative process of storytelling, poetry and the world of Lord of the Rings. This book includes the first version of the story and subsequent iterations, complete with commentary from Christopher Tolkien about the history. It won't be for everyone (especially the parts written in rhyme scheme), but boy, did I enjoy picking apart and comparing the differences.

emily_bg's review against another edition

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

4.25