Reviews

The Fall of Gondolin by J.R.R. Tolkien

ckoldfield's review against another edition

adventurous challenging slow-paced

5.0

nonesensed's review against another edition

3.0

I have many friends who love Tolkien's work, so I tend to try get more familiar with the worldbuilding of Middle-Earth. Reading this 'lost tale' was interesting in some ways, but oh dear, Tolkien sure could write about a looooot of environmental details and utterly skim past any kind of personality or inter-personal relationships. So yeah, not recommending this unless you're interested in the history of the world of Lord of the Rings. 

jonas's review

adventurous challenging medium-paced

3.0

queerofthedagger's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring slow-paced

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

4.0

Out of those books published posthumously (notwithstanding The Fall of Númenor because I haven't read that one yet, and the Histories of course), this has by far the least cohesive, on-going narrative. There are several versions and none of them truly finished. That said, Christopher Tolkien once again did an amazing job at contextualizing the different versions, and I feel if you're still here at this point, you know what you're in for. 

Story-wise, this might be my favourite one out of the three main pillars (Children of Húrin/Beren and Lúthien/Fall of Gondolin), although I find it hard to compare them. It feels the most connected to the over-arching story of the Silmarillion and the First Age though - then again, I might be biased because the House of Fingolfin and Feanor are my little guys, and this touches their stories the most, so you know. 

incognitomercy's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

4.0

szuum's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

3.75

saumith's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

valeria_anedda's review against another edition

4.0

GDL Storia di Arda
Il libro è stato inserito (in ordine di lettura) dopo il capitolo 23 (Di Tuor e la caduta di Gondolin) presente nel Silmarillion; raccoglie La caduta di Gondolin (contenuta nei Racconti perduti) e Tuor e il suo arrivo a Gondolin (contenuta nei Racconti incompiuti di Numenor e della Terra di Mezzo).
A conclusione, abbiamo letto un approfondimento su Glorfindel da La Storia della Terra di Mezzo: Volume XII - I Popoli della Terra di Mezzo.

Come per "Beren e Luthien", questo non è un romanzo, ma una raccolta di scritti commentati da Christopher Tolkien.
La storia ha come protagonisti Gondolin, l'ultima città elfica rimasta in piedi fino a quel momento, e Tuor, figlio di Hour e cugino del più sfortunato Turin - il poveretto appare due volte in preda alla pazzia per il dolore subito durante le sue disavventure.

Non è un libro di facile lettura e non lo consiglio, se non per ampliare le conoscenze sul mondo di Arda.

taleswithaelia's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

4.5

ninacarrara's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

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

3.25