Reviews

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.