Scan barcode
monicadee88's review against another edition
3.0
(Same thoughts as for Part One, so copy/paste my review for that)
This book contains a collection of partially finished stories written by J.R.R. Tolkien that his son Christopher Tolkien does an excellent job of weaving together into an almost comprehensible history of Middle Earth. Like The Silmarillion, this prelude of sorts is tooth-grindingly boring; the web of names and variations is confusing and headache-inducing. Even so, I couldn't help but be awed by the individual stories and the work as a whole. J.R.R. Tolkien was an admirable scholar and writer; his desire to create an entire universe from scratch, his love for and dedication to his art is obvious in every sentence. It's also fascinating to see how his stories and his world evolved as he revised and continued to write.
This book contains a collection of partially finished stories written by J.R.R. Tolkien that his son Christopher Tolkien does an excellent job of weaving together into an almost comprehensible history of Middle Earth. Like The Silmarillion, this prelude of sorts is tooth-grindingly boring; the web of names and variations is confusing and headache-inducing. Even so, I couldn't help but be awed by the individual stories and the work as a whole. J.R.R. Tolkien was an admirable scholar and writer; his desire to create an entire universe from scratch, his love for and dedication to his art is obvious in every sentence. It's also fascinating to see how his stories and his world evolved as he revised and continued to write.
mpclemens's review against another edition
2.0
Little better than Part I, and in fact, perhaps a bit worse as far as a book of "tales" goes. Mis-titled at best, this is Christopher Tolkien's own attempt at assembling completed works his father's drafts. An editing hand was needed more than an assembling, as the tales are overlong, with few breaks in the narrative. The end-notes are of interest only to scholars, historians and biographers. A labor of love to be sure, but one that carries little weight outside the family.
l0rine's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
dorynickel's review
3.0
There are some really cool story components that make for great reading but just didn't fit into the eventual state of the legendarium (e.g., the Cool Cats, Turin's afterlife). I think I actually liked this version of Beren and Luthien better, but Children of Hurin and Fall of Gondolin less, than the Unfinished Tales versions. This book also demonstrates Tolkien's gift for imagery, where even his early drafts contain captivating images that stick in the reader's mind (and were often retained in later versions).
Also, if you're interested in the Tolkien legendarium as a mythology for England, this is the book for you. I've always found this idea intriguing, and I appreciate the work Christopher did to synthesize dozens of scraps of paper into a holistic history, even if that does result in reading a lot of Christopher's analysis when I'd rather be reading J.R.R.'s prose.
Also, if you're interested in the Tolkien legendarium as a mythology for England, this is the book for you. I've always found this idea intriguing, and I appreciate the work Christopher did to synthesize dozens of scraps of paper into a holistic history, even if that does result in reading a lot of Christopher's analysis when I'd rather be reading J.R.R.'s prose.
thatokiebird's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Whew this book took me some time now. I've had it sitting on my shelf literally since I was a teenager. It took me years to read through Part I, and I finally finally started Part II near the beginning of this year. I had a four-ish hour airplane journey and thought if I only bring this book and this alone, I could read a large chunk of it since I didn't have anything else to distract me. I read about 75 pages that day, and the remaining 300+ pages took me about six more months.
As challenging as I find The Silmarillion, this multiplies that by at least five. It's a deep deep dive into alternate tellings of the stories of The Silmarillion, but with less fine-tuning and editing. Still it was a lot of fun to read through these alternate stories, and think about how the stories we know and love came to be. Christopher Tolkien does a stellar job with commentary at the end of each story, telling us the different iterations and changes from the included drafts to the final published story. I imagine what an overwhelming daunting task it was for him to take manuscripts, notebooks, scraps of his father's handwriting and turn it into these books, so hats off to him!
As challenging as I find The Silmarillion, this multiplies that by at least five. It's a deep deep dive into alternate tellings of the stories of The Silmarillion, but with less fine-tuning and editing. Still it was a lot of fun to read through these alternate stories, and think about how the stories we know and love came to be. Christopher Tolkien does a stellar job with commentary at the end of each story, telling us the different iterations and changes from the included drafts to the final published story. I imagine what an overwhelming daunting task it was for him to take manuscripts, notebooks, scraps of his father's handwriting and turn it into these books, so hats off to him!
sararene's review against another edition
3.0
I did enjoy many parts of this. The further detailing and delving into the two tales of Beren & Luthien and the Fall of Gondolin particularly.
But it loses a star for the last 50-60 pages. These are the more incomplete parts, comprised of notes, outlines, and bits here and there. Not that these have no value, but I found them much more difficult to get through and to hold my interest.
But it loses a star for the last 50-60 pages. These are the more incomplete parts, comprised of notes, outlines, and bits here and there. Not that these have no value, but I found them much more difficult to get through and to hold my interest.
basbleu_dans_labiblioteque's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It was very interesting to see how stories such as Beren and Luthien or Turin Turambar had changed over time. I especially loved The Nauglafring! It echoed the story Der Ring Des Nibelungen, especially in the the cursed gold that corrupts all owners and the process of slaying the dragon from below, even including the avoidance of its poisonous blood.
obscura's review
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Incest, and War
ksull95's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75