A review by mrtvavrana
The Book of Lost Tales, Part One by Christopher Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous challenging informative medium-paced

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

4.5

 I am going to start this review by saying that The History is definitely not for everyone, not even if you are a Tolkien fan. My goal for 2025, though, is to read one book a month. Hopefully I will manage to achieve my goal.

This was quite difficult for me to get through, even though I really enjoyed it. The book contains some of the earliest versions of the stories we now know as The Silmarillion. They are accompanied by an extensive commentary written by Christopher Tolkien.

It was genuinely incredible to see how much time and thought was put into The Silmarillion and how much of it has changed over the years. It's even more incredible to see how much of the original or first versions has survived untouched.As I have mentioned already, I found it difficult to get into the book at first. I am not certain why that happened, but hopefully the rest of The History will be easier to read.

Definitely do not read this book if you expect any new materials or stories. This is basically just “the making of”. I would definitely say that reading The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion is required before you dive into The History.

This definitely reads more like an academic publication than other of Tolkien's works that have additional commentary from Christopher. Definitely do not expect this to be like any other of Tolkien's books.