A review by neilrcoulter
Morgoth's Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

5.0

When I started [b:Morgoth's Ring|18963|Morgoth's Ring The Later Silmarillion, Part One The Legends of Aman (The History of Middle-earth #10)|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388188489s/18963.jpg|4992849], I thought it was going to be one of the dullest and least interesting of the History of Middle-Earth series. But by the time I finished it, I regarded it as one of the most fascinating volumes yet--one of my favorites in the series. The opening section of the book concerns times and dates, and while it's tangentially interesting, I struggled to do more than skim it. Though [a:Tolkien|9533|Christopher Tolkien|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1235772383p2/9533.jpg] was jubilant about the significant changes his father was introducing, I honestly couldn't see huge significance in many of them. This was also true of many of the changes and minutiae discussed in the following section, from "the later Silmarillion."

But then came the story of the debate of Finrod and Andreth. Wow. This was one of the most interesting sections yet presented in the History series. I loved reading [a:Tolkien|656983|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1383526938p2/656983.jpg]'s working out of the philosophy and structure of the mythology that he had spent most of his life creating. The very Christian ideas that are starting to come to the surface were fascinating, as Tolkien delved further into his idea of Elvish immortality and Eru's "gift" to men of short lives in this world but no-one-in-Arda-knows what part in the next world. And there is a poignance to Tolkien's reflections, as he wrestles with issues of life and death. I enjoyed this section more now that I'm entering mid-life myself than I would have when I was younger. The fears and doubts Tolkien expresses resonate with anyone who is looking at half (or less) of life in this world yet to live.

Two major themes emerge from this volume. One is the conflict between the perfect, unfallen world ("Arda Unmarred") and the world as it now is ("Arda Marred")--with the possibility that the end of time will see not a simple return to Arda Unmarred, but a new, third kind of Arda of perfection. The words of Manwë, in the decision about the remarriage of Finwë, are especially powerful:

'In this matter you must not forget that you deal with Arda Marred--out of which ye brought the Eldar. Neither must ye forget that in Arda Marred Justice is not Healing. Healing cometh only by suffering and patience, and maketh no demand, not even for Justice. Justice worketh only within the bonds of things as they are, accepting the marring of Arda, and therefore though Justice is itself good and desireth no further evil, it can but perpetuate the evil that was, and doth not prevent it from the bearing of fruit in sorrow.' (239)

The second theme of the writings in this book is the idea that Morgoth's power is an inseparable part of the material fabric of Middle Earth. The extent of his evil taint on the world is beginning to seem overwhelming. In the later Silmarillion, Tolkien writes:

[The Valar] perceived now more clearly how great was the hurt that Melkor of old had done to the substance of Arda, so that all those who were incarnate and drew the sustenance of their bodies from Arda Marred, must ever be liable to grief, to do or to suffer things unnatural in Arda Marred. And this marring could not now be wholly undone, not even by Melkor repentant; for power had gone forth from him and could not be recalled, but would continue to work according to the will that had set it in motion. And with this thought a shadow passed over the hearts of the Valar, presage of the sorrows which the Children should bring into the world." (258-59)

And so Tolkien supposes that all of Arda is like "Morgoth's ring," the location of his evil power, in the same way that Sauron's ring contained Sauron's (lesser) power in one specific location. The inevitability of evil and hurt as long as the world endures is a burden that weighs down the thoughts and conversations in a number of the stories and writings in Morgoth's Ring.

The final section of writings in this book continue to look at these issues, as well as the origin of the orcs (which Tolkien is clearly struggling with--what are they and where did they come from? Every possible answer carries a number of difficult implications) and the physical origins of Arda. It's interesting to see Tolkien struggling to figure out if his mythology should continue with its first origin stories, or if he should re-work the creation account to be more in line with scientific observation of our own world. This especially raises problems for the beginning of the Sun and Moon. I understand Tolkien's doubts, but it made me sad to think he would try to fit his mythology into the real-world cosmology.

And having completed this volume, I now have only two more to go in the History of Middle-Earth! It's quite a journey, and I'm enjoying almost every part.

Side note: Christopher Tolkien is a very capable academic writer, so it's rare to catch a typo in his books. That made this little one all the more enjoyable: ". . . and some sentences do not seems to be correct" (350).