A review by kbuchanan
The Lays of Beleriand by J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien

3.0

An illuminating look at some of the early versions of the major players in the history of Middle Earth. The alliterative, Old English-style verse that makes up 'The Lay of the Children of Hurin' is technically virtuosic and I found to be a pleasure to read. Its formality is certainly not for everyone, but it warmed this English major's hearth. The sing-song style of 'The Lay of Luthien' is somewhat more jarring to get behind, but the subject matter is such that it remains engaging and laced with passages of great beauty. Christopher Tolkien's extensive editorial notes are in turns helpful and somewhat frustrating, but certainly demonstrate the scholarly rigor with which he approaches his father's works. The labor of gathering together and producing a cohesive whole out of the many scattered drafts and manuscripts left by Tolkien is clearly a gargantuan task, and I'm certainly glad he took the time.