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A review by octavia_cade
The Shaping of Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien
3.0
I read this with mild enjoyment and some interest. At this point I've almost stopped caring about the narrative itself (although, reading through these histories, I'm so bombarded with repetition that even Fucking Turin comes to be slightly affecting, which at this point I can only put down to Stockholm Syndrome). No such sympathy for the house of Fucking Fëanor, though, who should have been drowned at birth, the whole wretched clan of them, obsessed with their own bling as they are. Say it with me, people: lives are more important than jewellery.
The interest here lies not so much in the characters, however, but in how Tolkien's perception of them changes (or doesn't) as the years go on. This book basically traces the evolution of the stories, from very early sketches to the most complete forms available, and as a writer myself - albeit not one at Tolkien's level - I do find that interesting. Also: he is more of a nerd than I ever thought, translating his own stories into Old English my God, man, just how much time did you have on your hands?
The interest here lies not so much in the characters, however, but in how Tolkien's perception of them changes (or doesn't) as the years go on. This book basically traces the evolution of the stories, from very early sketches to the most complete forms available, and as a writer myself - albeit not one at Tolkien's level - I do find that interesting. Also: he is more of a nerd than I ever thought, translating his own stories into Old English my God, man, just how much time did you have on your hands?