Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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101 of 102 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A detailed look at the legends that shaped Middle Earth, 26 Feb 2003
This somewhat bulky book is comprised of the first four volumes of- "The Histories of Middle Earth" (twelve in total). Due to its size and rather overwhelming content it is only really suitable for the more devoted Tolkien reader. It is best read after reading "The Silmirillion" as the stories are all mainly based around the events therein. It takes a lot of time and effort to get involved in, with the earlier chapters being somewhat dry and uneventful, but after four-to-five days of solid reading it is thoroughly enjoyable. Since it is the product of four volumes I will review each of the volumes in turn. Volume 1: The book of lost tales, part I
This first volume covers the first half of the Book of Lost Tales, introducing the mariner Eriol (of the race of men) who discovers the Lonely Isle (Tol Erresea) of the Elves and there is told the tales of their ancient history. It begins with the theory of creation, supposedly through the mantra of angelic beings (later called the valar) and continues through to the destruction of the bliss of Aman by Melkor (later called Morgorth), one of the valar, corrupted by greed and selfish desire. It tells also of the Noldor's (high-elves) revolt against the valar and their departure from Aman. Volume 2: The book of lost tales, part II
This volume of the Book of Lost Tales narrates the fundamental tales of the Quenta Silmarillion. It includes the basic stories of Beren and Luthien, of Turin, and of the fall of Gondolin. It tells of the events and deeds of the banished Noldor and the decay and mortification of the world at the hands of Morgorth and his foul creatures. The volume concludes with the final battle between Morgoth and the Valar. It includes vast amounts of information on Elvish languages (mainly Quenya and Sindarin), which is sure to please scholars of his articulately constructed languages. Volume 3: The lays of Beleriand
This volume comprises of some of the tales from the Quenta Silmirillion in poetic form; written by the elves of Beleriand before the battle between Morgorth and the Valar. The two most fully developed are the Lay of Lethian (the story of Beren and Luthien) and The tale of Turin Turambar. There is also a extensive evaluation of the Lay of Lethian, written by C.S. Lewis, which provides and in-depth look at some of the flaws and wonderful interpretations of the text. Volume 4: The shaping of Middle Earth
It includes various prose fragments following the Lost Tales, which provide further insight into the "Sketch of the Mythology". It also includes The Annals of Valinor and of Beleriand which are a sort of parallel telling of the events. In their beginning they appear to be little more than a chronology, but they gather momentum as you continue, to reach a comprehensive narrative, which is indeed a real joy to read. This is a wonderfully constructed book, and i recommend every avid Tolkien fan out there to read it, after all there is no better way to understand Tolkien's fantastic Middle Earth.
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145 of 148 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For the serious student and avid lover of Tolkien, 4 Jun 2004
With this mammoth release, we get the literary backstory, so to say, of J. R. R. Tolkien's turmoil and travails of the composition of one of the most complex fantasies every constructed. Gather all twelve previously published volumes into three huge books, these tell the final story of Tolkien's world, in all its grandeur and heart breaking beauty. The hefty price tag that is attached is to be expected, seeing it covers twelve expensive single volumes. The first two volumes deal with the earliest form of THE SILMARILLION, the next are the epic LAYS that were never completed, and showing Tolkien was a poet of very accomplished calibre. THE SHAPING deals with the geography and physical history, while THE LOST ROAD shows us an unfinished novel and several other unearthed treasures. The real meat, to literary historians who are not specialized in Tolkien and to the causal fan, is the volumes VI-IX, which deal with the creation of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, one of the most significant volumes ever released the world, online with Homer, Virgil, and Dante. This is a graduate level look at what goes in the making of a literary masterpiece. The last of the volumes deal with Tolkien's attempt to recast THE SILMARILLION in sometimes radical departures from the accepted structure. The last volume is THE PEOPLES OF MIDDLE-EARTH, which are the appendices of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and several interesting tidbits, included a Numenor story and THE NEW SHADOW, the aborted sequel to THE LORD OF THE RINGS. This publication is for the serious student and lover of J. R. R. Tolkien's work. The causal fan will find this much too expensive. For those only marginally interested the volumes dealing with THE LORD OF THE RINGS should be looked at. But those who love Middle-earth and want to marvel at Tolkien's work, this is a must-have purchase. It's a very rare opportunity to see the creation of a work of such massive import to our international societies. Tolkien's commitment to this birthing process of a beautiful work of art truly stands out as one of the great efforts of Man to give homage to his God, as Tolkien saw it (read his essay on Faerie Stories), and I see it as well. Get it and become immersed - though beware this detailing the construction of this elaborate universe, which means these are rough drafts and various other things that didn't make it into publication in Tolkien's time, adding a huge amount of material to Tolkien's fandom to consider. Christopher's editorial notes are a must have. Thanks to the Tolkien family and to Christopher for their support of their father (who died in 1973) and of his son for the publication of this work. A very unique moment in literary history indeed.
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mythopoeia Unleashed, 28 Oct 2000
This huge book is a compendium of the first five volumes of The History of Middle-earth, compiled and edited in a scholarly tour de force by the author's son and literary executor, Christopher Tolkien. The remaining volumes six to twelve will comprise parts 2 and 3 of this compendium series.It never ceases to amaze me, since Volume One of the History of Middle-earth (The Book of Lost Tales - Part 1) appeared in 1983, how one man, alone, and with little or no encouragement, could labour to produce such a wealth of material. Detailed histories spanning thousands of years, complex genealogies, fully developed languages (together with their historical development)all infused with a love of Myth and Language never before seen. These Histories reveal the meticulous attention to detail for which Tolkien was notorious. It is from this wealth of material that he drew the 'background tapestries' of The Lord of the Rings. My favorite would have to be The Book of Lost Tales. This was the 'pro-genitor' of The Silmarillion and was written down in exercise books over eighty years ago. They stand on their own and can be read as such. It is fascinating to see the enormous differences between it and what was to become the Silmarillion. The Histories are not for those looking to re-live their experiences with The Lord of the Rings, or even The Silmarillion. They are definitely for the avid Tolkien scholars or collectors of his books. But if obscure details such as the fact that the Elves were originally called 'gnomes', that Beren was originally an Elf or that there was a personage named 'Tevildo Prince of Cats' then you will find much to enthrall you in these books.
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