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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I thought I’d give this book a try since I love both The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and wanted to get some of the backstory.
This book isn’t what I expected. In fact, the book was far different than what I thought it would be. I expected some of the folklore and mythology of Middle Earth, which it was, at least to an extend. However, the “lost tales” were compiled by Tolkien’s son Christopher, who tried to make sense of the notes that his father left behind.
Each chapter is one of the lost tales, which are immediately followed by notes and commentary by Christopher. It definitely shows the evolution of Tolkien’s work, as Christopher often shows several drafts of each tale.
It was hard for me to get into, and hard to get through it- I was only able to get though one chapter at a time. It was interesting to see the evolution of Tolkien’s work and how it changed, plus seeing Christopher explain his father’s notes was interesting. Unfortunately, I don’t remember a lot of it, but at least I gave it a try. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who’s really into Tolkien (and anyone who liked the Silmarillion), but if you liked Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, you might not like it. If you want to give it a try, though, keep in mind that it shows the evolution of the stories that make up the backstory of Middle Earth.
If I had to pick a favorite/memorable chapter, it would definitely be the coming of the elves. Honestly, it was the one that stood out the most, and the one that I remember the most from. I think I’ll try reading the second volume now that I know what to expect- assuming that it’s similar to this one, which seems likely. Maybe I’ll try to take notes in order to help myself keep up with all the different characters.
There is an appendix with all the different names- I only flipped through it, but it appeared to be about the origins of the different names, and quite frankly, I could care less about the etymology. However, it is clear that Tolkien obviously put a lot of thought into the world of Middle Earth, and into naming everything.
I give it a 2.5 out of 5. Interesting book, but not really my cup of tea.
This book isn’t what I expected. In fact, the book was far different than what I thought it would be. I expected some of the folklore and mythology of Middle Earth, which it was, at least to an extend. However, the “lost tales” were compiled by Tolkien’s son Christopher, who tried to make sense of the notes that his father left behind.
Each chapter is one of the lost tales, which are immediately followed by notes and commentary by Christopher. It definitely shows the evolution of Tolkien’s work, as Christopher often shows several drafts of each tale.
It was hard for me to get into, and hard to get through it- I was only able to get though one chapter at a time. It was interesting to see the evolution of Tolkien’s work and how it changed, plus seeing Christopher explain his father’s notes was interesting. Unfortunately, I don’t remember a lot of it, but at least I gave it a try. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who’s really into Tolkien (and anyone who liked the Silmarillion), but if you liked Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, you might not like it. If you want to give it a try, though, keep in mind that it shows the evolution of the stories that make up the backstory of Middle Earth.
If I had to pick a favorite/memorable chapter, it would definitely be the coming of the elves. Honestly, it was the one that stood out the most, and the one that I remember the most from. I think I’ll try reading the second volume now that I know what to expect- assuming that it’s similar to this one, which seems likely. Maybe I’ll try to take notes in order to help myself keep up with all the different characters.
There is an appendix with all the different names- I only flipped through it, but it appeared to be about the origins of the different names, and quite frankly, I could care less about the etymology. However, it is clear that Tolkien obviously put a lot of thought into the world of Middle Earth, and into naming everything.
I give it a 2.5 out of 5. Interesting book, but not really my cup of tea.
informative
medium-paced
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book gave me a really cool insight into Tolkien's mind and I am genuinely so impressed. I knew he planned everything out really meticulously - I did not realize just how meticulously. I love seeing the genesis of certain stories and characters and one of my favorite parts was how the names changed over time. It was a bit hard to get into but once we started with the proto-Silmarillion stories I was hooked. Highly would recommend.
slow-paced
I've only read one other History of Middle-earth volume, although the set has been on my "to read" list for decades. I finally read The Book of Lost Tales part 1. It provides background on the tales that went on to become the Simarillion. I am not a fan of the Silmarillion; I agree with the person who said it's like reading a phone book written in Elvish. Although I was not bored by the background, I was not fascinated either. I'm one of those readers (obviously) who is happy to enjoy the brilliant Lord of the Rings without knowing any additional background about Middle-earth's history.
(Aside: I feel sorry for poor Christopher Tolkien, having to spend his life sifting through his father's notes to satisfy the fans!)
(Aside: I feel sorry for poor Christopher Tolkien, having to spend his life sifting through his father's notes to satisfy the fans!)
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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Deeeeeeeeep lore. Makes you miss the Silmarillion. But variations interesting, stories familiar, and as ever, very pretty.