Amph Beleriand Tales: The Discussion of the first age of the Middle Earth

Meh, I don't like the idea. Seems just like Christopher Tolkien was just looking for another way to make money...

I read the first book and was quite disappointed.

 

I had a flick through Unfinished Tales and didn't much like the bits I glanced at. So I haven't actually read more than about three pages.

 

I read it, but it is not much. It is kind of confusing. I didn't really liked it.

 

I enjoyed parts, especially the tale of the Children of Hurin, as I read the Unfinished tales and Silmarillion parts at the same time to get the full story. I wish Tolkien could have finished the tale of Tuor in the same way (I thought the premise for Tuors story was better anyway)

The accounts on the Istari, the Palantirs and the battle were Isildur fell were all good to, as well as the extended Kings of Numenor.

The tale of Celeborn and Galadriel was too confusing though, despite being interesting in parts.

 

That's what I didn't like about the Beleriand Tales. It was full of holes, and kinda chaotic.

I wouldn't consider it a blasphemy if Christopher Tolkien worked on pulling it together a bit more. Of course I don't mean any changes, but it seems the volumes of BT don't even resemble chronology of the stories included.

 

Would it be that hard for Christopher to add stuff to try and complete some of the stories?

Would the fans accept it.

 

I really liked the Beleriand part.

Christopher may not be as goos as his father, but I'm sure glad he published those works. Never enough of Middle-Earth.

 

I got the Lays of Beleriand. It pwns. It is a great feeling reading the original Lay of Leithan. It is beautiful.

 

I agree. IMO Tolkien was as good or better a poet as he was a novelist ... Leithian is superb. Have you read the bit where Beren is brought in front of Thingol? That's possibly my favourite passage in the entire 3,000 lines.

Awesome poetry.

 

Thats because hes a linguist before hes anything else.

 

My friend lent me that book. It is great. I really like the Children of Hurin, but Leithan the most magnificent. I prefer Tolkien as a novelist, but he is an amazing poet.

 

Christopher will publish the full Children of Hurin. Check the thread.

 

NEW YORK (AP) -- An unfinished tale by J.R.R. Tolkien has been edited by his son into a completed work and will be released next spring, the U.S. and British publishers announced Monday.

Christopher Tolkien has spent the past 30 years working on "The Children of Hurin," an epic tale his father began in 1918 and later abandoned. Excerpts of "The Children of Hurin," which includes the elves and dwarves of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and other works, have been published before.

"It has seemed to me for a long time that there was a good case for presenting my father's long version of the legend of the 'Children of Hurin' as an independent work, between its own covers," Christopher Tolkien said in a statement.

The new book will be published by Houghton Mifflin in the United States and HarperCollins in England.

 

*WANTS*

 

wow, I never saw this thread before...

I am one of those who have the whole Complete History of Middle Earth in (probably fake) 'leather' at home... I love it. I am glad by the way that Christopher Tolkien only added explanatory notes and did not finish/continue his father's work. Both have a unique writing style which I truly relish. I have a few favourites: Luthien and Beren are beyond comparison. I love the story of the Fall of Gondolin - it is described so vividely that it seems one is right there. Turin and Nienor are very good, but personally I prefer the adventures of Tuor. However, although many things are similar to the History, I don't like the Silmarillion at all. I read *somewhere* that JRR Tolkien did not intend this version to be published - was it maybe a comment of C Tolkien later on? I find it equally interesting that he rewrote the entire creation of Middle-Earth towards the end of his life.

 

Now if we can only get a full tale of Tuor we'll be set.

 

I'm sceptical about the Children of Hurin (although knowing me I'll get it anyway ).

It's not going to be a lost masterwork. The story may be finished, but the text won't be. Assuming Christopher Tolkien hasn't actually written some of it himself - shock, horror - it's surely going to be some polished bits, some bits that've sorta been worked on, and some placeholder scribbles along the lines of 'and then this happened'.

I think any other 'full' Tale might suffer from the same sort of thing. Mind you, I'd rather have a patchworked version of JRR's original than have Christopher filling in the gaps.

 

Unlocked.

 

I loved "Children of Hurin"!

Did anyone here read Tolkien's "Tree and Leaf"?

 

Children of Hurin is brilliant, imo. Like an extension of the Silmarillion.

I haven't read the full Tree & Leaf, only a short story which is supposed to appear there: Leaf by Niggle. Found it on a LOTF fansite ages ago.
It's nice and makes one think...

How many stories are in T&L in total?

NYCitygurl, thanks for unlocking the thread.

 

You're welcome Any time you guys want an old thread unlocked, just let me know and I'll do it

 

Hey, cool, I didn't know we had a place like this. Never heard of T&L, though. Anyway, just wanted to see what was going on here.

 

I have to say The Silmarillion is actually my favorite work of Tolkien's, more so than The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. I love the way that it reads like an old tome, possibly because I am a lover of history.

I recently purchased The Children of Hurin, although I haven't read it yet as I'm re-reading all my other Tolkien books first. I'll read that after I finish The Hobbit, LotR, and the Silmarillion. I also have Unfinished Tales, Book of Lost Tales 1 and 2, the Tolkien Reader, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and several scholarly works on Tolkien to get through...so I'll be busy for awhile.

 

QFT!

The writing style is rich and brilliant and the story is the most epic one I have ever read. What more could a fantasy reader ask for?!

 

I've been rereading the Silmarillion, though its been going very slowly because I've been so busy with other stuff - this is the longest I've been reading a single non-school book to the exclusion of others for years, at least. Still, just finished the section on Beren and Luthien, which has to be my favorite pre-LotR/Hobbit story. I would have loved to see a full book going through that story in more detail!

Also, I want a map that includes a fuller picture of Middle Earth during those times (with Beleriand in relation to the more familiar LotR lands, exactly how they once fit together, etc) But the only maps I've ever seen are completely separate, though they have the Ered Luin in common.