Approaching Tolkien: The Fall of Gondolin

Following the same editorial structure employed in Beren and Lúthien, Christopher Tolkien’s new publication offers readers a detailed look at the evolution of the writing that was to become the main narrative behind the story of Gondolin.

The book presents several iterations of Tuor’s story — the lone man in search of the Hidden City, and his adventures before and during its fall. As with the preceding publication, there is no new material to adorn this book, although The Fall of Gondolin does present the various scattered stories found in The Book of Lost Tales and Unfinished Tales within one collection.

Approaching Tolkien: The Story of Kullervo

In what has become something of a tradition in posthumous Tolkien publications, The Story of Kullervo is an unfinished literary work by the author, as he attempts to rewrite an account from the Finnish legend of the Kalevala into the short story format.

Approaching Tolkien: Beren and Lúthien

It took me a while to pick up and read Beren and Lúthien, but I finally got there. Now, I  finally present you with this new post under the “Approaching Tolkien” series.

Approaching Tolkien: The Lay of Aotrou & Itroun

Tolkien’s poetic skills are undisputed: eloquent, beautiful, moving.

I am in no way an expert on poetry. However, I like to read the odd verse or two every now and then. So what I look for in a poem is a consistent rhyming pattern, the clever construction of words and meaning in a restrictive format, and all this through an easy and clear read.

This is why I have enjoyed Tolkien’s poems above any other author’s. He is capable of saying so much, in such a beautiful way, without reverting to the abstract or metaphorical that is typical of so many poems. His pacing is progressive and the content itself is both meaningful and straight to the point.

Approaching Tolkien – Beowulf: A Translation & Commentary

The Anglo-Saxon Epic Receives Treatment from the Anglo-Saxon Professor

If you’ve read your fair share of Tolkien, at some point in your reading you would certainly have comes across numerous references highlighting the author’s fascination towards Anglo-Saxon culture and literature.

Beowulf, made up of three thousand lines written in the Old English metre, remains the single most important work of the period.

But as expressive and fluent as the language is in the original language, many scholars have attempted to translate it into Modern English in the hope of capturing the same spirit and style of the poem: as it was intended to be read.

Approaching Tolkien: The Fall of Arthur

The Fall of Arthur might not appeal to every reader interested in the stories and realms from Middle-earth. The poem, considering its subject matter and unfinished state, might put off some people attempting to tackle this slightly academic book.

The reason for this post is for me to try and convince you in giving it a go!

Approaching Tolkien: Tales from the Perilous Realm

Wondering through the enchanted paths of Middle-earth and the lands of Faërie …

Tales from the Perilous Realm is a collection of four independent works written by J.R.R. Tolkien. Whilst exploring Tolkien’s style of writing in different lands other than those of Middle-earth, it is interesting to see how these short works inspired or, in turn, were influenced by the author’s more famous works.

The following post shall briefly tackle each major work; outlining the general storyline/content and providing some reflections on each of them and their context within Tolkien’s other work.

Approaching Tolkien: ‘The Children of Húrin’

– The stand-alone story

‘The Children of Húrin’ is one of the oldest narratives in Tolkien’s legendarium, being also one of the three Great Tales of the First Age – along with ‘Beren and Lúthien’ and ‘The Fall of Gondolin’.

Approaching Tolkien: ‘Unfinished Tales’

– Connecting the dots …

I’ve always looked at the ‘Unfinished Tales’ as one stocky appendix book, containing all the intricate information (in prose form) that could not possibly fit at the back of ‘The Silmarillion’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’.

It goes without saying but here it goes (… with the saying). This book should only be read AFTER you’ve gone through all three major books.

Approaching Tolkien: ‘The Silmarillion’

(Above: This is my last attempt in trying something like this … I promise!)

– The ultimate reading experience

This is the real deal. Forget what you’ve read in ‘The Hobbit’ or ‘The Lord of the Rings’ (actually, it would be wise to remember everything), cleanse your mind of any thoughts, sit down and start (or try) reading ‘The Silmarillon’…

Complicated book, complicated (and long) blog post.