VIDEO: Massive Tolkien Book Collection

Hey everyone! We’ve hit the 1k subscribers mark on YouTube and, to celebrate that, here’s a video with an overview of my Tolkien book collection. Enjoy!

Christopher Tolkien and Other Farewells

Photo by Charles E. Noad

For a number of years I used to think what would happen once the son and literary heir of J.R.R Tolkien would be with us no more. I questioned what would that mean to the Tolkien community, whether the experience of reading the books would change, and what would it mean for future scholarly work and publications.

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.

The Fall of Gondolin – Out Today!

After months of waiting and anticipation, speculation and discussion, The Fall of Gondolin is out today …

… aaaand I’m still waiting for my pre-ordered copy to arrive. *sigh*

The Fall of Gondolin to be released in August 2018

Well, it is now official.

In a statement made this morning on the J.R.R. Tolkien Official Facebook page, it was announced that The Fall of Gondolin, written by J.R.R. Tolkien and edited by Christopher Tolkien, will be published on August 30, 2018.

The Silmarillion turns 40 … [perhaps a pocket edition now?]

 

It was on 15 September 1977 when that J.R.R. Tolkien’s (possible) magnum opus was released. Christopher Tolkien’s laborious and successful attempts to bring his father’s complex and vast array of writings into a cohesive and readable format were achieved.

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.

Debating Tolkien’s Magnum Opus

Stephen King has The Dark Tower series. George Orwell has 1984. Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy is the author’s own unparalleled piece of writing.

“Magnum Opus” (translated from Latin as “masterpiece”) is a term that can be applied to virtually any piece of art or literature that has somehow had a significant impact upon those who experience it, and was brought about by a sophisticated, high standard and excellent creative impulse on the part of its creator.

Salmar: The Forgotten Maia

Researching and Speculating on Tolkien

As I have often remarked on this blog, one of the great things about Tolkien’s works is the large number of mysteries and questions he has left unanswered; mysteries that can be picked up by any reader and researched to their heart’s content: looking for clues and cross-referencing over the thousands of pages of Middle-earth material, trying to dig up further information.

You may have read The Silmarillion numerous times and yet, with every new read, you discover something new. I know this because it happens to me. It has happened to me right now as I’m beginning my 10th or 11th re-read of the book and came across the oft forgotten character of Salmar.

Concluding ‘The Fall of Arthur’ ~ The Writing Begins …

A few weeks back I reported the possibility of seeing the completion of Tolkien’s The Fall of Arthur, here.

I expressed my desire in trying and create my own “fan fiction” and expand on the poem’s narrative – by closely following Christopher Tolkien’s notes on the various abandoned sketches his father never completed.