Tolkien’s Unfinished Tales | DELUXE & HARDBACK Editions

Here it is … the unboxing of the latest Tolkien publication.

Stirrings and New beginnings | I’m back!

Hello again everyone! I seem to be back 😀

Although “back” is rather misleading. I was always “here”, both figuratively and literally. Following my ‘Farewell‘ post some eight months back, I kept visiting the blog and ensuring I replied to any new comments popping up every now and then on any posts.

I’m still here … re-reading Tolkien

It’s been over 3 months since my last post on this blog …

I feel as ashamed as an orc that has nothing evil to do, or an elf that has no singing to be done.

Books I’ve Read In 2017

It takes me around 2.5-3 weeks to read a 200-page book. With that in mind, I’ve calculated that over the years my annual read of The Lord of the Rings occupies a good 3-month period. This year I’ve managed to whittle that down to 2.5 months – which is impressive for me. Although I know the source material and seem to breeze through each page, I never somehow manage to complete the book in that 1 or 2-week reading period that some fans claims to be able to do.

Books I’ve Read in 2016

It being New Year’s Eve, this post feels appropriate for this time of year.

Indeed, another 12 months have passed since I last compiled a list of books read, and I’m very proud to say that I have increased the number of works from last year.

Why I keep reading The Lord of the Rings over and over again

… as well as The Hobbit, The Silmarillion and his other works.

This applies pretty much to any kind of book and book lover out there.

What really compels one to read the same book time and time again, when they already know the outcome?

Since this post also serves as a kind of self-reflective examination, I thought best to write it down as a monologue between myself, to try and understand what moves one to re-read a favourite piece of literature over and over. It reminds me of Galileo Galilei’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, in which three individuals discuss differing views on the orbit of the Earth and the Sun.

TTRT: The Silmarillion – Chapter Nine

The Fall of Elvenkind

Since this chapter is quite long I decided to tackle it on its own for this week. As always, stick-figures make a persistent return.

Chapter 9 – Of The Flight of the Noldor

Melkor has wreaked havoc in Valinor. The Two Trees lie dead in the darkness of the world. As the Valar convene in Máhanaxar (“the Ring of Doom”), they mourn the staggering loss they have suffered and decide on what to do next.

TTRT: The Silmarillion – Chapters Seven and Eight

Melkor’s Relentless Destruction Continues …

Chatper 7: Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor

Free from captivity, Melkor wanders Valinor among Elves and Ainur. His contributions of hidden knowledge help the Noldor to increase their skill in craftsmanship; and for a time Valinor is made more beautiful.

Reading a Tolkien Passage: Help!

I may have written some tips on how to tackle Tolkien’s works, but that doesn’t mean I’m an expert – in any way. On the contrary, I’m still in the learning stages and there comes a time where even I find myself in difficulty reading his texts.

Case in point is the section ‘Farewell to Lorien’, from The Fellowship of the Ring. Halfway through the chapter, Celeborn advises a possible route for the Company to take .

Unite! Setting ‘The Children of Húrin’ among the Classics

I’ve already expressed my deep love and “obsession” for ‘The Silmarillion’ (Tolkien’s “greatest” book?) as one of the greatest works in English Literature. However, not everyone may be on the same page as mine when it comes to editorial and “canon” issues.