|
Post by Scott on Feb 6, 2020 16:17:01 GMT -5
I’m reading the Fall of Gondolin. Just reached the part where Melko(r)’s forces are attacking the city. The descriptions of the 11 houses of Gondolin is great. Their colors, symbols, weapons, etc. was very evocative and inspirational. The elves have much more human characteristics here than in other Tolkien writings.
|
|
|
Post by grodog on Feb 7, 2020 1:07:45 GMT -5
I received that for my birthday, but haven't cracked it open yet. It's in the "to be read soon" pile.
Allan.
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Feb 7, 2020 14:01:54 GMT -5
The actual siege/battle of Gondolin is given epic detail in this version, almost city square by square in some instances. I don’t recall that level of detail in earlier versions I’ve read.
|
|
|
Post by GRWelsh on Feb 7, 2020 17:48:50 GMT -5
I still am amazed that Christopher Tolkien's final book was based upon his father's very first story set in Middle Earth, and also that Christopher was able to finish his entire series before his died. So weird how it came full circle, like a ring... Even though many of the more recent hardbacks are composed of material that has been, in most cases, published previously, they are beautiful books and I feel lucky to have them. For years I ignored THE BOOK OF LOST TALES 1 and 2 because I had dismissed them as mere rough drafts of other, better versions and that Christopher Tolkien was merely an opportunist riding on his father's coat-tails. Eventually I picked them up and finally read them, and they have some real gems in them with "The Fall of Gondolin" possibly being the best, and it was thrilling to finally read a version of that story after having only read the sketchy or incomplete versions THE SILMARILLION and UNFINISHED TALES. I have completely changed my tune on Christopher Tolkien and am now eternally grateful to him.
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Feb 7, 2020 18:54:38 GMT -5
I appreciate Christopher’s work. There’s so much to Middle Earth that is only available because of the books he’s released. Great stuff. The 1st age, the 2nd age. Amazing stories.
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Feb 10, 2020 6:57:46 GMT -5
The fragments from the Last Version are amazing. Reading this story with the depth and style of LotR would have been awesome. I can only imagine how the battles with Gothmog and the other balrogs, dragons, etc could have been. The abandonment is a real tragedy.
|
|
|
Post by GRWelsh on Feb 10, 2020 8:15:57 GMT -5
Were the fragments from the Last Version published previously? What I remember is the version the SILMARILLION, the fragment in UNFINSIHED TALES with Tuor coming to Gondolin and going through the seven gates, and the version in the BOOK OF LOST TALES. I thought the Tuor fragment was the newest/most recent and therefore the most like LotR in style.
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Feb 10, 2020 9:08:08 GMT -5
In the Fall of Gondolin book that was released in 2018 after one complete version there are fragments that Christopher designates as the Final Version. Tuor finds Turgon’s old stronghold close to the shore and takes his old armor and sword, then meets Ulmo on the beach who send him to find the elf Voronwe to guide him to Gondolin? Is that the Lost Tales version?
|
|
|
Post by GRWelsh on Feb 10, 2020 9:26:36 GMT -5
That was the version in UNFINISHED TALES. It ends after Tuor goes through the seven gates and is about to enter the city, and was written in the later, more polished style similar to the LotR. THE BOOK OF LOST TALES version describes the battle in great detail and is awesome, but is clearly pre-SILMARILLION in concept: Morgoth is called Melko, the Noldor are called the Noldoli or Gnomes, etc.
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Feb 10, 2020 11:22:09 GMT -5
I think that’s the same.
|
|