J.R.R. Tolkien tale, completed by son
POSTED BY: FutureMrsFIllion
UPDATED: Friday, April 20, 2007 13:12
VIEWED: 3511
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070417/ap_en_ot/book_review_tolkien;_ylt=
AliHr8o1B1536bSzcFnV8txxFb8C
OOH GOODIE GOODIE GOODIE
*FMF rushes to the local bookstore*
---- plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose
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I'm always hesitant to pick up something like that.
Not saying J.R.R.Jr. doesn't have talent, I just wish he'd done an original piece (sure use your connections to get in the door, but show us what /you/ can do), tried to find his own voice instead of trying to make sure to match his fathers.
Let us know what you think of it please?
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I don't know. I'm interested to read it and see how it plays out. We know that the story as a whole was scattered throughout different books and notes written by Tolkien, so the main story lines probably already existed. And who knows how many of those stories Tolkien read to his son on occasion? It would be nice to finally see the whole thing in one piece.
May you have enough.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Draconus:
I don't know. I'm interested to read it and see how it plays out. We know that the story as a whole was scattered throughout different books and notes written by Tolkien, so the main story lines probably already existed. And who knows how many of those stories Tolkien read to his son on occasion? It would be nice to finally see the whole thing in one piece.
May you have enough.
From what I've read about the book, it was pretty much completely formed in terms of the storyline before Christopher Tolkien ever touched it. The same with the other books that C.T. "edited" (the credit, even on The Story of Hurin, is J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher is listed as an editor). There were supposedly hundreds of pages of notes just for this book, and there are apparently over a thousand for stuff that hasn't been done. Some of it seems to be contradictory, and that's a lot of what C.T. is putting his effort into, that and actually putting together the actual words).
I bought the book yesterday, but I'm not reading it until my wife goes into the hospital to have our baby in the next week or two. If nobody has said anything about it by that time then I will gladly post my thoughts on it.
Amiton.
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The new book ("The Children of Hurin", IIRC) was reviewed on NPR a day or two ago. The reviewer was a big fan of the LotR trilogy but not fond of "The Silmarillion".
Unfortunately, she said the new book was much more like the latter than the former -- i.e. she didn't like it. And since I shared her opinion of the earlier works, I probably won't either.
I will eventually read it either as a library book or when it's available in paperback, but I'm not rushing out to get it.
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I'm pointin' right at it!
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I bought it yesterday but i haven't read it yet. I decided i was going to re-read the silmarillion first, as i really like it.
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Quote:Read it once for me too, would ya? I never did make it all the way through.
Originally posted by hobbleit:
I bought it yesterday but i haven't read it yet. I decided i was going to re-read the silmarillion first, as i really like it.
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I'm pointin' right at it!
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Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:Quote:Read it once for me too, would ya? I never did make it all the way through.
Originally posted by hobbleit:
I bought it yesterday but i haven't read it yet. I decided i was going to re-read the silmarillion first, as i really like it.
Don't say that because i probably would.
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Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:
The new book ("The Children of Hurin", IIRC) was reviewed on NPR a day or two ago. The reviewer was a big fan of the LotR trilogy but not fond of "The Silmarillion".
Unfortunately, she said the new book was much more like the latter than the former -- i.e. she didn't like it. And since I shared her opinion of the earlier works, I probably won't either.
I will eventually read it either as a library book or when it's available in paperback, but I'm not rushing out to get it.
You're right about the title, DonCoat. I was at work and going from memory.
I've heard positive and negative reviews, and I've heard reviews that ranted about the beginning and raved about the ending. I write a little myself and I take reviews with a grain of salt these days.
At the very least, despite the fact that J.R.R.T. has his name on the cover as the author, he didn't do the wordsmithing to put the story together, and I don't expect the story to read as though it were his own. I believe that would be asking for disappointment. He (and his friend and contemporary C.S. Lewis) had a special gift with words and crafting a story, and that's something I've never heard said about C.T.'s retooling of his father's works. At the same time, however, it is J.R.R.T.'s own crafting within his middle earth universe, and that by itself wins some serious brownie points in the quality division. Having never read the Silmarillion, I don't have that baggage (or benefit depending on your POV). As much as I enjoy the world, however, I will acquire a copy and read it, too, in time. No matter how bad it is or isn't.
Amiton.
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For whatever it's worth, from the linked-to article:
Quote:
Christopher Tolkien says that in reconciling the various versions of his father's story, he added no new material, save for an occasional transition. The words, he says, are virtually all his father's.
I'm not rushing to buy a copy but it's on my Amazon wish list. I liked The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales -- not as appealing as The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings but I enjoyed them well enough to want this book in my library too.
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