"Ecco! Avete armi di eccellente fattura e ancora la maggior parte di esse è monda del sangue dei vostri nemici. Rammentate la Battaglia delle Innumerevoli Lacrime e non scordate quanti della vostra gente sono caduti laggiù, e non cercate di fuggire, ma combattete e resistete".
Riconosco che sia un tomo che non dovrebbe mancare nella libreria di ogni fan della Terra di Mezzo… ma, mi tocca quasi ripetere quanto già detto per il il primo volume: sembra un vero e proprio testo da studio accademico!
Anche questa volta, per il fatto che non ha una vera e propria narrazione scorrevole (la storia scritta da Tolkien padre è orrendamente interrotta dagli "spiegoni" di Tolkien figlio), ho avuto difficolta a portarne a termine la lettura… e lo dico in tutta sincerità: ho letto gli ultimi due capitoli in modo molto sbrigativo e svogliato (giusto per non abbandonare il libro)!
Da segnalare, comunque, che questo secondo volume inizia nel punto esatto dove finisce il precedete e, soprattutto, per la prima volta compaiono i personaggi di Sauron (qui nelle vesti di Negromante), Gimli e Legolas… tre dei comprimari de "Il signore degli anelli".
[https://lastanzadiantonio.blogspot.co...]

A continuation of the convoluted backwaters of the Middle Earth histories and their genesis. It really is quite a fascinating look into the mind of a writer as he writes, revises, reconfigures, and sometimes abandons, ideas. Again you get a great sense of the core elements that existed right at the beginning and that were carried through from first jotttings of plot through to the later published works. It is a shame that these pre-histories didn't get formally revised and published in Tolkien's lifetime, but I suspect that as the story of the ring developed and created an firm end point of the narrative, it became harder and harder to reconcile the earlier works.

Re-read along with Mythgard Academy's free lecture series: http://www.mythgard.org/academy/the-b.... Tolkien's mind is, as always, a fascinating place.

This was a continuation of the first volume in that it was almost a reference source that analyzed various tales and parts from The Silmarillion. After reading through these two volumes I found The Silmarillion more enjoyable in my opinion. It contained the original tales and felt more organic in the sense of an epic story.


Again this was very richer in overall information due to the breadth of knowledge this book presented. It
I would recommend this to J.R.R Tolkien completists, not for the newbie. Thanks!

Der zweite Band hat mir leider nicht so gut gefallen wie der erste. Zum einen waren hier zwei Geschichten enthalten die ich vorher schon ausführlich in extra Bänden gelesen habe: Beren und Luthien und derFall von Gondolin. Dazwischen gab es noch eine Geschichte die ich nicht kannte und dann kamen schon nur noch Fragmente als um die Geschichte von Earendil ging die nie auch nur ansatzweise fertiggestellt wurde. Sowie noch Hintergrund Info zu Eriol der diese ganzen Geschichten quasi als Rahmenhandlung erzählt bekommt.

As with Part I, this book has several incomplete tales with only bare sketches to finish it off, but that can be ignored due to the wealth of information about his world that Tolkien reveals. For this reason it is a must read for Tolkien fans, especially for fans of Legolas Greenleaf as this contains his first appearance in Middle Earth.

This series continues to absolutely fascinate me. The early versions of Tolkien’s most famous First Age tales are all on display here. Who can resist becoming enamored with cat Sauron and other such peculiarities? Keep in mind that these are early drafts of an abandoned book that were later turned into further abandoned books, so certain elements don’t resonate the way that they do later (elf Beren, for example), but some things, like the version of Fall of Gondolin on display here, surpass the later work. It’s such a shame that the nature of this series is its unfinished nature because, once again, it’s hard for your heart not to break when you read what the story of Earendil was supposed to be or what the plan for Eriol was. (Though the Aelfwine stuff can stay in the drawer as far as I’m concerned). All in all, if you’re a fan of Tolkien and of studying the literary process and myth-making, this is essential stuff even it’s dense as molasses to get through.

This is the second in the set of five books in which J.R.R. Tolkien's son, Christopher, has collected and edited his father's unpublished works--or in several cases, unpublished earlier versions of stories that later were published in different form.

This volume consists of:

* The Tale of Tinúviel, a much longer and much different version than is published in the Silmarillion as "The Tale of Beren and Lúthien." While many of the elements of the story here are interesting, I do like the published version better--for one thing, its plot is much tighter and easier to follow.

* Turambar and the Foalókë, an earlier telling of the story of Turin Turambar from the Silmarillion. Again, the earlier version published here is much longer, and much more rambling. Most of the essential plot points are the same, or similar, though there are a few major differences (such a Turin and the outlaws' encounter with Mim the Dwarf and his sons); but the edited published version is a much better read.

* The Fall of Gondolin--this, now, is a masterpiece, and a shame it's not as widely known as some of the Professor's other works. The version in the Silmarillion is much shorter. The version here gives great detail about the layout and organization of the hidden city of Gondolin; the various military units that defended it (down to details of heraldry and uniforms); and the ebb and flow of battle when the forces of Melko discovered the location of the city and forced their way through its defenses. It's a gripping tale beautifully told.

* The Nauglafring, or the Necklace of the Dwarves. This is a chronologically direct follow-on to the Fall of Gondolin, describing the flight of a handful of survivors from the sack of that city. It's unpolished and rambling, and apparently went through many revisions, and it's hard to know which details Tolkien eventually meant to be canonical.

* The Tale of Earendël, an earlier and much harder-to-follow version of the Earendil the Mariner story and poems from the Silmarillion and LOTR. In places the narrative here becomes almost incomprehensible, and Earendël's pergrinations all over the oceans between Beleriand (although it is not named as such) and Tol Eressëa and Valinor (also not named as such) are well nigh impossible to follow.

* The History of Eriol or Aelfwine and the End of the Tales, which is something even the most devout Tolkien fan (I am one) will be glad to hear by this point. This section mainly deals with how Tolkien originally intended the Lonely Island of Tol Eressëa to be England, but the thread of reasoning slips back and forth from actual terrestrial geography to various incarnations of Middle Earth geography and back again, that even having just read it I am challenged to summarize it.

I don't blame Christopher for the mess that most of these chapter are. He was working with (sometimes literally) scraps of paper with his father's scribblings on them, or manuscripts that had been written in pencil, then erased and overwritten in ink, then typed but then emended by hand. His mission was to set out the evolution of his father's conceptions in chronological order, then present the most evolved version as his father might have wanted it published; but in order to show that evolution, he has by necessity included so many versions of names and events and places and altered plots that it becomes an utter chore to read, and to try to remember who and what is where and when.

I'm glad I read this book just so I can claim to be a "Tolkien scholar" of the lowest order, but unless I ever need to look up some obscure fact--or enjoy "The Fall of Gondolin" again--I'm relieved to be through it. Sorry, Professor, and sorry, Christopher.

Things I will never tire of:

1. Luthien being the biggest badass ever, no matter how many ways Tolkien writes it (she's the best character he's ever written- fight me if you think otherwise lol)

2. Turin and his family making the worst possible life choices (along with a reminder of why I lol every time someone says that Tolkien is 'too tame' or 'too PG' for them).

The Fall of Gondolin is my favourite piece that Tolkien has written. I'm not 100% sure why, but I find it fascinating and spectacular- the action, the imagery, the tone, the politics, the characters...all of it. I'm so glad we got this full version of it.

I love that he apparently ran out of names by the time he got to LOTR, and just recycled some from older works (can you imagine Gimli's horror if he realized his name first went to an Elf)?

I'm so very happy that the characterization of the Dwarves was improved by the finished copy, because good lord was it terrible here. Cringe worthy terrible, TBH.

I legitimately love these books because there's no way to totally make out Tolkien canon, which means that I can just kind of choose things I love the most and go with that.

I also fully admit that I think the whole 'this is the secret history of Europe/England' thing is lame and I just ignore it. The last chapter (Story of Elfwine) just reminds me why.

I bought this book because I like LOTR, and I wanted to have a better understanding of Middle Earth history. You will get that in this book. However, the style is closer to Old English, so it's very boring to the average reader. So, if you enjoy Old English literature or are a hardcore fan of LOTR, I recommend this book. If you don't like Old English and only like LOTR for its fantasy elements, don't bother.

I think much of Christopher Tolkien’s commentary, both in this volume and the previous, is largely irrelevant: it mostly deals with recapping the events of the tale and then highlighting the differences between the unfinished tale and the “finished” version presented in The Silmarillion; however, an astute reader can easily discern these discrepancies for themselves. Further, Christopher’s commentary, owing to his dense and verbose writing style, is often just as difficult to read as the material presented in the tales. It is, however, fascinating to have these early legends of Tolkien’s and I believe the tales clearly demonstrate how his writing matured and bettered itself.

"The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two" delves deeper into Tolkien's intricate mythos, offering readers a captivating journey through the early stages of Middle-Earth's creation. As the second installment in "The History of Middle-Earth" series, it unveils the rich tapestry of tales, providing invaluable insights into Tolkien's evolving vision. Through detailed commentary and annotations, Christopher Tolkien skillfully navigates his father's drafts, shedding light on the genesis of beloved characters and iconic landscapes. Each page brims with creativity, inviting readers to explore the origins of Tolkien's legendary legendarium. While the narrative may at times feel fragmented or embryonic, the sheer depth of storytelling and world-building showcased in this volume is truly remarkable. For fans of Tolkien's works, "The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two" serves as an indispensable companion, offering a glimpse into the creative process of one of the greatest literary minds of the 20th century.