This will be my 12-volume write-up of the entire series "The History of Middle Earth".
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This series is ONLY for the hardcore Tolkien fanatic. Predominantly written by JRR's son, based on JRR's notes on the creation of The Silmarilion and The Lord of the Rings (much less on The Hobbit). It is somewhat interesting to see the evolution of the story (for example, "Strider" was originally conceived as a Hobbit (one of those who "went off into the blue with Gandalf" as alluded to in The Hobbit).

But the downside to this is that it isn't very fun to read. You can only read yet another version of Beren and Luthien so many times before you're tired of seeing the miniscule changes from one version to the next.

So, overall, I slogged through this over about a year. I'd say it was worth it in the end for someone like me who loves Tolkien and his entire created world of Arda (and Ea in general). But I'll never re-read them. They come off too much as seeming like Christopher Tolkien just bundled every scrap of paper he could find, rather than thinning them down into a logical consistency.

Tevildo Prince of Cats is the best villain in the Legendarium. None other need apply.

An interesting first interpretation of the three great tales that would eventually become part of the Silmarillion.

In my opinion, the Fall of Gondolin’s original conception here was actually superior to the final one written. There are some really cool components of the original stories that were ultimately omitted from the published Silmarillion for the sake of brevity, which is a shame.

Nearing the end of the book are some additional stories about Eriol/Aelfwine that contain some interesting components but often the analysis drones on with some extraneous detail. If they were to publish a trimmed version of this book without the analysis it could warrant 4 or maybe even 5 stars.

Este libro, apasionante para los que se dejen encantar por las propuestas de Tolkien, llega en este segundo volumen a las gestas de los hombres en la historia de la Tierra Media. Recoge los tres grandes romances, que tanto obsesionaron a Tolkien, y que solo aquí están narradas de forma completa y desarrollada, aparte de las recesiones del Silmarillion.
"El cuento de Beren y Luthien", en una deliciosa escritura que debe mucho a los cuentos de hadas. Nos ofrece así, por ejemplo, la imagen de Beren, penosamente disfrazado de apestoso lobo, y de Luthien, de murciélago, volando a su alrededor, encaminándose a la búsqueda del Silmaril; o la forma en que Beren hechiza y duerme a la corte del malvado Tevildo, incluyendo a este y a Beren, con su gracil baile. O en la figura del mismo Tevildo, un gato gigantesco y cruel, del que se dice se sospecha sea un demonio, y que no es sino la primera forma en que aparece Sauron en la mitología de la Tierra Media. La historia de Beren y Luthien da pie a dos versiones en forma de lay o balada de su inicio, imprescindibles y la primera de ella muy completa y susceptible de leerse como una obra terminada.
"La historia de Turin y el Foalókë" (o sea, el dragón, el que será el taimado y poderoso Glaurung), también desarrolalda de forma completa aquí, aunque en una primera versión, es una de las que más ocupan en los escritos inconclusos de Tolkien. Aparte de dos versiones en forma de lay de su inicio, en la que cada una aporta nuevos detalles al relato e incluso su comienzo mítico, y que deberían dado lugar a un poema que sobrepasaría el millar de versos, ocupa en prosa el Narn i Hin Hurin, un extenso relato que cubre todo el comienzo y el final de la historia, y del que carecemos de su parte central, excepto algún fragmento. Esto permitió a Christopher Tolkien intentar una versión novelada de la misma.
"El cuento de la caída de Gondolin" es el primer texto que escribió Tolkien, con poco más de cviente años, sobre la Tierra Media, y que nunca completó más allá de las casi 100 páginas muy detalladas de este libro, y que luego, en el Silmarillion solo conoce una recesión que no llega las 10 páginas.
Luego, el material tan excelente de este libro se pierde en bocetos. No tenemos la historia de Earendel, así que tenemos que conformarmos con una serie de apuntes, algún breve poema y la recesión del Silmarillion.
No tenemos tampoco la historia de Eriol, y sí la historia final, aparte de un montón de esquemas que realmente sería la del principio de Los cuentos perdidos, el viaje de Aelfwine a Tol Eressëa, en donde recibirá el legado de estos cuentos.
Es una pena que todo este material no haya llegado a una forma final, pero al fin y al cabo, esto ocurre con muchas historias del medievo, como la del Cuento del Grial, la de Tristán e Iseo, o el breve, misterioso y fascinante romance español del Conde Arnaldos.

Here Tolkien gets to his four epics. These are the stories that will whisper to and haunt him for the rest of his life. These versions are made to fit his frame story of Eriol being told the Faërie stories of old. That being said, unfortunately Earendil is only a few competing outlines which makes for an unsatisfying conclusion. The book tails off into the chaos of the divers notes and poesy Tolkien left behind.

We still get the early versions of Beren and Luthien, Turin Turambar, and The Fall of Gondolin. It should be noted if you purchased the recent copies of two of those titles, you will have the versions of the stories found here along with later varieties.

It really remains a tragedy there is no extant form of substantial narrative for Earendil. Even in its Silmarillion form it is diminished and far less a thing than it should be given its significance.

Αυτό το δεύτερο μέρος του δεύτερου τόμου της Ιστορίας της Μέσης Γης είχε τα ίδια αρνητικά με το πρώτο.

Εξαιρετικά μικροσκοπική γραμματοσειρά και αργός ρυθμός της ιστορίας.

Σε αντίθεση όμως με τον πρώτο τόμο εδώ η ιστορία βρίσκεται σε πιο γνώριμα χωράφια και λιγότερο απομακρυσμένη από το πιο οικείο ανθρώπινο δράμα που έχουν οι ιστορίες του Τούριν του Μπέρεν και του Τούορ, σε αντίθεση με τις πιο απόμακρες ιστορίες περί θεογονίας, κοσμογονίας και ξωτικογονίας στο πρώτο μέρος.

Στα 4 από τα 5 κεφαλαία αυτού του τόμου θα δούμε τις αρχικές μορφές των γνωστών ιστοριών της Πρώτης Εποχής, Την Ιστορία του Μπέρεν και της Λούθιεν, Τα Παιδιά του Χούριν, την Πτώση της Γκοντόλιν, Το Περιδέραιο των Νάνων (Ναουγκλάφρινγκ) και Το Ταξίδι του Εαρέντιλ. Το πέμπτο και τελευταίο κεφάλαιο είναι η ιστορία του Αγγλοσάξωνα Ελφγουινγκ που ταξίδεψε στο νησί των Ξωτικών και άκουσε από πρώτο χέρι τις ιστορίες του πρώτου και δεύτερου τόμου οι οποίες είναι εγκιβωτισμένες στην κύρια αφήγηση, αυτή με τον Αγγλοσάξωνα Έλφγουινγκ. Η οποία ιστορία τελικά θα εγκαταλειφθεί από τον Τόλκιν και θα συνεχίσει στις επόμενες δεκαετίες την ανάπτυξη των ιστοριών ως ανεξάρτητες πλέον. 


Ναι μεν η ιστορία προχωρούσε αργά σαν ασθματικό σαλιγκάρι αλλά επειδή εδώ οι ιστορίες είχαν περισσότερη πλοκή και πιο οικείες και πιο ανθρώπινες ή ακόμη και επικές, ο ρυθμός ανάγνωσης ήταν αργός αλλά όχι βασανιστικά αργός όπως τον προηγούμενο τόμο.

Φυσικά το ίδιο ισχύει και εδώ: Αν δεν είσαι λάτρης του Τόλκιν αυτό το βιβλίο δεν είναι για σένα.

As in Part I of The Book of Lost Tales, this book is a little difficult to read because it is drafted as an academic study on the evolution of the History of Middle Earth. I enjoyed it because it’s interesting to see how the legends of Tolkien originated and how much change went to into getting them to the final version. I did notice there were a lot of comments by the editor about what was “obvious” and “the only possible conclusion” which I found a little too personal and opinionated for an academic study. Would only recommend for a big Tolkien-buff.

Rate Procedure:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I loved the book so much I would reread it again and would recommend to a friend.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Thoroughly enjoyed the book, could not put it down, would recommend to a friend, but do not need to read again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Probably a good book that I enjoyed but there was something about it I did not love (e.g. The writing style, the POV, etc.). I would only recommend to a friend if it was their "type" of book.
⭐️⭐️ - A book I have below average feelings for and it would not come with a recommendation from me but I would mention it in conversation if related to the book topic at issue.
⭐️ - I finished the book but I hated every second of it.

Continues from where volume I ends. It has the great stories of The Tale of Tinúviel, The Tale of Turin Turambar, The Fall of Gondolin, The Nauglafring and outlines for The Tale of Eärendel and The Tale of Ælfwine.

The grand stories are great and offer deeper and more intimate narratives than their descendants in The Simarillion. But on the other hand the stories in the later part of the book are far from finished. The commentary therefore takes a lager role in the last part of the book and the academic language superceeds the narrative.
This an interesting read for any Tolkien fan, but for the casual fantasy lover, I would stick to picking out the best, most finished stories and read them sans commentary (Which Christopher Tolkien lovingly allows).

Heroics of a young author
As the narrative frame of The Cottage of Lost Play continues from the first volume, it is time to “listen” to the tales of the big heroes of the First Age. Far more naive and chaotic, while at the same time more enthralling and sparkling than the n  Silmarillion’sn mature storytelling, this earlier account of the known legends sheds a light on Tolkien’s working process and allows a different perspective of some those famous characters. Aside from the studious dive into the myth building, the reader will be delighted and surprised as the narrative frame itself twists out of shape and bridges the fantastic geography of Tol-Eressea with the far more mundane one of the British Isles. A transition not to be missed!

The book contains six stories found in the Silmarillion, but at the origin of conception. I skipped the commentary.

The Tale of Tinuviel:
This tells the story of Beren and Luthien, different from The Silmarillion, but no less pleasurable. Beren seeks Tinuviel’s love by approaching her father on his throne. The king and his Elves laugh him to scorn and the king tells him in jest he can have her if he goes to Morgoth (a rebellious deity in Illuvitar’s creation) and retrieves the Silmaril from his crown. Beren, so in love, goes to accomplish it, despite the impossibility.

Turambar and the Faoloke:
A tragic and sad story. Hurin, a great warrior in The Battle of Unnumbered Tears, becomes captive to Morgoth. Balrogs (if you're new to this, Balrogs are demons of fire who strike with whips) torture Hurin but he will not give them information nor join them, so Morgoth places him on a mountain pinnacle and gives him the sight of the gods, to see all. Morgoth curses his son, Turin, and dooms Hurin to watch his tragic life in helpless, bound captivity. Turin faces disaster after disaster. The story ends with a fight with a dragon (the Faoloke), which leads to another terrible crisis.

The Fall of Gondolin:
This overwhelmed me with awe. Multiple Balrogs ride on serpents of fire to Gondolin, with orcs and other creatures and a massive battle unfolds at the end. It starts with the travels of Tuor, and his meeting with Ulmo, the god of the sea, and Ulmo’s message through him to Gondolin. He warns them they must leave the city before an ivevitable fall. The people don’t believe him, laugh at him and refuse to leave, but Tuor continues with the people, until the end. Earendil, Tuor’s boy, flees to escape in the battle.

The Naugarfring:
At the end of Turambar’s tale, he takes the dragon’s gold, with a curse on it, to an Elven king for vengeance. He pretends loyalty and gratitude. The gold turns the heart to greed, lust and violence and works in the people to tragic ends (like Sauron’s ring).

The Tale of Earendale:
Earendale becomes a major part of the history but Tolkien write scattered pieces about him. They are difficult to understand.

The History of Eriol:
Again, these offered scattered, incomplete narratives and were difficult to read (considering I skipped all commentary).

The stories made my heart burn with awe. It reminded me how I felt as a child reading and listening to fantasy stories and fairy tales. As it consumed the mind then, as an enormous, real, believable place, so Tolkien’s stories accomplished this for me now, at forty.

I have a desire from Tolkien to read mythology, folklore, legends, and Arthurian tales. It makes me rethink my literary path. The stories have awakened a slumbering love and passion for the fantastic.

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” -C.S. Lewis (close friend of Tolkien)

The Tale of Turambar and The Fall of Gondolin almost broke me to tears. The have great power and passion. This made me wonder at what point in Tolkien’s life he began to hate tragedy. These were both tragic stories he borrowed from mythology. He spent his life writing the essay “On Fairy-stories,” in which he denounced tragedy (and Shakespeare in particular) in favor of what he called Euchatastrophe (good overcoming evil). Yet, in view of the entire history, he ends it with a tiny hero and a friend carrying a ring alone through darkness and despair.

As I have said in my review of Volume I, this stuff IS demanding, and you should be aware you are embarking on a collection on early drafts from the Professor, edited and commented by Christopher but still, in places, very hard to follow and digest.

As an hardcore Tolkien fan I enjoyed immensely the chance to revisit some of the Legendarium classics like Beren nd Luthien, Turin Turambar and the Naugarfring and learn more about how these epic tales first saw the light. However, the Fall of Gondolin alone was worth the read. The story is told at a far greater length than the Silmarillion and features Tuor, Ecthelion and Glorfindel (among others) in all their glory.

There are some really cool story components that make for great reading but just didn't fit into the eventual state of the legendarium (e.g., the Cool Cats, Turin's afterlife). I think I actually liked this version of Beren and Luthien better, but Children of Hurin and Fall of Gondolin less, than the Unfinished Tales versions. This book also demonstrates Tolkien's gift for imagery, where even his early drafts contain captivating images that stick in the reader's mind (and were often retained in later versions).
Also, if you're interested in the Tolkien legendarium as a mythology for England, this is the book for you. I've always found this idea intriguing, and I appreciate the work Christopher did to synthesize dozens of scraps of paper into a holistic history, even if that does result in reading a lot of Christopher's analysis when I'd rather be reading J.R.R.'s prose.