This is archaeology in book form. Christopher Tolkien has compiled early drafts of his father's writings. Some are complete stories--others not so much. This is the first of twelve volumes in The History of Middle-earth. I've read a few individual volumes of HoMe in the past, but never all of them and not this one. It covers stories like the Music of the Ainur, Melko (later Melkor/Morgoth) and his rebellion, and the creation of the Silmarils, as well as the Trees of Valinor and later the creation of the Sun and Moon. In other words, the first few chapters of the Silmarillion. But these early drafts are quite different from the final stories. The narrative structure was also different. Tolkien early on conceived of these ancient stories being told to a Man by Elves in later days when he sailed West and found the Lonely Isle where Elves still are.

Even in rough form, the stories are still interesting. Tolkien knows how to write epic myths, that's for sure! There's also a lot of notes and commentary and yes, it can be dry at times when discussing linguistic evolution of the place and character names. Also, my version of the History of Middle-earth is all twelve volumes in just three giant hard cover books. So this first book, although not that long, required me to hold this huge tome that is not ideal for cuddling.

Ever since I started reading J.R.R. Tolkiens books this month I had this strong urge to read the short stories and learn more about the "middle-earth." Now, I haven't officially read all of his books or the different series he has written that are set in the middle-earth but I still found these stories highly entertaining. I really liked how Christopher took his dads work and made it into the book of lost tales. And now after reading these I'm even more pumped to read the rest of J.R.R's books. I seriously can't wait and I'm definitely going to read the second part of these lost tales. I hope they get better!!

A decade ago I made my way through the entire ten volumes of The History of Middle Earth and was greatly confused by much of it. It is not an easy read. A reference to Tintang Warbler sent back to volume one, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One.

This time I found this early version of what eventually became The Silmarillion fascinating, seeing both the continuity and the vast differences between Tolkien's early and more developed conception of the origin of Middle Earth and the tragic history of the Elves that form the backdrop before which The Lord of the Rings plays out. But it is still not an easy read.

If you are even a little bit curious about the history of Middle Earth, this is an essential volume. This, along with part 2, elucidate some of the more obscure mythological beginnings of Arda. The commentary section at the end of each 'chapter' is very enlightening both linguistically and in terms of the development of certain motifs that crop up in Tolkien's works.
I would suggest reading this after The Silmarillion (which is considered the polished product of the tales in these volumes). It may seem repetitive, but it is fascinating to see where these stories started and ended.

"A story must be told or there'll be no story, yet it is the untold stories that are most moving. I think you are moved by Celebrimbor because it conveys a sudden sense of endless untold stories: Mountains seen far away, never to be climbed, distant trees never to be approached - or if so only to become near trees..."

I think this book is well written and very comprehensive. I confess I am overwhelmed by the detail and am not as much of a Tolkien Fantasy follower as maybe some are. This book is for those who are REALLY interested in all the nuances and trying to figure out the thought process of JRR

Un'esperienza più traumatica della lettura del Silmarillion è senza dubbio rileggere versioni più vecchie e pasticciate dei racconti del Silmarillion e provare direttamente insieme a Tolkien Jr. a rimetterne insieme i pezzi

Among one of Tolkien's very first conceptions for Middle-earth was as a series of stories, or tales, that are told to a traveler, Eriol, who found the not-so-hidden realm of Valinor. This touches on a lot of the stories and world building that will later be found in The Silmarillion. It's interesting to see what was kept, what was left behind, and how some of the story ideas and characters evolved over the span of years that Tolkien tinkered away at his mythology for Middle-earth.

There's a lot here and frankly it's probably not of much interest to a non-Tolkien geek, and even for me it was a bit dry at times. But if you ever want to feel comforted about your own manuscripts going nowhere, or starting and stopping and mutating into completely different stories from what you started with, this might do the trick.

I didn't even try to keep track of which of these characters end up as different characters later on (with not just different names, but sometimes different genealogies and motivations), but Christopher does provide that information if it's important to you. This first Book of Lost Tales covers the creation of the Valar and Eä up through to hiding of Valinor, and even hints at Túrin, Luthien, and other greater tales to come.

One of the more interesting early concepts was that this traveler, Eriol, could theoretically at least be given an elixir, limpë, which when drunk kept the drinker young and healthy. Probably only of interest since I had recently had a conversation elsewhere with someone who insisted there was a drink the Ringbearers could be given when they got to Tol Eressëa that would allow them to live forever. They didn't have a reference when I asked for one, but now I stumble upon it here. Of course, being an early conception, it's up to each person to decide how much this should play into canon. (And it doesn't make a Man immortal, just youthful. So that person was still wrong, lol. Not that the Ringbearers, being practical hobbits, would want to live forever anyway, especially after everything they went through to get rid of the Ring. Geesh.)

I also got a kick out of Tolkien's little notes to himself, jotting down lists, ideas, sentences/paragraphs on random pieces of paper. This was a man who needed a computer. But he'd probably be one of those guys whose desktop would be littered with shortcuts and documents and empty folders. LOL. I don't envy Christopher's job of trying to make sense of his father's notes and journals. Bad enough the man erased his pencilled texts and wrote over them in ink (paper was precious in those days!), but trying to follow the paper trail would leave one with a migraine, I can only imagine.

So one down, eleven more to go! (I've read the HoME volumes for LOTR years ago, so I'm looking forward to rereading those.)

STOP: Ask yourself if you read and enjoyed The Silmarillion?

If the answer is 'yes', then you might like this book.
If the answer is 'no, I haven't read The Silmarillion', then read that before this book.
If the answer is 'no, I don't like like The Silmarillion', then you won't like this book.

This book will give you insight into the early thoughts and ideas that eventually became the Silmarillion. If you are or want to be a hardcore Tolkien fan then this book is a must, but for most casual fans of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit it isn't.

Don't pick this up unless you were very bummed about finishing the Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, the Silmarillion, and other greats -- and are craving more. So much that you're willing to essentially sit back in a college-level literary analysis course.

The stories are magical, and definitely "Tolkienesque", but at times it can be a tough read.

That's primarily because most of what Christopher Tolkien (J.R.R.'s son) used to put this -- not to mention the rest of the History of Middle-Earth series -- together were fragments of stories, sometimes three or more different versions.

There is a lot of academic-style commentary, complete with name comparisons, investigations of intentional vs. scrapped pieces of story, notes of geography of Middle-Earth gleaned from the tales, and so on.

If you don't like that kind of commentary, go ahead and skip right to the stories. But be warned that they'll be bit confusing to piece into the Middle-Earth we know and love, and you will lose context of what's going on to understand why C. Tolkien arranged the book the way that he did.

The obvious reason for reading this is being a fan of Tolkien. It is fun to compare the earliest extant version of the Silmarillion.

As Christopher Tolkien points out, the distance felt while reading the Silmarillion, and one of the things that makes it such an effective work, is completely missing here. There is a mediator, Eriol, who arrives at a cottage and recieves the stories of the gods and elves in much the same way as Chaucer's travelers receieved their tales on the road. If you enjoy different types of reading experiences, then this is an interesting way to read the Silmarillion. But it becomes very clear that the latter is the far superior work.

The one thing I wish Tolkien had kept was the character of Melko as found in the Lost Tales. It is a far more subtle creature who lurks about wreaking havoc versus the later, known enemy.

Finally, there are many compositional gems (no pun intended) to be found here, regardless of its unpolished form. For example, in the Silmarillion, when Melkor begins to thwart the singing of the Ainur, it is said that Eru takes even the most triumphant notes and weaves them into his own pattern. In the Lost Tales, he writes, "...yet ever, as it essayed to clash most fearsomely, finding itself but in some manner supplementing or harmonising with its rival." This is a little more wordy, but I love the sense it conveys of free will and sovereignty co-existing. In the Silmarillion, Iluvatar "takes". Here, somehow, these evil notes "find" themselves supplementing or harmonising with the original song.

This is the first of the history of Middle Earth series I have read. Overall, recommended.

Overall I liked this one, lots depth and inside backstory into the development of, and earlier discarded versions of, what would eventually become the Silmarillion, all researched and expertly presented by Christopher Tolkien, and as always great history into Middle Earth, but even more so into the writing process and the writer’s working evolution as they craft their unique story.