'The Book of Lost Tales' is an interesting reflection on the thought processes of a writer. Imagine not just writing one of the greatest fantasy epics in the form of 'The Lord of the Rings', but also writing the entire mythology and history leading up to the events of the novel so that there is a clear sense of history in Middle Earth.

Is 'The Book of Lost Tales' an easy read? Definitely not. The book is densely written and, as Christopher Tolkien points out many times within its pages, is often amended and overwritten to clarify the writer's thoughts. In this first part, there is a sense of the Creation mythology of two races that never existed in a world that is not our own. Thought provoking in its broad strokes, it also carries a sense of the oral tradition. These words were never meant to be read, but to be heard around smoky campfires while hiding from orcs and dark riders.

The only drawback is that 'The Book of Lost Tales' does not feel as if it was ever intended to be published. These are rough notes for Tolkien to keep Middle Earth alive and developing in his imagination and many could say that these are nothing more than glorified jottings with no usefulness other than to the writer. However, insomuch as it gives an insight into the creative process of any writer, 'The Book of Lost Tales' is extremely interesting and Christopher Tolkien's editorial notes and commentaries are invaluable.

10 gwiazdek dla Christophera

The Last Tolkien Tuesday of 2021 is fitting for the final chapters of The Book of Lost Tales Vol. 1

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This is not an easy book to read. Following Tolkien's first notebooks it provides a glimpse to the genius and the creative process at its beginning, but this is done in a very dry and academic way. Christopher Tolkien, being sorry for editorial work he did before this book, did a very detailed work on this one, perhaps too detailed. In my mind I treated it as earlier versions of the mythology found in excavations and old libraries and now brought to life, which for me worked well and I felt it was worth the effort.
But like Christopher Tolkien says, be warned, there are no hobbits to mediate this story. Three stars out of five.

This was almost a reference source that analyzed various tales and parts from The Silmarillion. There was chapters dedicated to aspects from it that includes "Music of the Ainur", "The Coming of the Valar", "Making of the Elves" and more. This was richer in overall information due to the breadth of knowledge this book presented. It would be for a new person to comprehend the lore, history, and mythopoeic delivery of this book. I would recommend this to J.R.R Tolkien completists, not for the newbie. Thanks!

These stories contain Tolkien’s first conceptions of Middle Earth, written in notebooks, the first of which he started in high school. These don’t look like ramblings of a young man, but rather, a learned adult of deep, profound intelligence. It appears obvious Tolkien read a mass amount of mythology and fell in love with it in childhood and in his young-adult years. The skill of his storytelling overwhelms me.

Eriol, a mortal man visits Tol Eressia (an ancient Elvish city of Middle Earth) and sits to listen to tales of history. The book contains stories within the story. It made me remember “The Lord of the Rings,” when Frodo and Bilbo discuss finishing up Bilbo’s notes. That may be a literary reference to his son, Christopher, who compiled and edited these stories and provided exhaustive commentary. I didn’t read the commentary because I anticipated the stories.

The stories give me overwhelming, intense pleasure. They make me happy. Have you ever had a dream you wake up from and you feel a sense of loss because you wanted it to be true? Reading this, for me, is like entering that dream and attaining that unreachable desire.

He covers content in the Silmarillion, but in-depth. It starts with Eriol coming to The Cottage of Lost Play, a place for storytelling, which reminded me of the places ancients Greeks would discuss philosophy. The content includes: Illuvitar, the creator, and his creation of a pantheon and their struggle with Melkor, a rebellious member of that pantheon (if this sounds familiar, Tolkien was Catholic). It also covers periods of change over the creation which will inevitably become Middle-Earth. Melkor’s original rebellion introduces the reader to the primary antagonist in the entire collection of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth works. He introduces elves and their lands, Melkor’s further corruption in darkening the creation, the creation of sun and moon by the Valar, the origin of the rainbow from a lock of female Vala hair, and the introduction of time. It covers the sad withdraw of the Valar to hide from Melkor and further corruption, which gives him potential rulership over what will become the place of men, dwarves, gnomes, elves and hobbits.

The stories demand concentration, and it can be difficult to read. Tolkien uses archaic, old-style language. The stories unfold as adult fairy tales that rely more on telling than showing. If a person can get past these potential hindrances, the stories can take you to another place and bring incredible pleasure, as well as temporary and necessary escape from stressful reality.

Book 1 of 12 of The History of Middle-earth presents us with an early version of The Silmarillion, started in 1916-17, but with a framework of someone (Eriol the mariner) who is being told these tales by various elves. While I‘m glad Christopher Tolkien decided against using that framework in The Silmarillion as it was rather tedious, I became used to that image of sitting in the Cottage of Lost Play, next to Eriol, listening to tales.

As for the structure itself, the book comprises various chapters (such as “The Music of the Ainur“) where original texts are heavily annotated and then followed by a commentary by Christopher Tolikien, pointing to similarities and differences between the old version and the new version as given in The Silmarillion. (The more “exciting“ chapters, such as “The Fall of Gondolin,“ will follow in the second part of the Lost Tales.) I really enjoyed those commentaries, especially since the original texts show that they are early drafts; they are often verbose and unnecessarily complicated. This complexity and the density of the commentaries made for some difficult reading at times.

All in all, even if this was a tough read at times, I’m glad I read this - mostly because I can’t seem to get enough of Tolkien. So if you‘ve read and loved The Silmarillion and want to dive even deeper into the legendarium, this book is for you

Note to self: Make use of the glossary of obsolete, archaic, and rare words. I would not have been so confused by the use of “an“ instead of “if“ - to name one example.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Book of Lost Tales between 1917-24. They are the earliest versions of the complex mythology that would later evolve into The Silmarillion. Ten stories are presented here alongside commentary and exposition from the book's editor, Christopher Tolkien, as means of studying how Tolkien's legendarium grew and evolved over time.

This book has an academic bent and is not as accessible as The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, or even The Silmarillion. One could argue, of course, the author's abandoned early drafts should not be foisted upon the reading public. However, Tolkien wrote and re-wrote his stories ceaselessly over half a century. These early incarnations are full of drama, characters, and detailed world-building that are useful to understanding the milieu even if they are not official canon.

(The canon, it should be noted, was delineated after the author's death by his son. A different editor could have chosen to include scenes from these "lost tales" in The Silmarillion. This would have been a haphazard approach, though. It would have required extensive rewriting of Tolkien's words to impose consistency of names, dates, cultures, geography, familial lineages and character motivations.)

Here are my individual story reviews:

1. "The Cottage of Lost Play"

A seafaring wanderer Eriol sails from the Great Lands (later: Middle-Earth) to the Lonely Isle, aka Tol Eressëa, off the coast of Aman. Every night beside the Tale-fire, the Teleri elves who inhabit the island share their histories and myths. Eriol was originally envisioned as a framing device for the entire Silmarillion, but Tolkien apparently abandoned this idea sometime in the 1930's.

The commentary also includes several variants of poems Tolkien composed about the Cottage and the ancient city Kortirion on Tol Eressëa.

2. "The Music of the Ainur"

This is the creation myth that eventually formed the basis of "Ainulindalë". Tolkien wrote it when he was 27 years old. The most remarkable aspect is that almost all the material from this first draft made it into the final version, although some passages were moved to the "Quenta Silmarillion".

The interstitial material introduces a garrulous old elf Rúmil. He was largely discarded over time; he only receives a one-sentence mention in The Silmarillion. He would have been a much more prominent character had Tolkien retained the Eriol frame story.

3. "The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor"

This story begins with the creation of two lamps that illuminate Arda. Melko (later: Melkor/Morgoth) destroys them, forcing the gods to retreat to Valinor and plant the Trees of Light.

This story is overwritten, but it contains so much beautiful detail that was cut from the final canon. There are two new sibling gods Makar and Meássë, who are of uncertain loyalty and warlike temperament. Readers also learn about the building of the city of Valmar and the abodes created for each individual Valar.

4. "The Chaining of Melko"

Several fascinating scenes that were only briefly alluded to in The Silmarillion are fleshed out in this story, including Aulë's forging of the great chain Angaino and the arming of the Valar for battle. We also get a memorable scene in which Manwë uses flattery and deceit to capture Melko in his underground fortress.

The interstitial framing story introduces us to Tinfang Warble, the son of Linwë Tinto and Wendelin (later: Thingol and Melian, the progenitors of the Sindar elves). The commentary includes two World War I-era poems that Tolkien wrote about Tinfang.

5. "The Coming of the Elves and the Making of Kôr"

This early tale is inferior to its later version. Because the elves do not waken until after the chaining of Melko, the story of how newborn elves are kidnapped and corrupted into a race of orcs is left out. Also, the Sundering of the Elves is not as big a deal. The Avari (or Dark Elves) do not choose to remain in Middle-Earth and separate from the Eldar. Nor do the Sindar (or Gray Elves) split from the Solosimpi (later: Teleri). The Solosimpi are separated from the other two houses of elves for many centuries due to the anger of Ossë. They form an isolated community on the island of Tol Eressëe, but then the entire race is eventually reunited.

The founding or Kôr (later: Tirion upon Túna) is another extended passage that reinforces the beauty and detail of Valinor that is only hinted at in Lord of the Rings.
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6. "The Theft of Melko and the Darkening of Valinor"

Melko is covetous of the Silmarils which were created by Fëanor. He sows enmity between the Noldoli (later: Noldor) and the Valar, then he launches a surprise attack to steal the jewels and destroy the Trees of Light. In the aftermath of these events, Fëanor leads his kinsmen in revolt. They leave the Gods, migrate back to the Great Lands where they were born, and hunt down Melko in his caverns.

This version of the story hits all the same high story points as the later versions. The most salient difference is Melko does not create a rift within the royal house of the Noldoli. In fact, in this version, the internal strife occurs amongst the Valar themselves when Tulkas defies Manwë. The later version is superior, especially in conveying the heartbreak of Fëanor's rebellion. This version is interesting, however; it sheds light on how the Gods and Elves feared the coming of Man, albeit for different reasons.
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7. "The Flight of the Noldoli"

A battle breaks out between the Solosimpi and Fëanor's band. This version of the story focuses more heavily on the Noldoli's escape through the icy straits of the North. Alas, it contains neither the Doom of the Noldor nor any glimpses of Galadriel.

8. "The Tale of the Sun and Moon"

The sun and moon are created to slow down the evil of Melko and herald the birth of Men. This was the most awkward section in The Silmarillion. The version presented here is longer but certainly not better. The editor paraphrases some sections. This seems an odd decision, but he defends it by pointing out his father's own notes acknowledge the story rambles and needs significant paring down.

9. "The Hiding of Valinor"

This entire story, which is compressed into a single paragraph in The Silmarillion, contains several interesting ideas that did not make the canon, particularly:

- The Valar forfeit future glory and renown when they shut up Valinor rather than take the fight to Melko. The early conception of this pantheon was one of indolent, inwardly focused gods.
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- The young Sun causes significant damage to Arda until it is harnessed by the three children of Time.
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- Rainbows were created as a passage for the Valar to cross the mountains and Shadowy Seas to visit the Great Lands in secret
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- The mechanism devised for the Sun to traverse the sky each day resulted in the phenomenon of shooting stars

10. "Gilfanon's Tale: The Travail of the Noldoli and the Coming of Mankind"

This chapter consists of fragments of incomplete stories which the editor constructed into an outline of events that occur between the hiding of Valinor and the tale of Beren and Lúthien. The most interesting item of note is an abandoned story about the birth of Man.

Easily the driest of Tolkien's back catalog that I've read thus far - which Christopher Tolkien himself mentions in the foreword! (I've read the Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, the three Great Tales and the Tales from the Perilous Realm collection beyond The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings thus far). 2.5/5

Having read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion many times since I was a teen, as well as Tolkien's papers, letters, and biographies, I decided it was time to go the last mile and read his son Christopher's annotated compilation of the Professor's earlier drafts. BoLT/I is the first of the five-volume collection. It covers topics familiar to anyone who has read The Silmarillion--the creation of the world, the making of Valinor, the Valars' conflict with Melkor, the Awakening of the Elves, and the Coming of Men--but in some of the earlier drafts the details vary greatly with the "canonical" versions. What's more, all the tales in this volume are presented as having been told around a fire to Eriol, a traveler visiting the Elves living on the island of Tol Eressea. Chritospher explains how that island, in his father's imagination, was an analog to the English county of Warwickshire, and bolsters the claims of those that the Shire was an allegorical representation of England, and Middle-Earth as a whole was analogical to Europe (though the Professor vehemently denied the latter).

In the tales--and most particularly in Christopher Tolkien's very careful commentary--one can also trace the evolution of the Quenya and Sindarin languages. I had often wondered where the various Elvish dictionaries got their extensive word lists from, since so little was presented in the canon; now I know, and am thrilled to find such a trove of vocabulary.

Very interesting for dedicated Tolkien fans, but also dry and technical. Christopher Tolkien’s explanation of his father’s use of “the impression of depth” in storytelling was worth the whole read for me. I’d recommend reading a good biography of Tolkien first to understand more of his genius with languages and “world/mythology-building” prior to reading this work, as it will help to bring a greater appreciation of the details presented.

3.5 stars

My first attempt to read _The Book of Lost Tales_ was made way too early in my life and made certain that my response was to put it on the shelf and decide that all of this background stuff, especially taken from this early phase in Tolkien’s life as a writer, was way too different from the Middle-Earth stories that I loved for me to waste any time on it. Looking at where the book mark from my first attempt still sat when I picked it up again, I noticed that I didn’t even get much beyond the first several pages of the introductory chapter “The Cottage of Lost Play”. I remember thinking that it was just altogether too twee for me, what with the Eldar of Middle-Earth still being referred to as ‘faeries’ and the, to me, bizarre structure of a wanderer coming to a tiny cottage (bigger on the inside than the outside) peopled by dancing and singing children and adults who primarily sat around telling tales and reciting pretty mediocre poetry. It wasn’t really Middle-Earth now was it? Well, at the time I put down the volume and decided that I’d stick with the ‘real’ stuff of LotR, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion and that, as they say, was that for probably about two and a half decades. Then it came about that I discovered my greatest love vis a vis Tolkien’s work was growing to be the posthumously published The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth, both of which contained some of the most beautiful and powerful of Tolkien’s writing. I looked at the corpus of ‘The History of Middle Earth’ with something of a new eye and decided that I might just dip into it and see what it was like. I consciously chose to first read those volumes that dealt with the matter of the First and Second ages of Middle-Earth and were latest in the chronology of composition thus presumably assuring that I was coming across ideas and stories that were closer in tone and content to the ones with which I was so familiar and that thrilled me with their mythic reverberations. I ended up loving what I found in Morgoth's Ring and The War of the Jewels and decided that maybe this huge work undertaken by Christopher Tolkien to present the works of his father in toto wasn’t an altogether bad idea after all (especially given my hunger for more material regarding the tales as told in The Silmarillion).

So now I find myself re-embarking on the journey from the beginning and tackling the very Book of Lost Tales (part one) that defeated me in my youth. I’m glad I came back. Pushing through past the point in the first chapter beyond which I never made it before I actually found a fair bit to like, even though it wasn’t the undiluted Middle-Earth vintage I had initially wanted. I was actually reminded a bit of William Morris’ medieval romances that so influenced Tolkien as I read about the journey of Eriol the mariner upon the Isle of Tol Eressëa and once the tales themselves began to be told I saw that there was a surprising amount of coherence between these earliest versions of the myths of Middle-Earth with what eventually came to be published in The Sil. The differences themselves were intriguing and I found as the chapters sped on the framing device didn’t bother me half as much as once it had. I will readily admit that much of the poetry in this volume leaves something to be desired. I am not one of those readers of Tolkien that skips over the poems, and I think that many of them are quite beautiful (esp. Bilbo’s poem of Eärendil sung in Rivendell), but the early ones showcased in this volume are not really my cup of tea (though one can certainly see Tolkien’s word-craft in them improving as time went on). The Cottage of Lost Play itself took on greater interest as well as I started to see some parallels between it and the ultimate development of Elrond’s house of Rivendell as “a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all’. Merely to be there was a cure for weariness, fear, and sadness.”

Eriol the mariner, a man from medieval England who has found his way to the magical isles of the west, sits in this pleasant house and has recounted to him many of the tales of the elder days when the Elves were alone in Middle-Earth, or mankind just arising from their ages long slumber. All of these tales are ones that a reader of The Silmarillion will already be familiar with: the creation myth of the Music of the Ainur, the building of Valinor and creation of the Two Trees of Light, the battles against Melkor (here named Melko) and his initial imprisonment, the coming of the Elves to the blessed lands and their ultimate rebellion and return to Middle-Earth in pursuit of Melko, and the myth of the creation of the sun and moon upon the death of the two trees. Some of these are not very far from the more final versions that were presented in The Silmarillion, while others display drastic differences (such as the expanded legend of the sun and moon, the extensive bits that deal with cosmology and the make-up of the world, and the inclusion of Valar who mate and even include in their number some gods of war), but it is very safe to say that unless you have a deep and abiding love for Middle-Earth, and especially tales of the elder days, you probably won’t get much out of this book. I would agree with those who claim this is really only for aficionados of Tolkien’s tales who want more and who are interested in seeing the development of his mythology. It is indeed a fascinating peek over the shoulder of Tolkien as he writes his tales and we finally start to get a glimpse of the sheer magnitude of the effort that his son expended simply in producing from the jumble of inter-related texts about the legends of the Elves a volume as slim and relatively cohesive as The Silmarillion.

I’m looking forward to tackling Book II of the lost tales and proceeding with the history of Middle-Earth texts at least up to volume 5 to continue to get my fix and maybe even get a taste of some legends of the elder days that I haven’t already experienced in another form. Recommended for hard-core Tolkien fans who don’t mind critical apparatus and multiple versions of tales.