Christopher Tolkien to finish lost Middle Earth novel

[davem]

On the Reviews section 'From the Publisher'

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Hur...ion/0007246226

Found via Tolkien Gateway. VVV interesting...

And I've just got an email from Amazon that my copy of CoH has been despatched

EDIT:

What are we to make of Adam's comments here:

Alan was commissioned in 1990 to create the
first-ever illustrated edition of The Lord of the Rings to mark Tolkien's
Centenary, and his 50 watercolour paintings were to prove more influential
than anyone could possibly have imagined, as Alan then spent five years in
New Zealand working as conceptual designer with John Howe for the Peter
Jackson trilogy.

&

(It might be compared to a sort of literary
Director's Cut, the long version of the story assembled from all the best
footage available, though my father probably wouldn't welcome the
filmmaking comparison!)

Obviously the family are at war again over the movies

[Lalwendë]

Mine's been despatched too!

Bb - don't you think there are enough strawman type arguments though? I get a bit fed up with defending Tolkien myself! And no doubt people like Drout do too! I'm finding myself reading these reviews of CofH expecting to read the usual unpleasantness and the usual accusations and make the usual defences. The existence of critics like Ackroyd who can mention and use Tolkien as an example without feeling any need to make a snide aside suggests that there are some critics outside the Shippey/Flieger specialist academics who can accept Tolkien as a part of culture and give him some respect!

Liking that Adam Tolkien quote about his father and the films - very tongue in cheek about all the folk who amp up the rumours about family rifts over the films Maybe they'll be quiet now?

[Sauron the White]

I would like to be able to take the two film references from Adam Tolkien as a very positive sign. It appears that Adam may well be in the same place Christopher was three decades ago. The fact that he cites Lees work with Jackson by name is positive. The fact that he makes a joke about his fathers feelings for film also shows some very welcome openness.

[davem]

Just seen on the Tolkien.co.uk forum that the words of CT quoted on Adam Tolkien's statement is from the Preface of CoH - & the guy who posted it is the translator of the Croation edition.

EDIT

I found CT's words interesting:

`It is undeniable that there are a very great many readers of The Lord of
the Rings for whom the legends of the Elder Days (as previously published
in varying forms in The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and The History of
Middle-earth) are altogether unknown, unless by their repute as strange and
inaccessible in mode and manner. For this reason it has seemed to me for a
long time that there was a good case for presenting my father's long
version of the legend of the Children of Húrin as an independent work,
between its own covers, with a minimum of editorial presence, and above all
in continuous narrative without gaps or interruptions, if this could be
done without distortion or invention, despite the unfinished state in which
he left some parts of it.

& Adam's unambiguous statement:

The words are one hundred percent J.R.R. Tolkien's,

Its clear that CT is aware that the postumous works he has so far given to the public have a reputation for being 'strange & innaccessible'. Can we take this to imply that CT feels he has not achieved what he set out to do - make his father's great work (The Sil) accessible to the general reader - & especially to many of those who Love LotR & TH? Is this, perhaps, the real reason that he has prepared CoH for the public - he wanted the general reader to have a glimpse of his father's work outside of LotR & TH that is 'accessible'?

Or am I reading too much into CT's statement?

[Lalaith]

Oh, not fair! Mine is still awaiting dispatch...

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Originally Posted by davem

Its clear that CT is aware that the postumous works he has so far given to the public have a reputation for being 'strange & innaccessible'. Can we take this to imply that CT feels he has not achieved what he set out to do - make his father's great work (The Sil) accessible to the general reader - & especially to many of those who Love LotR & TH? Is this, perhaps, the real reason that he has prepared CoH for the public - he wanted the general reader to have a glimpse of his father's work outside of LotR & TH that is 'accessible'?

Or am I reading too much into CT's statement?

No, that's exactly the case. Christopher views this book as a bridge for the ordinary reader from the Lord of the Rings to The Silmarillion, and felt that the general public could use at least part of his father's prized First Age legendarium in a form less 'rebarbative' (his word) than The Silmarillion. He was also partly motivated by the perception that, in the wake of the films, 'Tolkien' and 'Lord of the Rings' had become nearly synonymous, although his desire to publish a complete Narn dates back many years. (This is straight from the horse's mouth, BTW).

[davem]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hickli

No, that's exactly the case. Christopher views this book as a bridge for the ordinary reader from the Lord of the Rings to The Silmarillion, and felt that the general public could use at least part of his father's prized First Age legendarium in a form less 'rebarbative' (his word) than The Silmarillion. He was also partly motivated by the perception that, in the wake of the films, 'Tolkien' and 'Lord of the Rings' had become nearly synonymous, although his desire to publish a complete Narn dates back many years. (This is straight from the horse's mouth, BTW).

But does CT feel he has 'failed' in what he set out to do - make his father's Sil accessible? We had The 77 Sil, presented without notes & background analysis/info, & that is seen as 'difficult', & we've had UT & HoM-e with notes & analysis by CT & they are viewed as even more difficult. CoH seems to be CT's final attempt at making his father's work available to the general reader. So, does he in some way feel that he has 'let his father down' in that the stuff he has given us so far has in many eyes the reputation of being either difficult or boring (or simply 'unreadable' )?

It also occurs to me whether some of us fans haven't contributed to that impression, with our in depth discussions & references to 'HoM-e vol 6 chapter 17.....' stuff which very few Tolkien fans actually know or have access to.

I'd hate to think that CT did feel he had in some way 'failed' his father. I think I've read everything CT has published of his father's work, & I'm immensely grateful for CT for the work he's done.

[davem]

Here we go - Sunday Times 'review'. http://entertainment.timesonline.co....cle1639071.ece

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Mine's been despatched too!

Liking that Adam Tolkien quote about his father and the films - very tongue in cheek about all the folk who amp up the rumours about family rifts over the films Maybe they'll be quiet now?

Gah sinceI have ot work on Tuesday and can't go up to Lunnon.... your saying htat the book has been dispatched has incited me to visit Amazon ..and spend the money saved on the deluxe edition on pre-ordering Mr Baggins and "investing" in the hardback 20th anniversary editionof UT - which I love.. and could I wait for Mr Baggins? No of course not ..so I have 3 lots of delivery charges.....

[davem]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Gah sinceI have ot work on Tuesday and can't go up to Lunnon.... your saying htat the book has been dispatched has incited me to visit Amazon ..and spend the money saved on the deluxe edition on pre-ordering Mr Baggins and "investing" in the hardback 20th anniversary editionof UT - which I love.. and could I wait for Mr Baggins? No of course not ..so I have 3 lots of delivery charges.....

The '20th Anniversary edition' is very nice - good quality & matching the recent LotR 50th & Sil hardbacks (as well as the new 70th anniversary Hobbit with fold out maps & such. Only irritating thing is that they insist on calling it the 20th anniversary edition when its actually the 26th anniversary. (I bought UT on the day it was published in 1980 & this one came out last year).

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by davem

The '20th Anniversary edition' is very nice - good quality & matching the recent LotR 50th & Sil hardbacks (as well as the new 70th anniversary Hobbit with fold out maps & such. Only irritating thing is that they insist on calling it the 20th anniversary edition when its actually the 26th anniversary. (I bought UT on the day it was published in 1980 & this one came out last year).

Well I am my second pb edition so I can justify a hardback at £12..... Ideally I woul dlove everything in HB but..... Home it seems would be about £400 I think

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Bb - don't you think there are enough strawman type arguments though?

I would have thought that such a dedicated and public scholar of Tolkien could have presented a more powerful defense against the charge of wordiness, excessive description, dependence upon landscape. Bringing in Hemingway rather defeats his earlier claim about presenting a mythological style. However, one can still have high hopes for the entry on heroic speeches.

What I am curious to know is whether CoH will have the style of The Silm, of LotR, or of its own unique style.

Also, I am not satisfied with the pitifully small number of avatars. I would hope that more will become available, especially of Nienor.