The New Shadow - Your thoughts?

[Marwhini]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

I've had occasion to say this before, but I'm rather ambivalent about "The New Shadow". Like the Ring itself, it is dangerously seductive in a kind of meta-way. It's very intriguing and atmospheric, especially the end, so that part of me wishes Tolkien had continued- yet I believe he was artistically right not to do so. Not only would it be anticlimactic, I think that it would have potentially pushed Tolkien's work in the direction of one of those typical endless fantasy "sagas" where sequel after anaemic sequel gets churned out long after every trace of creativity has dried up.

I agree here.

While I am intensely curious about the pure History of Middle-earth (beyond the Myths and Epics surrounding the Heroes), I think that this story could have wound up pulling Tolkien down a rabbit hole where he would not have produced anything of real substance.

It is just an area where his talents would have been wasted compared to detailing more fundamental aspects of Middle-earth, which he seemed to have a preference toward in his later days as it were.

MB