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The one that hangs outside the bookshop? That guy's crazy!

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He did seem a bit drunk when we toasted to his name...but he gave me his word!!

 

Englishmen don't lie! Right?

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9 hours ago, Bilbo Skywalker said:

No need to be jealous guys! Be happy for me!

Nah I am not jealous. Cool that you'll get one signed by Alan Lee. Where did you buy it?

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4 hours ago, Incanus said:

Nah I am not jealous. Cool that you'll get one signed by Alan Lee. Where did you buy it?

There are some people in the local smial who are heading to the signings in the UK and they're picking some up for those of us less fortunate! 

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The blurb of the book says:

Quote

In this book Christopher Tolkien has attempted to extract the story of Beren and Lúthien from the comprehensive work in which it was embedded; but that story was itself changing as it developed new associations within the larger history. To show something of the process whereby this legend of Middle-earth evolved over the years, he has told the story in his father's own words by giving, first, its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts that illustrate the narrative as it changed. Presented together for the first time, they reveal aspects of the story, both in event and in narrative immediacy, that were afterwards lost.

So it will most likely be much like The Children of Húrin, which drew from the whole extended legendarium to present an expanded version of the tale compared to the version in Silmarillion and trying to make it into if not a novel then an extended short story in its own right. I suppose this book will also discuss the Lay of Leithian that is found in the Lays of Beleriand (contained in the 3rd book in the History of Middle-earth-series) and how the conception of the story changed from these previous iterations.

 

Plus it will have the gorgeous art of Alan Lee.

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On 6/5/2017 at 5:30 AM, Incanus said:

The blurb of the book says:

So it will most likely be much like The Children of Húrin, which drew from the whole extended legendarium to present an expanded version of the tale compared to the version in Silmarillion and trying to make it into if not a novel then an extended short story in its own right. I suppose this book will also discuss the Lay of Leithian that is found in the Lays of Beleriand (contained in the 3rd book in the History of Middle-earth-series) and how the conception of the story changed from these previous iterations.

 

Plus it will have the gorgeous art of Alan Lee.

 

No belching dwarves or farting trolls, no sale.

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Oooh tough crowd! PJ has really spoiled us rotten with his cinematic creations.

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1 hour ago, Richard said:

It might well be a big ask, but...how does the new book fit into the overall story?

It is more of a compendium or chance for a new focus on this central story in the legendarium, to bring together all the major elements of it in a single volume. If you have read the Children of Húrin I am sure it will be quite similar in composition. The Silmarillion stories set in the First Age aren't a single narrative but a string of tales focusing largely on the elves throughout this prehistory of Middle-earth and the story of Beren and Lúthien forms only a part of the great stories from that period but it is very central to the author himself who e.g. perhaps most strongly connected this bittersweet love story with his own initially complicated courtship with his wife Edith Bratt. So this tale had also a lot of personal meaning to Tolkien. It says a lot that even their tombstone reads Beren and Lúthien.

 

The story also links with the greater frame story of the Silmarils that is a major thread running through the histories of the First Age and they feature as a prominent element in this tale.

 

And moreover the story also has a greater significance to the legendarium as it also contains the first example of the rare union of the two races, of elves and men and the mingling of their bloodlines which happens only four times in the whole history of Middle-earth. Lúthien was actually through her mother Melian in part a Maia, immortal angelic spirit and this is how Tolkien explained how part of the immortal blessing of the elvenkind's and angelic creator spirits' spark in skills, imagination and art still lives on as it passed to humanity and has been part of their existence ever since and manifests in some of them from time to time.

 

 

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29 minutes ago, Richard said:

Thanks very much for that, Inky! 

So...is there a Middle Earth timeline, that you'd recommend, or is the whole saga more complex than that?

E.g. Wikipedia contains a relatively simple but clear timeline.

Tolkien Gateway has another set of articles detailing individual Ages of the world.

 

The events of the First Age in the time of Beren and Lúthien happen close to 7000 years before the War of the Ring at the end of the Third Age.

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I am more than happy to help with all those questions. :) 

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I didn't add an avatar, someone else did. I only said what avatar I'd have, if I had an avatar.

For the record, I tried to add an avatar, and so did friends of mine - people who are far more clued up on computers than I am - but we weren't able to. I have no idea how my avatar was added. 

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20 hours ago, BloodBoal said:

Sure, but with Richard, you should know what you're getting into. One answer to a question leads to five questions, which then leads to 10 questions once they are answered, which then lead to 100 questions. It's a neverending everexpanding endeavour, and an exhausting one. Better to buy him audio recordings of the books for his birthday!

Richard! A most unquenchable JW fanner! All wizards/moderators should have one or two in their care—to teach them the meaning of the word, and to correct them.

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Ah it was just a bit of Tolkien humour, a quote from Gandalf who is endlessly questioned by the inquisitive Merry as they ride from Isengard in The Two Towers. :)

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  • 3 weeks later...

My copy of Beren and Lúthien just arrived today, just perfectly on my birthday. :)  

 

As might be suspected Alan Lee's art is beautiful and shows once again that this artist is very much in tune with Tolkien's world and stories, the watercolours and pencil works capturing elegantly both the delicate and the powerful in the author's vision.  

 

The text is indeed an attempt to present majority of the variations of this single story in one volume with both prose and poetry (Lay of Leithian) combined to illustrate the development of one of the "Great Tale" of Tolkien's legendarium. And kudos have to be given to Christopher Tolkien who still at his venerable age of 92 has managed to produce this volume (he even poignantly admits that this will presumptively be his last book concerning his fathers works). Can't wait to dig into this!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Richard, you've already forgotten that I put the avatar in for you as a result of a PM discussion?

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1 hour ago, BloodBoal said:

And more importantly: why did you buy the LOTR OST trilogy box set twice?

 

Because it was being sold for €5 in HMV still sealed and my first set was showing its age. €5 is a bargain even if you do already own it!

2 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

Is that a freezer next to the shelf?  Is it so you can easily grab ice cream treats while you peruse your tomes of Tolkien?

 

 

It's a deep freeze. It's mostly full of strawberries from the garden. 

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  • 6 months later...

FYI for anyone interested, there's a major Tolkien exhibit coming to the Bodleian library here in Oxford this summer, and tickets just became available to book today.  They're free, but you have to book in advance via the website, and it's sure to sell out.

 

Quote


Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth explores Tolkien’s amazing legacy from his genius as an artist, poet, linguist, and author to his academic career and private life. The exhibition takes you on a journey through Tolkien’s famous works, The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings, displaying an array of draft manuscripts, striking illustrations and maps drawn for his publications. Discover Tolkien’s early abstract paintings from The Book of Ishness, the touching tales he wrote for his children, rare objects that belonged to Tolkien, exclusive fan mail; and private letters.

This once-in-a-generation exhibition runs from 1 June to 28 October 2018 at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford.

 

 

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  • 5 months later...

So why did the Elves dwindle, instead of thriving after the downfall of Sauron in the age of Elendil and Gil Galad. This ensured thousands of years of relative piece after long years of conflict. 

 

Why did they grew tired of Middle-earth?

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6 hours ago, Stefancos said:

Why did they grew tired of Middle-earth?

 

Men reproduced too fast and took over their playground.

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14 hours ago, Stefancos said:

So why did the Elves dwindle, instead of thriving after the downfall of Sauron in the age of Elendil and Gil Galad. This ensured thousands of years of relative piece after long years of conflict. 

 

Why did they grew tired of Middle-earth?

Their diminishment was tied to the fate of the world and the song of the Ainur. 

 

HERE is a good lengthy explanation of the diminishment of the Elves as Tolkien explains it in the letter 131 to Milton Waldman (of publisher Collins) in 1951. It has also been reprinted in the second edition of the Silmarillion.

 

 

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So much like the Ainur their fate was predetermined by the Song, despite Melko's efforts to add discord to it? 

 

I guess Men, being mortal are by that nature less bound to that fate, like Dwarves, who weren't part of Illuvatar's original designs. And of course we know nothing of what Eru's designs were for the Hobbits, if he even had one.

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