It has been a long, long time since I read the
Tales just for the sake of the stories themselves. Thanks, Esty, for getting me to pick up my old copy for sheer pleasure rather than as a resource for some debate or other.
The first thing that strikes me with "Tuor" is the post-apocalyptic feel of Hithlum -- Men and Elves taken as slaves and otherwise abused, evil Men running the show, orcs roaming to and fro at will, and the remnants of good folk relegated to secret and isolated communities.
In LotR the Free Peoples are, well, free, and though the Shadow hangs over them, the West maintains several strongholds of civilization and simple goodness. Here in "Tuor", the vibe is more "Middle-earth-punk" than what we're used to from LotR, and I can't think of any tale in the
Silmarillion that evokes quite the same dystopian tone.
Another thing that strikes me is that Aragorn, in his "Strider" persona, carries on a bit of the "outlaw" tradition from this and other First Age tales.
Anyway, a few scattered thoughts, such as they are. More later, perhaps.