We were having the same conversation about the Silmarilion here...
Are there any pre-1977 readers here?
...so, I'll just cut and paste.
Quote:
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I still have my first edition Silmarillion (actually two now, one an American copy and the other an original British edition). I think I savored that read in 1977 more so than The Hobbit or LotR. It was very biblical. Very otherworldly, like when I first got a copy of Bulfinch's Mythology for Christmas in 6th grade.
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I'll agree
CoH is a near standalone story; however,
Beren and Luthien, although jumbled betwixt various revisions, excerpts, stanzas of poetry and reams of analysis would be best served as a screenplay. Given that Luthien is perhaps the most resourceful and powerful female lead in any Tolkien story (even more so than the more stationary Galadriel), it may appeal to modern viewers (particularly those who consider Tolkien a chauvinist), what with her saving the rather thick Beren on numerous occasions. And then there's also a vampire and a slavering werewolf, of course. What's a modern fantasy film without vampires and werewolves?