What exactly is the History of Middle Earth about? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 09-20-2006, 03:09 AM

Think UT - original texts interespersed with editorial commentary - but about 5000 pages of it covering nearly every single thing *Tolkien wrote on M-e. Parts of it are wonderful, parts of it drag, parts of it are almost incomprehensible, parts of it are in Anglo-Saxon.

It is quite possibly one of the greatest works of literature every produced. It will quite possibly bore you rigid - its impossible to say, because its not for everyone. Many fans will not go near vols 6-9 (which deal with the writing of LotR), because they find that all those early drafts & alternate versions of the story take away from the 'inner consistency of reality' Tolkien struggled to achieve.

Don't feel you 'ought' to read it & force yourself through it - reading Tolkien's work should not be a 'chore'.

* Many of the 'linguistic' writings have appeared subsequently in the journal Vinyar Tengwar.

09-20-2006, 03:09 AM	#3
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Think UT - original texts interespersed with editorial commentary - but about 5000 pages of it covering nearly every single thing Tolkien wrote on M-e. Parts of it are wonderful, parts of it drag, parts of it are almost incomprehensible, parts of it are in Anglo-Saxon. It is quite possibly one of the greatest works of literature every produced. It will quite possibly bore you rigid - its impossible to say, because its not for everyone. Many fans will not go near vols 6-9 (which deal with the writing of LotR), because they find that all those early drafts & alternate versions of the story take away from the 'inner consistency of reality' Tolkien struggled to achieve. Don't feel you 'ought' to read it & force yourself through it - reading Tolkien's work should not be a 'chore'. Many of the 'linguistic' writings have appeared subsequently in the journal Vinyar Tengwar. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

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