Christopher Tolkien to finish lost Middle Earth novel

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by davem

I have a soft spot for BoLT. Strikes me that's another all but complete work which CT could put out without too much editorial intervention - along with colour plates & illuminated lettering - like one of those Edwardian fairy story collections.

My broken leg having kept me from more adventurous activities, I've been reading a lot lately, and having finished The Children of Húrin, I've been rereading the HoME, in particular the "Lost Tales", so I'm particularly curious to hear how you would put out a "complete work without too much editorial intervention".

I suppose, of course, that "too much" is a subjective term, and means different things, but there are some very major difficulties, as I see it, to putting out such a book.

First, and foremost, is that the thing isn't complete. As Christopher Tolkien says in the commentary parts, the "Lost Tales" are missing a chunk of their middle (Gilfanon's Tale, or the history from the crossing of the Helcaraxë till the Battle of Unnumbered Tears), and the end. The whole Tale of Eärendel is missing.

Similarly, the "Links" or the Eriol parts of the "Lost Tales" are incomplete. In the "Cottage of Lost Play" and in the "Links" we have a buildup towards his receiving limpë, and there is a narrative-- but it is never resolved. Would you then publish a tale that is unresolved?

There are also several matters of internal cohesion to be resolved, such as the consistency of names (the text in the HoME is already one that Christopher Tolkien has made more consistent), or things such as the Elf/Man nature of Beren, and other things of this nature. Personally, I would say these matters are easily dealt with, and would truly require a minimum of editorial intervention, but the much larger issue of an incomplete tale is rather serious.