The completed Tale of Gondolin was published 13 years ago?!

[davem]

Originally Posted by johnboy3434

Then let the bastards read it first and decide! My point is, would it really hurt to consider it? I think it's rather closed-minded to summarily dismiss it without even reading it, and fans would probably buy it. You keep on about how "this fan could write this" or "that fan can edit that." Well they didn't. This guy did, and, when you own a text that's going for $4,500 without receiving a penny, it wouldn't exactly be blasphemy to try and profit off of it, now, would it?

I wouldn't be surprised if CT had read it - though I don't see what that has to do with anything. It could not be published as Tolkien's work - for the reasons Mr Hicklin has given. If this work was to be given the go-ahead then where do you stop? It seems to me that this work cannot be considered genuine in any sense of the word. If Lewis' work gets the go ahead how could the Estate justify refusing to consider anything anyone knocks up which is 'fundamentally based on' Tolkien's writings?

Tolkien did not write a 'full' version of the Gondolin story (would that he had), so what you're asking to be made available is a version knocked up (with great love & respect I've no doubt) by 'some guy'. Are the Estate supposed to go through everything 'some guy' produces just to see if its 'good enough'? Again, I think you're being mislead by the fact that this version is available in a pricey edition set between two covers & mistaking it for an 'authoritative' published work. As I said, I could cobble together my own version of 'Gondolin' or Beren & Luthien & 'publish' it through Pandora & it would be available, in a nice shiny paper- or hardback volume for anyone to buy. That wouldn't make it significant or important - its just something anyone can do. If Mr Lewis wants to stick his 'fanfic' on the web he's free to do just that.

In short. If you did get hold of this book you'd have a 'nice thing' (I've seen it on sale at Oxonmoot & its certainly that - the illustrations are beautiful). But its not 'Tolkien'. Its a cobbled together, edited, altered, manipulated 'art work'. Authorising this would open the floodgates (as I said, how could the Estate accept this & reject other similar efforts?) & in no time you'd have shelves full of 'Middle-earth novels' along the lines of the Star Wars/Star Trek novels that fill the SF/Fantasy sections.

You seem to think this is 'genuine' Tolkien - & I'm not sure even Mr Lewis considers it that. Its not the BoLT version expanded. Its not the 'Long Tuor' completed. Its one individual's best shot at putting together a version of the story.

As for 'fans probably buying it' I suspect most Tolkien fans wouldn't.