New Tolkien!

[abigailbrady]

I first read the Silmarillion many years ago. It's a hard book. It starts very biblical and as you proceed it gets prosier, but never actually reaches the stage of actual narrative. It is a tragic work, telling the story of the fall and destruction of the Elves : also tragically unfinished. His son patched it up (the end parts especially were in a very outdated shape), and published it.

One of the stories in the Silmarillion is the Tale of the Children of Hurin, or the Tale of Turin. A personal tragedy, set against a bleak background. it derives many elements from the Kullervo tale. The chapter in the Silmarillion dealing with it was brief, but poignant. Fragments of a longer actual proper narrative version appeared in Unfinished Tales and other works.

I always though it would make a great story split out on its own. But since Christopher Tolkien had apparently sworn off writing new stuff to cover the gaps, this seemed another tragedy: glimpses of a work that could never exist (Tolkien himself covered this theme in Lead by Niggle). Now we learn he has been secretly working on this for quite a while. I am looking forward, albiet trediply, to reading the complete lay of the Children of Hurin. I hope he did it proud.

Comments

[jojomojo.livejournal.com]

I hope so too. I worry though; I've been scarred by the Dune 'prequels'. Which, as one of my friends put it, 'ass-rape the corpse of Frank Herbert'.

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

Christopher Tolkien's no Kevin J. Anderson, luckily.

[thatmakesmemad.livejournal.com]

no Brian Herbert ? Given family connections of prequel writers.
Must be other examples of relations who tried to add to the body of work of a dead relative but can't think of any

[hairyears.livejournal.com]

Would you recommend a good English-language source for the Kullervo tale?