abigailbrady: (Default)
[personal profile] 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 His son patched it up (the end parts especially were in a very outdated shape), and published it.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.

Date: 2006-09-19 07:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 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'.

Date: 2006-09-19 07:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] abigailb.livejournal.com
Christopher Tolkien's no Kevin J. Anderson, luckily.

Date: 2006-09-19 07:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 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

Date: 2006-09-19 10:37 pm (UTC)
ext_3375: Banded Tussock (Default)
From: [identity profile] hairyears.livejournal.com
Would you recommend a good English-language source for the Kullervo tale?

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Abigail Brady

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