Publisher Description

Painstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts and presented for the first time as a fully continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and Lúthien will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, Dwarves and Orcs and the rich landscape and creatures unique to Tolkien's Middle-earth.
The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien. Returning from France and the battle of the Somme at the end of 1916, he wrote the tale in the following year.

Essential to the story, and never changed, is the fate that shadowed the love of Beren and Lúthien: for Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, in deep opposition to Beren, imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. This is the kernel of the legend; and it leads to the supremely heroic attempt of Beren and Lúthien together to rob the greatest of all evil beings, Melkor, called Morgoth, the Black Enemy, of a Silmaril.

In this book Christopher Tolkien has attempted to extract the story of Beren and Lúthien from the comprehensive work in which it was embedded; but that story was itself changing as it developed new associations within the larger history. To show something of the process whereby this legend of Middle-earth evolved over the years, he has told the story in his father's own words by giving, first, its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts that illustrate the narrative as it changed. Presented together for the first time, they reveal aspects of the story, both in event and in narrative immediacy, that were afterwards lost.

Notes

Restored from Tolkien's manuscripts to be arranged for the first time as a fully continuous standalone story, this prominent arc from The Silmarillion tells the story of a mortal man and his immortal elf lover in their attempt to rob the evil Morgoth of a Silmaril.

Author Biography

J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing THE HOBBIT, THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE SILMARILLION, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 30 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.

Review

'A seamless editorial construct, the capstone to a job Christopher Tolkien began with The Silmarillion'
New Statesman'Critical moments are caught, as in The Children of Húrin, by Alan Lee's nine outstanding colour plates'
Times Literary Supplement

Long Description

Painstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts and presented for the first time as a continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and L

Review Quote

Praise for The Children of Hrin: 'I hope that its universality and power will grant it a place in English mythology' Independent on Sunday 'The darkest of all Tolkien's tales. Alan Lee's illustrations complement the writing splendidly' Times Literary Supplement

Feature

20 b/w illus, 8 col plates * The first complete standalone Middle-earth book by J.R.R. Tolkien since The Children of H

Description for Sales People

Painstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts and presented for the first time as a fully continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and L

Details