Kevin's Watch

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060918/ap_on_en_ot/books_new_tolkien_1

What do you think?

I'd buy it! I loved the Silmarillion, but it has its obvious faults (lack of character development, dialogue, coherent plot, etc.). Let's hope that this is a more coherent, contiguous story.

So, did anyone get the book yet? I want to hear reviews!

I didn't get a signed book. They sold out in an hour. Now they e-bay for $350.00.

I'll probably pick it up soon. A regular one.

Got a brief look at a friend's copy (his wife got it for him, lucky guy!).
Nice Alan Lee pictures throughout the book.

No point in me getting it yet since I still have about 50 books on my priority list; including the Gap, Mordant's Need, Gates of Fire, and I still haven't finished The Princess Bride!

Reave the Unjust wrote:and I still haven't finished The Princess Bride!

Inconceivable!

Bought COH yesterday.

I'm a bit annoyed actually. I'm at page 52 now. The first 30 pages are the usual Christopher Tolkien 'history lecture'. He states in there that this book is aimed at the people that read LOTR but didn't read Silmarillion, the ones that are intirgued by: Elrond's mention of the first age in the Council of Elrond, Treebeard's song of Beleriand, or the mention of something to do with Shelob's hide.

But the thing is, he writes such a dry intro, that those who have maybe started Silmarillion but didn't get into it, will be turned off by this too!

Now I'm past the intro cr*p, I'm loving being back in the Tolkien world, but I think he should've just started the book as the book!!!! 20 pages into the story, i still feel I'm at a history lecture, not reading a classic of fiction.

I'm sure I'll feel different in a couple of days time, but at the minute, it's just wrong!

Malik wrote:So, did anyone get the book yet? I want to hear reviews!

Inchoatus.com has a nice review.

The Inchoatus review is an interesting (and no doubt justified) diatribe about another review. But it has very little space devoted to reviewing the book itself.

And, I was wondering what my Watch friends thought.

Mine just came in the mail today! Woo-hoo.

And just when I was starting to get caught up in the Runes dissection. Decisions, decisions. I need to read faster.

The pictures are great; water color and pencil. Gondolin is beautiful. And it has one of those cool fold-out maps!

There's a 4 page preface, a 14 page introduction (not quite a "30 page history lecture" as Stonemaybe claimed), a pronunciation guide, genealogies, appendix, and a list of names.

I can't wait to start! I think I might reread the Silmarillion, too. It's been a while. And then I can just substitute this book for those chapters--or read them both and compare.

I'll be tackling my copy this weekend...i bought it when it came out, but studying for finals took precedence...can't wait to start this.

Malik23 wrote:Mine just came in the mail today! Woo-hoo.

Man, I remember (as a 10-yo) getting the Silmarillion for Cristmas in '82. Made my mum's life hell till she relented and let me have it on Xmas-eve. Or at least 5 mins after midnight.

No anticipation quite like that. Except maybe...

My wife bought me COH. I haven't gotten a chance to do much more than read the dust cover. I gave the Silmarillion a try many years ago but like many I found it too difficult. From what I've read COH should be an easier read after I get past Christopher's intro. We'll see.

Finished it last night.

I'm still not impressed. (spoiler below isn't really a spoiler for anyone who's read Silmarillion, but maybe don't read if you don't want to remind yourself of the tale.)

Spoiler

So, Beleg ("truest of friends"!) rescues a captive drugged Turin from an orc-camp, and Turin, confused when awakened and seeing only a sword (that Beleg is using to cut his bonds), grabs the sword and kills Beleg. First of all, a wonderful piece of courage and skill to rescue Turin, then one of the most tragic events to occur in all Tolkien. In total this is described in two thirds of one page. COME ON! It probably got more words in The Silmarillion.

I still haven't started. I'm devoting all my reading time to catching up on the Runes discussion (besides wasting time on the Net).

So, Stone, are you saying it was worse than the version in the Silmarillion, or that you're disappointed with that version, too? I remember it being my second favorite story of the 1st age--second only to Beren and Luthien.

I've read and enjoyed the Silmarillion many times. I suppose I was expecting COH to have a bit more suspense, and storytelling, than Silmarillion. IMO it doesn't. It's just the plain facts again. That is my disappointment.

I'm about half through. I'm enjoying it quite a bit. It is very much like the Silmarillion version. In fact, I can't tell yet where there is any new stuff, or extended stuff. Maybe that's good, because nothing is glaringly out of place. But at the same time, I expected a longer, fuller tale. So in a way, I can see Stonemaybe's complaints.

There does seem to be more character moments, dialogue, etc. More getting inside Turin's head. The scene Stonemaybe had a problem with seemed fine to me. Yes it is short, but that's because it is rather abrupt. In fact, there's no way to do that scene except abruptly, due to what happens. If Turin had time to think, he wouldn't have done it. And he does spend a little while grieving over it later. That's about as far as I am--right when he goes to Nargothrond with the Elf who helped Beleg rescue him. I'll report back after I'm done.

I finished it. It's a great story. Very tragic. But you all know that. In the end, I can't really tell the difference between this version and the one we've all read before. I'll have to go back and reread the Silmarillion to know for sure. I suppose the details are more "detailed." But that's about it.

I appreciated the extra details...and absolutely loved the book. So much so that I bought the collector's edition in the slipcover. For posterity. And to satisfy my nerdish needs to own all things Tolkien, even if some are unread.

I reviewed the book on Amazon, and gave it five stars.

www.amazon.com/review/R2EOIM9VIVU7I4/re ... hisHelpful

I saw it at a bookstore, picked it up, leafed through it. I put it back down. I feel about it like I feel about everything else that Chris wrote on his own -- the same way I feel about the works of KJA and Brian Herbert set in the Dune Universe. They are abomination. What? Chris Tolkien not able to afford enough Coke with all the royalties from the estates these days?