The Book of Lost Tales, Part One (The History of Middle-Earth, #1)

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The Book of Lost Tales, Part One (The History of Middle-earth #1)

by J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (Editor)

3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 · rating details · 5,796 ratings · 122 reviews

THE BOOK OF LOST TALES, I, stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor. Here is the whole, glorious history of Middle-earth that J.R.R. Tolkien brought to mythic and dramatic life with his classic fantasy novels of the Ring Cycle.

Library Binding, 345 pages

Published April 22nd 1992 by Del Rey (first published 1983)

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Nov 14, 2012 Terry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: that-northern-thing, fantasy, tolkien

3.5 stars

My first attempt to read _The Book of Lost Tales_ was made way too early in my life and made certain that my response was to put it on the shelf and decide that all of this background stuff, especially taken from this early phase in Tolkien’s life as a writer, was way too different from the Middle-Earth stories that I loved for me to waste any time on it. Looking at where the book mark from my first attempt still sat when I picked it up again, I noticed that I didn’t even get much beyon...more 3.5 stars

My first attempt to read _The Book of Lost Tales_ was made way too early in my life and made certain that my response was to put it on the shelf and decide that all of this background stuff, especially taken from this early phase in Tolkien’s life as a writer, was way too different from the Middle-Earth stories that I loved for me to waste any time on it. Looking at where the book mark from my first attempt still sat when I picked it up again, I noticed that I didn’t even get much beyond the first several pages of the introductory chapter “The Cottage of Lost Play”. I remember thinking that it was just altogether too twee for me, what with the Eldar of Middle-Earth still being referred to as ‘faeries’ and the, to me, bizarre structure of a wanderer coming to a tiny cottage (bigger on the inside than the outside) peopled by dancing and singing children and adults who primarily sat around telling tales and reciting pretty mediocre poetry. It wasn’t really Middle-Earth now was it? Well, at the time I put down the volume and decided that I’d stick with the ‘real’ stuff of LotR, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion and that, as they say, was that for probably about two and a half decades. Then it came about that I discovered my greatest love vis a vis Tolkien’s work was growing to be the posthumously published The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth, both of which contained some of the most beautiful and powerful of Tolkien’s writing. I looked at the corpus of ‘The History of Middle Earth’ with something of a new eye and decided that I might just dip into it and see what it was like. I consciously chose to first read those volumes that dealt with the matter of the First and Second ages of Middle-Earth and were latest in the chronology of composition thus presumably assuring that I was coming across ideas and stories that were closer in tone and content to the ones with which I was so familiar and that thrilled me with their mythic reverberations. I ended up loving what I found in Morgoth's Ring and The War of the Jewels and decided that maybe this huge work undertaken by Christopher Tolkien to present the works of his father in toto wasn’t an altogether bad idea after all (especially given my hunger for more material regarding the tales as told in The Silmarillion).

So now I find myself re-embarking on the journey from the beginning and tackling the very Book of Lost Tales (part one) that defeated me in my youth. I’m glad I came back. Pushing through past the point in the first chapter beyond which I never made it before I actually found a fair bit to like, even though it wasn’t the undiluted Middle-Earth vintage I had initially wanted. I was actually reminded a bit of William Morris’ medieval romances that so influenced Tolkien as I read about the journey of Eriol the mariner upon the Isle of Tol Eressëa and once the tales themselves began to be told I saw that there was a surprising amount of coherence between these earliest versions of the myths of Middle-Earth with what eventually came to be published in The Sil. The differences themselves were intriguing and I found as the chapters sped on the framing device didn’t bother me half as much as once it had. I will readily admit that much of the poetry in this volume leaves something to be desired. I am not one of those readers of Tolkien that skips over the poems, and I think that many of them are quite beautiful (esp. Bilbo’s poem of Eärendil sung in Rivendell), but the early ones showcased in this volume are not really my cup of tea (though one can certainly see Tolkien’s word-craft in them improving as time went on). The Cottage of Lost Play itself took on greater interest as well as I started to see some parallels between it and the ultimate development of Elrond’s house of Rivendell as “a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all’. Merely to be there was a cure for weariness, fear, and sadness.”

Eriol the mariner, a man from medieval England who has found his way to the magical isles of the west, sits in this pleasant house and has recounted to him many of the tales of the elder days when the Elves were alone in Middle-Earth, or mankind just arising from their ages long slumber. All of these tales are ones that a reader of The Silmarillion will already be familiar with: the creation myth of the Music of the Ainur, the building of Valinor and creation of the Two Trees of Light, the battles against Melkor (here named Melko) and his initial imprisonment, the coming of the Elves to the blessed lands and their ultimate rebellion and return to Middle-Earth in pursuit of Melko, and the myth of the creation of the sun and moon upon the death of the two trees. Some of these are not very far from the more final versions that were presented in The Silmarillion, while others display drastic differences (such as the expanded legend of the sun and moon, the extensive bits that deal with cosmology and the make-up of the world, and the inclusion of Valar who mate and even include in their number some gods of war), but it is very safe to say that unless you have a deep and abiding love for Middle-Earth, and especially tales of the elder days, you probably won’t get much out of this book. I would agree with those who claim this is really only for aficionados of Tolkien’s tales who want more and who are interested in seeing the development of his mythology. It is indeed a fascinating peek over the shoulder of Tolkien as he writes his tales and we finally start to get a glimpse of the sheer magnitude of the effort that his son expended simply in producing from the jumble of inter-related texts about the legends of the Elves a volume as slim and relatively cohesive as The Silmarillion.

I’m looking forward to tackling Book II of the lost tales and proceeding with the history of Middle-Earth texts at least up to volume 5 to continue to get my fix and maybe even get a taste of some legends of the elder days that I haven’t already experienced in another form. Recommended for hard-core Tolkien fans who don’t mind critical apparatus and multiple versions of tales.(less)

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Apr 08, 2013 Steve Cran rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The History of the Middle Earth was put together by Christopher Tolkien, JRR's son. The effort involved sifting through his fathers notes and organizing them, which in itself is a difficult task. Oft time names were changed from story to story and Christopher had to decipher outlines and light pencil markings. In many a case we have just outlines and scant poems thrown around. But this is the backstory to the Simarrilion. This is where Middle Earth according to Tolkien was created. The story lin...more The History of the Middle Earth was put together by Christopher Tolkien, JRR's son. The effort involved sifting through his fathers notes and organizing them, which in itself is a difficult task. Oft time names were changed from story to story and Christopher had to decipher outlines and light pencil markings. In many a case we have just outlines and scant poems thrown around. But this is the backstory to the Simarrilion. This is where Middle Earth according to Tolkien was created. The story line that comes out of this work is the same as that of Simarillion save that you will notice that names are different and there are multiple versions of the stories told. Look at the Simarrillion as the finished product. Bear in mind that as I give you the summary I will not remember most of the names the language is difficult to work with. More over I wish to add in that at the end of each tale Christopher Tolkien included some notes. This at times helped clarify things and at other times it was rather confusing to read.

Eriol, who was touched by the light of Earendel, is touched with a penchant for wandering. His marine adventures land him on the Lost Isle of Tol Erresea. While sojourning there he ends up befriending a goodly number of Elven folk. Going through the town he comes to the capital city of Kothirion which is named after the city of Kor in Valinor. It is there that Eriol comes to the Cottage of Lost play. To enter he must allow himself to become smaller. The Cottage is host to nightly gathering and revelry of story telling. Vaire and Lindo the hosts tell Eriol the history of the Middle Earth like his human ears have never heard before. Rumil tells him even more stories. At one point Eriol wishes to drink of the "Limpe" an elven drink that will give him elven immortality. but first he must hear from Queen Meril. To drink the Limpe is to side with elves until the end of time even if it means going against humans. Eriol becomes hesitant.

In the beginning Illuvatar created the Ainur and the rest of the universe by making music. Once the Ainur were created they were inputted a story and taught to make music. They make music and create the universe with Illuvatar. Illuvatar makes mansions and dwelling in the astral level for the ainur, but lurking in the outer reaches corrupting everything is Melkor.
Illuvatr though is able to counter Melkor. Eventually the Ainur stop making music and see the world they have created. It arda. Melkor with is dark designs goes down the arda in order to corrupt it. Several ainur choose to descend to Arada despite Illuvatar's not wanting them to. They descend.

They explore this twilight world and end up creating the Island of Valinor. This is done to give the Valar a home and as a defense against Melkor. As Melkor corrupts the planet with destructing and foul created beings. The Valar confront him. Tulkas a mighty warrior does not trust him, There is not fight at this point but Melkor is wily. He agree to taking Holy light and creating two poles of if to light up the Arda. Later when the Valar have crafted their hall, Melkor destroy the light. What is left is gather into two fountain called Kullkillion and Talimpe. From these two trees grow, called Laurelin Talpion. Gold and silver light they give off. Melkor still continues with his reign of destruction. This leads to a conflict where in Manwe and Tulkas fight and deceive Melkor. They chain him up for a period time and leave him in the Halls of Mando. (Sounds like the Loki story)

With the birth of the elves the Valar are happy. Simultaneously the Valar send someone to lead the first emissaries to Valinor. the three elves go back and Orome leads them through the Great Land to the shores of the West were Ulmo transports them on an island (which Tol Erresea). THe three families of elves are brought over. Some do get lost in the Great lands. At the same time Melkor is unchained a bit early and is put into the service of Tulkas. There are three families of elves the Noldori,Solimposi and the Teleri. The Teleri will learn poetry from Manwe, the Noldori will learn smithcrafting from Aule and the Solimposi become music makers on the shores.

Tol Erressea used to be Ose's island. Ose is a servant of Ulmo, the sea lord. When Ose anchors the Tol Erresea to the sea floor and stopping it's use this develops a mini feud. Some Solimposi remain on the island and play music with sea shells. Ose also teaches them how to ride swans and how to build ships. Ulmo uses this later to lead them to Valinor.

Unchaining Melkor might not have been such a great idea. he made some nasty friends down in Mandos and while in valinor he is prone to spreading vicious lies. He turns the Noldori and the Valar against each other. During a celebration Melkor and Ungoliant, a giant spider from the south, steal into Valinor and kill the two trees. Ungoliant drink the light from them. The silmarillion are also stolen. The Noldori are angry, under the leadership of feanor they head to Middle Earth, stealing ship from the Solimposi they flee Valinor.

The further tales recount the creation of the sun and moon and the concealment of Valinor. The book finishes off with the battle of tears. A battle where men and Avari elves goe against Melkor. The men learn to speak from an elf named Nuin. For those hard core Tolkien fans this book is a must read. I liked the Simarrillion better but this gives you the inside look at a subcreated universe. (less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Dru rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This will be my 12-volume write-up of the entire series "The History of Middle Earth".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This series is ONLY for the hardcore Tolkien fanatic. Predominantly written by
JRR's son, based on JRR's notes on the creation of The Silmarilion and
The Lord of the Rings (much less on The Hobbit). It is somewhat interesting to
see the evolution of the story (for example, "Strider" was originally conceived as
a Hobbit (one of tho...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Jay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion many times since I was a teen, as well as Tolkien's papers, letters, and biographies, I decided it was time to go the last mile and read his son Christopher's annotated compilation of the Professor's earlier drafts. BoLT/I is the first of the five-volume collection. It covers topics familiar to anyone who has read The Silmarillion--the creation of the world, the making of Valinor, the Valars' conflict with Melkor, the Awakening...more

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Dec 18, 2010 Nicholas Whyte rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1581275.html

The Book of Lost Tales was published in 1983, interpreted from a series of longhand notebooks started by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1917, as later interpreted by his son Christopher. Tolkien's series of linked short stories were written in his spare time from his academic career and family obligations; once he decided to abandon the Lost Tales and start over, he probably did not expect that they would ever see the light of day - this is essentially a private set...more

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Mar 29, 2010 Neha rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: half-read, read-in-2009, kwench

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 29, 2012 Clay rated it 3 of 5 stars

I has been 15 years or more since I read this and all the Histories of Middle Earth that had been published up to that point, I think up to around Volume X. I don't remember specifically what is in each book but all together they were interesting. I wouldn't recommend it to a casual fan of fantasy, you really need to be a 13 year old kid who cannot get enough information about the Blue Istari, Tom Bombadil, the sundering of the seas, the meetings of the White Council, Morgoth then known as Melko...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Art Noose rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: die-hard Tolkein fans

I had thought that this book was a bunch of stories in the Tolkien mythology that had never been published. It was only after picking this book up at the library that I discovered what it actually is. After his father died, Christopher Tolkien first compiled, edited, and published The Silmarillion and then later made this twelve volume (yes, twelve!) set of what is essentially all of his father's unpublished and generally unfinished writings.

This first book is what eventually was rewritten as T...more

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Jan 05, 2011 RE de Leon rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: only the hardcore Tolkienite.

Shelves: jrr-tolkien, mythology, mythopoeia, posthumous-publication

The degree to which you enjoy this book will depend on exactly how much you like Tolkien. Unlike The Silmarillion, this piece, as with the rest of the books in these series, is comprised of fragments of text cobbled together by JRR Tolkien's son Christopher, with Christopher's notes on the evolution of the material. It will give you insight into Tolkien's process of writing. And it will show you the various directions Tolkien was headed in whilst writing the Silmarillion. And yes, there is great...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Iain rated it 2 of 5 stars

The new movie of The Hobbit got me interested in the history and development of Tolkien's fictional world; I didn't want to see the movie so I picked up this book instead. It mostly satisfied my itch for Tolkien nerdery, but wasn't engaging or insightful enough to tempt me to plough through the whole 12-book series.

Each chapter follows roughly the same pattern:
1) a brief note from Christopher Tolkien explaining where he found the material;
2) a draft of a JRR Tolkien piece, sometimes with a poem...more

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Dec 17, 2012 John Caneday rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

The Book of Lost Tales: Part One is essentially an early draft of the first portion of The Silmarillion with Christopher Tolkien's commentary on it. The tale has definitely evolved from its original inception, though many key elements remain.

Those that really enjoyed the first part of The Silmarillion--the creation of Arda, the awakening of the elves, the early history of Melkor, and the creation of the sun and moon will find much more about these tales in this volume.

The book is surely valuab...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Nathan rated it 3 of 5 stars

As much as I love delving into Tolkien's prose, I admit that not all of his work is for everyone. I think anyone who loved Lord of the Rings but disliked the Silmarillion with certainly hate Book of Lost Tales. To me, though, it is a fascinating collection looking at the early formations of the professor's stories, the foundations of middle earth. But then I love reading history, even fictional history, and don't necessarily need a relatable central character to pull me into the narrative. Anyon...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, classic, fiction

I've only read one other History of Middle-earth volume, although the set has been on my "to read" list for decades. I finally read The Book of Lost Tales part 1. It provides background on the tales that went on to become the Simarillion. I am not a fan of the Silmarillion; I agree with the person who said it's like reading a phone book written in Elvish. Although I was not bored by the background, I was not fascinated either. I'm one of those readers (obviously) who is happy to enjoy the brilli...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Cathy Holford rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: j-r-r-tolkien

This book is not for those that want to read a tale like the Lord of the Rings series, but more for those who want to see some of the background. These notes are early ideas for the history of Middle Earth and though there might similarities in some places between what is presented here and in the Silmarillion, there was much that changed and evolved. So along with the tales, we are presented a lot of background material that is not always easy to get into. Being obsessive-compulsive, I needed t...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Tori rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you are even a little bit curious about the history of Middle Earth, this is an essential volume. This, along with part 2, elucidate some of the more obscure mythological beginnings of Arda. The commentary section at the end of each 'chapter' is very enlightening both linguistically and in terms of the development of certain motifs that crop up in Tolkien's works.
I would suggest reading this after The Silmarillion (which is considered the polished product of the tales in these volumes). It ma...more

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May 13, 2013 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

What can I say? I freely admit that my two passes through the Silmarillion left me wanting for more.

I found the analysis fairly interesting, but must confess that I was constantly just hoping for longer passages of uninterrupted story. Changes in names and between races and major plot points were confusing, as was to be expected - but it seems as though how the story played itself out by the time it reached the Silmarillion was superior in almost all instances.

One critique would be that the boo...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Nesrine Muhammad rated it 4 of 5 stars

Warning: If you're not a die hard Tolkien fan, do not read this, you'll find it a tough read, even more than The Silmarillion.
However, it is really important and worth it for hardcore Tolkien fanatic like myself, not only does it show the creation of Arda or the early drafts of The Silmarillion but it also allows you to know how Tolkien's head has worked! how he developed his characters and myths, and what a joy this is!!
I'd safely say that The Book of Lost Tales and maybe the whole Middle-Earth...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tolkien-in-2013

I'm not gonna lie, this was a slog in places. Tolkien can be difficult to read when he's organized and edited, but trying to get through so much plot that is contradictory to itself and without any consistency as far as names and such go is sometimes like wading through treacle. Very beautiful, very interesting treacle.
I started reading it and then quickly realized I needed some help keeping everything straight in my head, so I ended up reading it chapter for chapter in conjunction with the Silm...more

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May 12, 2013 Bettielee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: epic-fantasy

I’m sorry. I’m starting with a major rant. After a few of the tales, I quit reading the notes. As usual with these Lord of the Ring Prequels, the editors and compilers abandoned their job for a painful obsession with minutiae. Christopher Tolkien treats Middle Earth like a history subject instead of a world filled with stories. I hate to tell him this, but his father, besides being a professor and creator of an amazing world was a STORYTELLER. Christopher Tolkien doesn’t give a flying frak about...more I’m sorry. I’m starting with a major rant. After a few of the tales, I quit reading the notes. As usual with these Lord of the Ring Prequels, the editors and compilers abandoned their job for a painful obsession with minutiae. Christopher Tolkien treats Middle Earth like a history subject instead of a world filled with stories. I hate to tell him this, but his father, besides being a professor and creator of an amazing world was a STORYTELLER. Christopher Tolkien doesn’t give a flying frak about storytelling. He interrupts the beginning and middle spot between tales to tell us how they were connected, what kind of a notebook they were written in and all abut the original form of the story before J.R.R. Tolkien revised them – known as the first draft, and totally unnecessary to present to the reader.

On the tales themselves. We meet our main character, Eriol, who is traveling in Tol Erresea, the land of the elves. Did you know Tolkien originally called them gnomes? Eriol comes across the Cottage of Lost Play – the singular best name ever given to a house. Even better the Wellinghome (Treebird’s house) or even “the last homely house east of the sea” – which is more of a description than the actual name, but Imladris or Rivendell might be a better name… anyway. He meets all kinds of magical folk and hears the stories of the creation of the Ainur, a few of whom became known as the Valar (who became like gods) when they went to Valinor (kind of the garden of Eden) on Earth (our planet) after Iluvatar (THE God) creates it. The gods bop around for awhile, mucking around with the raw materials Iluvatar has left them, and trying to overcome the treacheries of Melko (a fallen Ainur who is pretty much like Satan) Then come the awakening of the elves, and long after, men. After awhile, Eriol wants to drink the magic drink, limpe and stay with them forever. He is told to be patient, to wait. That he has not been among them long enough to make that decision. He needs to hear the long sad tale of the darkening of Valinor and the decline of the elves.

The story gets sadder from there. For all their beauty and ability, the elves are doomed, as we know from Lord of the Rings. The coming of men only muddies the waters further. There is more treachery, kinslaying, jewel-stealing, love, death, etc. I really enjoyed the tales, but I strongly suggest you either don’t read the notes after the stories, or just skim them. Reading them is like trying to learn German while hearing nothing but French. And you only speak English.

A much longer review on my book blog: http://bettieleetwo.wordpress.com/201...(less)

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Apr 21, 2013 Lynette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, 2013

Finally got through Book One. On to Book Two!

I enjoyed the academic nature of this book. It's definitely not an easy read - it took me three months to get through it! If you're expecting straight-up short stories, or something entirely new, this is not the book for you. These are Tolkien's original writings, many of which ended up in The Silmarillion in modified forms. Christopher Tolkien's commentary is very interesting, and I loved reading it (the last time I read this I skipped it all; I'm so...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Nicole R rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: hard-core tolkien fans; anyone who wants to see the evolution of tolkien's work

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, mythology, 2011

I thought I’d give this book a try since I love both The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and wanted to get some of the backstory.

This book isn’t what I expected. In fact, the book was far different than what I thought it would be. I expected some of the folklore and mythology of Middle Earth, which it was, at least to an extend. However, the “lost tales” were compiled by Tolkien’s son Christopher, who tried to make sense of the notes that his father left behind.

Each chapter is one of the lost ta...more I thought I’d give this book a try since I love both The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and wanted to get some of the backstory.

This book isn’t what I expected. In fact, the book was far different than what I thought it would be. I expected some of the folklore and mythology of Middle Earth, which it was, at least to an extend. However, the “lost tales” were compiled by Tolkien’s son Christopher, who tried to make sense of the notes that his father left behind.

Each chapter is one of the lost tales, which are immediately followed by notes and commentary by Christopher. It definitely shows the evolution of Tolkien’s work, as Christopher often shows several drafts of each tale.

It was hard for me to get into, and hard to get through it- I was only able to get though one chapter at a time. It was interesting to see the evolution of Tolkien’s work and how it changed, plus seeing Christopher explain his father’s notes was interesting. Unfortunately, I don’t remember a lot of it, but at least I gave it a try. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who’s really into Tolkien (and anyone who liked the Silmarillion), but if you liked Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, you might not like it. If you want to give it a try, though, keep in mind that it shows the evolution of the stories that make up the backstory of Middle Earth.

If I had to pick a favorite/memorable chapter, it would definitely be the coming of the elves. Honestly, it was the one that stood out the most, and the one that I remember the most from. I think I’ll try reading the second volume now that I know what to expect- assuming that it’s similar to this one, which seems likely. Maybe I’ll try to take notes in order to help myself keep up with all the different characters.

There is an appendix with all the different names- I only flipped through it, but it appeared to be about the origins of the different names, and quite frankly, I could care less about the etymology. However, it is clear that Tolkien obviously put a lot of thought into the world of Middle Earth, and into naming everything.

I give it a 2.5 out of 5. Interesting book, but not really my cup of tea.(less)

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Oct 26, 2010 Isil rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans du Silmarillion

Shelves: angleterre, fantasy, xxe

The History of Middle-earth (souvent abrégé en HoMe) ou Histoire de la Terre du Milieu est une collection de douze volumes regroupant les premiers textes de Tolkien, commentées par son fils et éditeur Christopher Tolkien.

Les deux premiers tomes, The Book of lost tales (Le livre des Contes perdus), sont consacrés à l’histoire du Premier Âge des Grandes Terres (qui deviendront finalement la fameuse Middle-earth, la Terre du Milieu). C’est à partir des dernières réécritures de ces ébauches que sera...more The History of Middle-earth (souvent abrégé en HoMe) ou Histoire de la Terre du Milieu est une collection de douze volumes regroupant les premiers textes de Tolkien, commentées par son fils et éditeur Christopher Tolkien.

Les deux premiers tomes, The Book of lost tales (Le livre des Contes perdus), sont consacrés à l’histoire du Premier Âge des Grandes Terres (qui deviendront finalement la fameuse Middle-earth, la Terre du Milieu). C’est à partir des dernières réécritures de ces ébauches que sera compilé le Silmarillion (il faut se rappeler que Le Silmarillion a été composé après la mort de Tolkien à partir de textes épars). Ces ébauches sont agrémentées des analyses de Christopher Tolkien.

Dans cette première partie du Livre des Contes Perdus on voit la première volonté de Tolkien qui était de placer résolument son histoire dans le monde de la vieille Angleterre puisque tout part sur l’arrivée d’un marin au nom anglo-saxon à Tol Eressëa où des Elfes vont lui conter la création du monde, l’arrivée des Valar en Arda et tous les événements qui suivent jusqu’à la fuite des Elfes de Valinor. L’intérêt du livre est donc de comparer des versions primitives avec Le Silmarillion. Ainsi, certains textes sont abandonnés, comme le point de départ du Livre des Contes Perdus, le voyage d’Eriol, certains récits sont plus détaillés que dans Le Silmarillion, comme la création de la Lune et du Soleil, ou la présentation des Valar (les plus guerriers d'entre eux vont même disparaitre) tandis que d’autres récits sont beaucoup plus concis.

J’ai pris un très grand plaisir à cette lecture. Au début, ce n’est pas toujours simple à lire, à cause du style volontairement très archaïque des premiers textes (avec inversions de sujets et formes anciennes aujourd’hui disparues systématiques), ce qui rend les tous premiers poèmes assez pesants. Certains termes sont particulièrement déroutants également. Ainsi, le mot "Gnome" désignant certains Elfes est particulièrement dérangeant même si dans l'esprit de Tolkien, cela se rapportait au terme grec "gnosis", la connaissance. Il en avait lui même conscience puisqu'il a plus tard abandonné cette idée.

A la lecture de ce document précieux, il est surprenant de voir que, si formellement, Tolkien a beaucoup évolué, le matériau de base était là dès le début. C’est là qu’on remarque à quel point, ce qui intéressait le plus Tolkien, c’était le langage. Dans ses grandes lignes, les histoires restent les mêmes (étrangement, c’est la plus importante, celle des Silmarils qui a le plus évolué car au début, les Silmarils eux-mêmes étaient presque accessoires) et ne font que se développer ou être abandonnées. En revanche, les noms inventés changent et évoluent énormément.

Bien sûr, ces textes s’adressent uniquement à ceux qui ont aimé Le Silmarillion et qui sont curieux de connaître le cheminement qui a conduit Tolkien à composer son univers fabuleux. La forme de compilation interrompue par des commentaires et des notes ne plaira pas à celui qui a simplement pris plaisir à lire le Seigneur des Anneaux. En revanche, c'est intéressant pour tout passionné de Tolkien dans la mesure où c’est l’œuvre d’une vie qui défile sous les yeux du lecteur car Tolkien pouvait reprendre un texte encore et encore sur plusieurs décennies. Les textes d’analyse de Christopher Tolkien, à la fin de chaque partie, sont souvent pertinents et assez courts pour ne pas ennuyer. On y apprend des détails intéressants comme les sources d'inspiration (par exemple, que Kortirion est basée sur la ville réelle de Warwick).(less)

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Jan 21, 2010 Dave Mosher rated it 3 of 5 stars

Don't pick this up unless you were very bummed about finishing the Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, the Silmarillion, and other greats -- and are craving more. So much that you're willing to essentially sit back in a college-level literary analysis course.

The stories are magical, and definitely "Tolkienesque", but at times it can be a tough read.

That's primarily because most of what Christopher Tolkien (J.R.R.'s son) used to put this -- not to mention the rest of the History of Middle-Earth series...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Legolas Greenleaf rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Tolkien fans

If you wanted to know how things came about in Middle Earth and the Undying Lands, this is a wonderful book to have for informational reference. From tales about the chaining of Melko ('Melko' was the original name, but it seems few people know that - perhaps they didn't read the book ;) ), to the coming of the Eldar, and the awakening of Men, the stories in this book are essential to fully understand the beginnings of Tolkien's world.

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Mar 03, 2012 John rated it 1 of 5 stars

I read The Silmarillion before I tried to read this. It is like reading the first draft of the Silmarillion which essentially it is. Don't bother with this, just read Silmarillion to get all the same information. The only value this has comes in the form of the excerpts written by Christopher Tolkien but after one or two of them you can't remember what you are reading as you read it. Leave it on the shelf, don't even ask to borrow it.

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Mar 16, 2013 Felipe Guerrero rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Acabo de terminar de leer este libro y me llevo un muy buen sabor de boca.

El libro es un recopilado de cuentos que escribió Tolkien, Se podría decir que un solo cuento. Es la historia de un hombre llamado Eriol, un navegante, que por casualidad llega, en sus viajes, a una cabaña llamada LA CABAÑA DEL JUEGO PERDIDO. En esta cabaña viven algunos elfos y algunos de ellos le cuentan a Eriol todos sobre la creación del mundo, los dioses y el despertar de hombres y elfos.

Un libro muy ilustrativo lleno...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Christie Bradley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For serious Tolkien fans, this is a must-read. For those who only liked the movies, this is not the book for you! Christopher Tolkien's scholarly approach is sometimes meticulous to the point of tedious, but I'm sure we all appreciate his care to present his father's work accurately and in context. I was left in even greater awe of Tolkien's genius and immediately began reading The Book of Lost Tales Vol. II.

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May 11, 2009 Gavin rated it 1 of 5 stars

Barely worth reading, even if I did struggle through this and part 2. Too much Tolkien Jnr., who in my not so very humble opinion couldn't write himself out of a box, and not enough Tolkien Snr., who could.

I went no further in the books cobbled together by Tolkien Jnr. after volume 2 of The Book of Lost Tales. I never intend to do so. Save your money.

If you must read them either borrow them or steal them.

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Oct 23, 2012 Leonardo rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-narrativa, 01-libri

Il volume riporta le prime versioni del corpus di racconti e leggende che andranno poi a costituire la prima parte del Silmarillion, dalla nascita del mondo al risveglio degli Uomini. Apprezzabile lo sforzo del figlio per darlo alle stampe, dovendosi orientare tra appunti e manoscritti a lapis, ma il contenuto è per sua stessa natura estremamente acerbo e ben poco integrabile con il mondo del Signore degli Anelli e con il cosidetto canone della Terra di Mezzo. La visione è in generale più fanciu...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Jim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

Pretty much what the Book of Genesis would say if it were written about Tolkien's Middle Earth. Religious skeptics point out that on the first day The Lord said "Let there be light." And on the fourth day He created the Sun and the Moon. Where was the light coming from on the first three days? There's no need to ask if you're talking about Middle Earth. This book spells out that story in great detail. If you're looking for Hobbits, forget it. Christopher's books are for Tolkien scholars only. Th...more

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About J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE, was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the high fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings .

Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford from 1925 to 1945, and Merton Professor of English language and literature from 1945 to 1959. He was a close friend of C.S. Lewis.

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Books by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)

The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)

The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)

The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3)

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