Michael’s Comments (group member since Jun 10, 2010)

Michael’s comments from the J.R.R. Tolkien group.

Here we go with the December read!

I'm getting this as a Christmas present, so won't be reading it until the 25th (unless I should stumble across it beforehand! No, no, I'll be good...I won't peek!)

Jessika wrote: "I thought the movies were kind of boring because of the huge, long, epic fight scenes, but I am enjoying the books more that I thought I would..."

Welcome, Jessika. The books are better than the films - so much more depth (though on their own terms, I do enjoy the films immensely).

Pauline Baynes

Alma wrote: "Hi, my name is Alma, I'm from Lithuania. I've discovered Tolkien after P. Jackson's movies, but since then, it seems, I can't have enough. Of all what I've read (and it's far from all) I liked The ..."

Hi Alma - thanks for joining us. I love the Silmarillion, too. It's a very rich and dense book (hmm, rather like the British government at the moment now that I think about it!).

Martina wrote: "Hello! I'm new here, but not new to Tolkien's world :D I've known for his works for about 7 years now, I think. I just love all of the stories. I'm trying to collect all the books but it's kind of ..."

Hi Martina - welcome to our little corner of Middle-earth. What have you already read? I'm sure somebody will be able to recommend to you something to expand your horizons :-)

I'm avoiding all trailers and reviews of the movie so that I can go in to see it fresh!

Finished - Christopher Tolkien has stitched together from his father's partially completed writings a very worthy addition to the stories of Middle-earth.

It's voice is somewhere between the "high tone" of the Silmarillion and the more direct, personal narrative of The Lord of the Rings, but tending more to the former. There is, therefore, a certain distance that stands between the reader and the characters that prevents me (at least) from fully empathising with their plights.

Or it may be that, despite being aware of the doom under which he was labouring, I just couldn't bring myself to particularly like Túrin. He is similar in some ways to Boromir, being high-handed and overly sure of his own opinion. But there is a humanity in Boromir that is redeeming, and that seems lacking in Túrin.

However that may be, the character of Túrin as given in the story is thoroughly consistent and the tale itself is an excellent one, only just missing 5 stars for me.

The little codicil on the tomb of Túrin and Niënor was particularly poignant.

Not long after the bit I read earlier, Túrin does, in fact, seek to cast off Morgoth's curse, and his reflections give some better insight to his character, so that's good. But still tragic - it doesn't need the Mirror of Galadriel to foresee that this will not end well!

So, I'm about half-way through and just finished "The Fall of Nargothrond", with Túrin's first encounter with Glaurung.

I'm really enjoying the story and it's great to be immersed in the world of the First Age. I'm not really taking to Túrin, though. He's certainly a tragic figure, but I'm not finding him a sympathetic one. He's arrogant, egotistical and self-centred, as a rule. He does have some leavening of compassion, but it seems small. I guess that this is Morgoth's curse working its evil, but I get no sense, at least to this point, of Túrin seeking to derail the doom laid upon him.

Just starting...

Buona fortuna con il tuo gruppo :-D

Linda and Cyon: Apologies for not welcoming you sooner (notifications don't always work, I'm afraid) - Welcome :-D

And, Christopher, welcome, also! :-D (Is that too many commas?)

I've just finished The Death of King Arthur translated by Simon Armitage, which is a very readable translation of the same source material that the new Tolkien book will cover. I'll be interested to compare the two.

Thanks :-)

"Frody Potter," hissed Dollum the house-elf, "what are you doing with that Neville Longbottom leaf? You know that Professor Dumbledalf doesn't allow smoking in the Rivendor House dormitories!"

"Shhh, Dollum!" said Frody between clenched teeth. "Me and Draco Smaugfoy are going to have a wizarding smoke -ring tournament down by the Whomping Old Man Willow. Keep quiet! I don't want Professor Snaruman of Wormtongue House to find out. He'll fine Rivendor 10 points if he catches me!"

"Hmph!" grumped Dollum, then he blurted out, "Hey, what has it got in its pocketses?"

"It's only my cloak of invisibility, Dollum. What did you think it was? A magic ring? It's not your birthday yet, you know!"

- I can't go on! I think that's enough ;-)

Welcome to the group, David :-)

Pallavi wrote: "OH.MY.GOD!!"

Ha, ha!! That was my reaction :-D

The Fall of Arthur is now listed (or at least I've now found it) on Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Fall-Arth...

Publication Date: 23 May 2013 - That's going to be a long wait!

The book description says that it's been edited by Christopher Tolkien, who has also contributed three essays.

And here it is for pre-order on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Arthur-Del...

Doesn't appear to be on Amazon UK yet, but doubtless will filter through to us and other territories in due course.

Here's another, more recent, article from the Tolkien Gateway: http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Fa...

Many thanks to Neil for drawing my attention to this incredible announcement on The One Ring Net: The Fall of Arthur will be a new book by Tolkien!.

The announcement is a few months old, so some of you may already be aware, but it was news to me!

Early days yet, and it remains to be seen just how much is by the good Professor and how much by editors. However, Tolkien and King Arthur is my dream team, so I'm prepared to get over excited as the publication date looms :-D