From the Bookshelf of J.R.R. Tolkien…

The Fall of Gondolin

J.R.R. Tolkien,

Christopher Tolkien (Editor)

Start date: September 16, 2018

Finish date: December 16, 2018

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May 22, 2024 Lisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tolkien, fantasy

The Fall of Gondolin is the last of the "Great Tales of Middle-earth" edited by Christopher Tolkien to be published, following The Children of Húrin and Beren and Lúthien. These are three major stories extracted from the larger Silmarillion and presented semi-independently (after all, the stories are connect up the wider legendarium) with illustrations by Alan Lee.

To make it plain, most of the material published in The Fall of Gondolin was already published in the The History of Middle-earth ser The Fall of Gondolin is the last of the "Great Tales of Middle-earth" edited by Christopher Tolkien to be published, following The Children of Húrin and Beren and Lúthien. These are three major stories extracted from the larger Silmarillion and presented semi-independently (after all, the stories are connect up the wider legendarium) with illustrations by Alan Lee.

To make it plain, most of the material published in The Fall of Gondolin was already published in the The History of Middle-earth series. I haven't read all the relevant volumes but I have read the most relevant: The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two, which contains the only complete and uncompressed version of the story that Tolkien wrote in 1917. So I appreciated having all the material related to Tuor's arrival in Gondolin and the Fall gathered together in one volume, especially accompanied by Alan Lee's beautiful illustrations. Christopher Tolkien's approach here is to trace the development of the story, rather than trying to merge all the different versions down into one. It's a fascinating exploration though those wishing for a complete narrative fitting in with the style of The Lord of the Rings will be disappointed - but that's the nature of the material available. For me, I found myself wishing to go through my copy of The History of Middle-earth and re-read material related to the Elves of Gondolin.

It's been awhile since I've visited Middle-earth and this contained a lot of elements of the things I loved. I've been a Tolkien nerd since I was 13 and it always feels like coming home to pick up a Tolkien book. This time, home was full of melancholy. The story is, of course, the story of the destruction of a great city by the forces of evil, of course. But the broader narrative is Tolkien's own struggle and ultimately failure to complete The Silmarillion, demonstrated by the fact that the 1951 version of The Fall of Gondolin breaks off as Tuor looks upon the city for the first time and Tolkien faced the prospect that, with post-war paper shortages, The Silmarillion was unlikely to be published, much less appreciated. One wishes Tolkien could see the great love people have for his legendarium. The Fall of Gondolin is also, as I said, the last work of his father's that Christopher Tolkien worked upon before his own death. The work Christopher Tolkien faced in sorting through his father's unpublished writings, editing and preparing it for publication to share it with the world was immense and the world of a Tolkien fan is richer for it. To read the last of the books produced from his toil feels like witnessing the passing of an age.
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Oct 15, 2018 Ebster Davis rated it liked it

This book goes through four different versions of a story about a guy named Tuor and how he is sent to try and save what's pretty much the last remaining Elvish city in Middle Earth.

The first version is a sketch of the story overall: with the main character's origins and a recounting of the siege of the city. The most beautiful thing in it is the description of the city and its various districts.

The next two are basically Tolkien deciding where the main character fits in the larger narrative o This book goes through four different versions of a story about a guy named Tuor and how he is sent to try and save what's pretty much the last remaining Elvish city in Middle Earth.

The first version is a sketch of the story overall: with the main character's origins and a recounting of the siege of the city. The most beautiful thing in it is the description of the city and its various districts.

The next two are basically Tolkien deciding where the main character fits in the larger narrative of Middle Earth history. It seems like Tolkien went back and forth from wanting him to be a nobody to wanting him to have this noble lineage. (He ends up being a cousin to another of Tolkien's heroies: Turin. It would be interesting to contrast the way Tolkien chooses to characterize the two: Tuor follows the path fate laid out for him. Everything he does is blessed by Ulmo and he basically becomes an honorary elf and can do no wrong. Turin is cursed by Melko during his childhood and unknowingly plays into fate's hands by trying to assert his own destiny away from elvish influence.)

The last version is the most fleshed out, but it stops right before Tuor gets into the city with only an outline of what Tolkien wanted to write next.

The weirdest thing about this story in comparison to other Middle Earth tales is the prominence of a divine guiding hand. Most of the time it comes across like the gods aren't allowed to interfere with mortal affairs directly, but in this one we see one of them take a really active role. I'm glad Tolkien didn't do this in his other stories, because it makes the Valar really look like douchbags, and it makes for an annoyingly passive protagonist.

I really respect that Christopher Tolkien embraces the incompleteness of his father's work and makes it its own art form: dissecting the changes in the different manuscripts comparing and contrasting them. It's fascinating to follow how he makes even what seems to be the barest of sketches relevant to a tale beyond Tuor: Of a man with a vision and creativity that hungered for expression, and a beauty in his heart that was never to be fully realized.

My favorite quote from this book is:

"But the Great Sea is terrible, Tuor son of Huor, and it hates the Noldor[...] worse things it holds then to sink into the abyss and so perish: loathing, and loneliness, and madness; terror of wind and tumult and silence and shadows where all hope is lost and all living shapes pass away." (Mr Tolkien your Lovecraft is showing...)

My favorite character is Bronweg/Voronwe because at least I can imagine that guy having a personality. ...more

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