Beren and Luthien are in love, but of different stock. As man and elf, their relationship is opposed by Luthien's father, who demands Beren do the impossible for her hand: obtain a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth, the dark lord. Beren will do- and give- anything for his love; but can he possibly succeed?
This book is a collection of variations on the unfinished story of Beren and Luthien by the man who brought us The Lord of the Rings. Edited by his son, it shows "how it evolved in prose and verse over twenty years from the original Tale of Tinuviel." The original is shown, then several others, varying in length, presentation (prose vs. poetry), and content (their races, adventures, names, and fates might change in each telling). I enjoyed the original the best (perhaps because it set the standard), but the poetry was quite good (and impressive in length/scope) too. And in this version, Alan Lee produces wonderful art that complements the story beautifully.
I had one observation while reading this: How did Tolkien have time for a job, or life of any kind? The man apparently wrote so many versions of just this one story, spending time on it over decades, that I can't imagine he did much else when you consider the other tales he produced. He created a universe and spent his life thinking over it, developing it, planning languages for it, etc. His son agrees, as he states that his father, based on the fragments he left, "was drawing down into a brief compendious history what he could also see in far more detailed, immediate, and dramatic form."
I really like the universe Tolkien created, and The Lord of the Rings remains one of my favorite stories. But part of their power is in the impression of depth they create, which requires a certain distance be maintained for full enjoyment. So this was a nice collection- and his son did a great job editing this- but it's too much detail for me.
Rating: B
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