The Fall of Gondolin (JRR Tolkien)

Tuor, cousin of Túrin, is given a task by Ulmo, Lord of Waters, in the Elder Days. With a faithful companion, Voronwë, to show the way, Tuor must journey to the hidden Elvish city of Gondolin, and counsel its ruler, Turgon, in how to defeat the evil Morgoth. Turgon spurns Tuor's advice, and Tuor settles down to a life of ease in the beautiful stronghold. Years later, treachery from within exposes the secrets of the city, and Morgoth's army (full of Balrogs, dragons, and Orcs) is soon on the move to destroy this last bastion of hope. Gondolin will fall, but hope will survive, as Tuor's son is one of the few escapees- a young boy named Eärendil.

Outside of The Silmarillion, this is one of three tales of the Elder Days (the other two being Beren and Luthien and The Children of Húrin). In The Fall of Gondolin, Christopher Tolkien presents four primary versions of the abandoned tale, plus some related material, as found among his father's many writings. The four main versions:

- The Original Tale (1916; 75 pages)

- The story told in the Sketch of the Mythology (1926; 8 pages)

- The story told in the Quenta Noldorinwa (1930; 17 pages)

- The Last Version (1951; 58 pages)

He concludes by discussing the evolution of the tale, compares/contrasts the versions, and adds background on likely reasons why the tale was abandoned.

Breaking down the tale into its main components (1. origin of Tuor, 2. his journey to Gondolin, 3. his abiding in the same, 4. the battle and fall of city, 5. the subsequent escape of a remnant, and 6. what happens next), only the last version covers 1 and 2 in any depth; the original tale covers 3-5 in the most detail, and the two condensed versions say more about 6 than any other. 

Of them all, the last version appears to have been started as the definitive version, but breaks off right as Tuor arrives in Gondolin. Per Christopher: "My father did indeed abandon this essential . . . form and treatment of the legend . . . for me it is perhaps the most grievous of his many abandonments." Why did the elder Tolkien do so? It appears, based on provided letters, that he was exhausted and disheartened. Remember the year was 1950. It was post-war, and Britain was still recovering from the ravages and rationing of World War II. It was costly to get anything printed, and the publisher felt The Lord of the Rings would be the most accessible/publishable of Tolkien's works. (That would be released in 1954.) But Tolkien's heart felt that The Silmarillion was an inescapable part of the entire tome, and was depressed by the reluctance to accept the 'high style' of that (and his other) writings. (The Silmarillion would eventually be published in 1977.)

Overall, I liked the story. My only wish was that Tolkien had been able to produce the one definitive version in his lifetime. Each version (and the related writings) conatins some interesting details or plot points that were condensed, changed, or omitted in the others; taken together, it would have been excellent. As it stands, the reader is left to piece together, with Christopher's research and insights, what might have been. 

Rating: A-