Post by Fredeghar Wayfarer on May 28, 2013 0:11:26 GMT -6
I just finished reading the new Tolkien book The Fall of Arthur (yes, I know it just came out a few days ago. Don't judge me! ). As a huge fan of both Tolkien and Arthurian legend, I was very excited for this book. I wanted to get some discussion going and see what others think about it.
The poem itself does not disappoint, other than the fact that it's unfinished. The Old English meter has a nice rhythm and flows very well. It was fun to see Tolkien's take on many of the classic moments of the story. The image of Lancelot staring wistfully over the sea, sundered from both his king and his beloved, was very powerful. Tolkien's Guinevere was different than I expected. She's portrayed as a very perilous lady, "fair as fay-woman" and just as dangerous. The language makes it seem like she's being blamed for seducing Lancelot from his otherwise virtuous nature (personally I think they're both to blame). Arthur's campaign on the continent against the Saxons and barbarians was exciting. It must have been odd for Tolkien to write this kind of story. The Anglo-Saxon peoples that he so admired and viewed as his English ancestors are the bad guys in Arthur's time!
My only major criticism is that to call this a book by J.R.R. Tolkien is a bit misleading. There are only about 60-some pages of text by Tolkien plus assorted excerpts. The rest is all commentary and analysis by Christopher Tolkien. It's interesting stuff but, more so than many of the Christopher-edited books, this feels like cashing in on his father's name.
Like I said though, the analysis is interesting if Arthurian literature is your thing. There's an examination of how Tolkien's version compares to other works of Arthurian legend. There's a chapter that links Tolkien's poem to aspects of The Silmarillion. Christopher compares his father's conception of Avalon to Tol Eressea and argues that they may be the same in Tolkien's mind. That would be pretty cool -- Arthur being taken to the Lonely Isle of the Elves. There are also references in the poem to Mirkwood, in the Old English sense of a dark border forest. The last chapter examines how the poem evolved through different versions and drafts but I found this a little dry and tedious.
Overall, I enjoyed the book because I love the King Arthur legends. But if you're strictly a Tolkien fan and are craving new material by your favorite author, be forewarned that there's much more of the son in this book than the father.
That's my slightly rambling review. Did anyone else buy the book? Any thoughts?
The poem itself does not disappoint, other than the fact that it's unfinished. The Old English meter has a nice rhythm and flows very well. It was fun to see Tolkien's take on many of the classic moments of the story. The image of Lancelot staring wistfully over the sea, sundered from both his king and his beloved, was very powerful. Tolkien's Guinevere was different than I expected. She's portrayed as a very perilous lady, "fair as fay-woman" and just as dangerous. The language makes it seem like she's being blamed for seducing Lancelot from his otherwise virtuous nature (personally I think they're both to blame). Arthur's campaign on the continent against the Saxons and barbarians was exciting. It must have been odd for Tolkien to write this kind of story. The Anglo-Saxon peoples that he so admired and viewed as his English ancestors are the bad guys in Arthur's time!
My only major criticism is that to call this a book by J.R.R. Tolkien is a bit misleading. There are only about 60-some pages of text by Tolkien plus assorted excerpts. The rest is all commentary and analysis by Christopher Tolkien. It's interesting stuff but, more so than many of the Christopher-edited books, this feels like cashing in on his father's name.
Like I said though, the analysis is interesting if Arthurian literature is your thing. There's an examination of how Tolkien's version compares to other works of Arthurian legend. There's a chapter that links Tolkien's poem to aspects of The Silmarillion. Christopher compares his father's conception of Avalon to Tol Eressea and argues that they may be the same in Tolkien's mind. That would be pretty cool -- Arthur being taken to the Lonely Isle of the Elves. There are also references in the poem to Mirkwood, in the Old English sense of a dark border forest. The last chapter examines how the poem evolved through different versions and drafts but I found this a little dry and tedious.
Overall, I enjoyed the book because I love the King Arthur legends. But if you're strictly a Tolkien fan and are craving new material by your favorite author, be forewarned that there's much more of the son in this book than the father.
That's my slightly rambling review. Did anyone else buy the book? Any thoughts?