|
Post by Stormrider on Jan 20, 2009 6:49:33 GMT -6
Yes, Unfinished Tales is rather sad and depressing but I liked Aldarion and Erendis for the Numenor information, too.
I really liked Ciron and Eorl the best out of the tales in this book. Galadriel and Celeborn is rather confusing.
|
|
|
Post by Fredeghar Wayfarer on Jan 22, 2009 20:26:48 GMT -6
Yeah, the Galadriel and Celeborn tale is rather confusing. I'm not sure you can even call it a tale, more like a series of notes and outlines.
So many unanswered questions. Is Celeborn a Teleri or Sindar elf? Was Galadriel banished from Valinor or did she choose to stay in Middle-earth? How many Elessars are there and who made them? Is Amroth Galadriel and Celeborn's son or not?
The mind boggles to think that so much is still unresolved about such major characters.
|
|
|
Post by Andorinha on Jan 26, 2009 3:20:33 GMT -6
Just reading through "Aldarion and Erendis," and noticed that the general image I have of Numenoreans requires a bit of a change. When Tolkien, in LOTR describes the Men of Gondor and the House of Aragorn to the North, they have grey eyes and dark hair, exclusively, I believe. Yet, among the Men taken to Numenor must have been some of the House of Hador, "golden-haired" people. Indeed, Aldarion is proclaimed by JRRT to have had a mother from the House of Hador, and he himself was " golden-haired as his mother...".
Apparently, by the time we get to the House of Andunie, and Elendil, this golden-haired strain had died out of their own lineage, and was not transferred to the continents of Middle-earth? I cannot recall hearing about a golden-haired Numenorean-descended man/ woman of either Arnor or Gondor.
|
|
|
Post by Fredeghar Wayfarer on Mar 3, 2009 1:58:25 GMT -6
I've finally finished Unfinished Tales. I had read part of the Third Age segment a while back since this was the era I was most interested in due to Lord of the Rings. It was nice to revisit it again though.
I have a greater understanding and appreciation of Middle-earth at this point in my life and got more out of it on this re-reading. The names and references are more familiar and I enjoyed learning more about the Quest of Erebor, the Istari, the Druedain, the Palantiri and so forth.
I am now moving on to The Children of Hurin. I'm excited to see this in a finished novel form after reading the abridged version in Unfinished Tales. Should be interesting.
I also have a copy of The Book of Lost Tales that I will need to finish one of these days. I have little desire to wade through the many volumes and commentaries of The History of Middle-earth series but this one at least I feel I should read since it's the earliest of Tolkien's Middle-earth writings.
|
|
|
Post by Stormrider on Mar 3, 2009 7:27:19 GMT -6
I just finished reading the first story in UT again--Tuor coming to Gondolin. I really like all the gates he had to go thru to get to the inner city. They would make an interesting art subject.
I have started the Narn i Hin Hurin tale now. I've just barely gotten into it but I like Sador so far. He seems wise. Too bad that he lost is foot.
Andorinha, I will pay attention to the hair descriptions in Aldarion and Erendis when I get that far and see if I can find the other descriptions from LOTR that talk about the Rangers hair and coloring.
|
|
|
Post by Stormrider on Feb 25, 2021 7:01:00 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Fredeghar Wayfarer on Feb 25, 2021 10:10:47 GMT -6
Interesting. This book seems like it wouldn't lend itself to the audiobook format well, with it having so many different stories that are (as noted) unfinished. Are they going to record Christopher's commentary as well for context?
LOL, I'm looking at my earlier comments on this thread about how I had little desire to wade through the History of Middle-earth. And now I'm close to finishing Sauron Defeated and have read all the other volumes. I guess my love of Middle-earth trumped my mixed feelings about the dry commentary.
|
|
|
Post by Stormrider on Feb 25, 2021 11:09:05 GMT -6
Good question about Christopher Tolkien's commentary. I don't know! I don't mind looking at appendix notes at the end of each chapter but wonder how they would be in an audio version.
|
|