The Book of Lost Tales 1(The History of Middle-Earth

The History of the Middle Earth was put together by Christopher Tolkien, JRR's son. The effort involved sifting through his fathers notes and organizing them, which in itself is a difficult task. Oft time names were changed from story to story and Christopher had to decipher outlines and light pencil markings. In many a case we have just outlines and scant poems thrown around. But this is the backstory to the Simarrilion. This is where Middle Earth according to Tolkien was created. The story line that comes out of this work is the same as that of Simarillion save that you will notice that names are different and there are multiple versions of the stories told. Look at the Simarrillion as the finished product. Bear in mind that as I give you the summary I will not remember most of the names the language is difficult to work with. More over I wish to add in that at the end of each tale Christopher Tolkien included some notes. This at times helped clarify things and at other times it was rather confusing to read.

Eriol, who was touched by the light of Earendel, is touched with a penchant for wandering. His marine adventures land him on the Lost Isle of Tol Erresea. While sojourning there he ends up befriending a goodly number of Elven folk. Going through the town he comes to the capital city of Kothirion which is named after the city of Kor in Valinor. It is there that Eriol comes to the Cottage of Lost play. To enter he must allow himself to become smaller. The Cottage is host to nightly gathering and revelry of story telling. Vaire and Lindo the hosts tell Eriol the history of the Middle Earth like his human ears have never heard before. Rumil tells him even more stories. At one point Eriol wishes to drink of the "Limpe" an elven drink that will give him elven immortality. but first he must hear from Queen Meril. To drink the Limpe is to side with elves until the end of time even if it means going against humans. Eriol becomes hesitant.

In the beginning Illuvatar created the Ainur and the rest of the universe by making music. Once the Ainur were created they were inputted a story and taught to make music. They make music and create the universe with Illuvatar. Illuvatar makes mansions and dwelling in the astral level for the ainur, but lurking in the outer reaches corrupting everything is Melkor.
Illuvatr though is able to counter Melkor. Eventually the Ainur stop making music and see the world they have created. It arda. Melkor with is dark designs goes down the arda in order to corrupt it. Several ainur choose to descend to Arada despite Illuvatar's not wanting them to. They descend.

They explore this twilight world and end up creating the Island of Valinor. This is done to give the Valar a home and as a defense against Melkor. As Melkor corrupts the planet with destructing and foul created beings. The Valar confront him. Tulkas a mighty warrior does not trust him, There is not fight at this point but Melkor is wily. He agree to taking Holy light and creating two poles of if to light up the Arda. Later when the Valar have crafted their hall, Melkor destroy the light. What is left is gather into two fountain called Kullkillion and Talimpe. From these two trees grow, called Laurelin Talpion. Gold and silver light they give off. Melkor still continues with his reign of destruction. This leads to a conflict where in Manwe and Tulkas fight and deceive Melkor. They chain him up for a period time and leave him in the Halls of Mando. (Sounds like the Loki story)

With the birth of the elves the Valar are happy. Simultaneously the Valar send someone to lead the first emissaries to Valinor. the three elves go back and Orome leads them through the Great Land to the shores of the West were Ulmo transports them on an island (which Tol Erresea). THe three families of elves are brought over. Some do get lost in the Great lands. At the same time Melkor is unchained a bit early and is put into the service of Tulkas. There are three families of elves the Noldori,Solimposi and the Teleri. The Teleri will learn poetry from Manwe, the Noldori will learn smithcrafting from Aule and the Solimposi become music makers on the shores.

Tol Erressea used to be Ose's island. Ose is a servant of Ulmo, the sea lord. When Ose anchors the Tol Erresea to the sea floor and stopping it's use this develops a mini feud. Some Solimposi remain on the island and play music with sea shells. Ose also teaches them how to ride swans and how to build ships. Ulmo uses this later to lead them to Valinor.

Unchaining Melkor might not have been such a great idea. he made some nasty friends down in Mandos and while in valinor he is prone to spreading vicious lies. He turns the Noldori and the Valar against each other. During a celebration Melkor and Ungoliant, a giant spider from the south, steal into Valinor and kill the two trees. Ungoliant drink the light from them. The silmarillion are also stolen. The Noldori are angry, under the leadership of feanor they head to Middle Earth, stealing ship from the Solimposi they flee Valinor.

The further tales recount the creation of the sun and moon and the concealment of Valinor. The book finishes off with the battle of tears. A battle where men and Avari elves goe against Melkor. The men learn to speak from an elf named Nuin. For those hard core Tolkien fans this book is a must read. I liked the Simarrillion better but this gives you the inside look at a subcreated universe.

The book of Lost Tales, Part II includes further tales of the First Age of Middle Earth including: Beren and Luthein, the tale of Turambar (the children of Hurin), the fall of Gondolin, and sketches of the tale of Earendel. Also described are Tolkien's outlines for fleshing out the mythology and developing the right framing devise (a problem he would struggle with all his life).

For me, the clear stand outs here are The tale of Tinuviel and The tale of the Fall of Gondolin. The tale of Tinuviel is primarily of interest for its differences, particularly with regards to Beren as Elf or Man, and Tevildo Prince of Cats (precursor of Sauron, it's interesting what details stick in the later writing). One of my favorite parts of the Silmarillion is the story of the Fall of Gondolin. Here, in the Lost Tales, the story is greatly expanded and beautifully conceived. This tale, of all of them, is sure to take your breath away. The level of detail is extraordinary and while some elements of the plot are different, the main elements are already in place and the most striking (and pleasant) difference is the length. To my mind, this is the tale to read, even if you cannot bring yourself to read any other!

The tale of Turambar is interesting in its differences to The Children of Hurin, The Narn (Unfinished Tales) and the Silmarillion, but as this work is well published, I didn't find it as enthralling. However, I did find the close mirroring of the Vulsunga saga/Nibelungied fascinating, particularly for how closely at times the Tale follows it thematical and in plot at times. What is most interesting here is how this was woven into the tale more tightly and with increasing subtlety as the story of Turin developed towards its final form.

With regard to Christopher Tolkien's notes and commentary: they can be helpful and interesting. Most of the time I skipped the notes altogether. The commentary is very good, however, and really brings to light Tolkien's struggles with the Tales as well as casting a light on his circumstances at the time of the composition. The commentary also attempts to explain the progression of the tales through their various drafts, which at times is confusing, but often very interesting to see how Tolkien's thought developed.

The book of Lost Tales is definitely worth a try for anyone wishing to immerse themselves fully in Middle Earth.

This book picks up where the first left off, opening with the tale of Tinuviel. It then carries you through the original conceptions Turin (Turambar and the Foaloke), and then on to Tuor (the fall of Gondolin). After these stories it gets a little harder to follow as the notes that Christopher uses become much more mish-mashed.
The tale of Tinuviel is interesting because this is one that goes through many different changes.
the basic story is there but it was written at the time when the silmarills were just becoming an important part of the whole mythology. Another surprising change is that Beren, who in the Silmarillion becomes the first Man to wed an Elf is here concieved of as an elf himself. That might throw Aragorn's long lineage out of whack! Also the necomancer (a.k.a. Sauron) is here a giant cat (Tevildo lord of the cats) with his own castle.
In Turambar and the Foaloke there are relativly few changes, most of them being changes of wording and name changes. Tis is one of the most sorrowful stories that I have ever read, though it is also one of me favorite. The only thing better than reading this is picking up a copy of Unfinished Tales and reading the final version that he worked on.
The most interesting and in my view rewarding tale in here is the fall of Gonddolin. I say this because this is the only place where you can find a finished version. The version in the Silmarillion though excellent was really written to be an oral piece, therefore being much shortened. The reason it was chosen as the official published version is because it was also revised to fit in Middle-Earth's history. If you read Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin in the Unfinished Tales you will find the most beautiful rendering, but sadly it stands uncomplete with Tuor just reaching the gates of Gondolin. But if you read the original story you get to see where it was going, and also you read what is one of the most fantastical battle scenes that I have ever read.(Even better than Peter Jackson's amazing rendering of the Battle of Pelenor Fields in the movie version of Return of the King).
The book then moves on to The Nauglafring, a dwarven necklace which encasing the silmaril that Beren and Tinuviel took from Morgoth, that brings about the ruin of the Realm of Doriath.
We are then brought to the Tale of Earendel who was the first Elf to be alowed to enter after he reached the sacred realm of Valinor.This and the next chapter, The History of Eriol or AElfwine, mostly consist of notes of how the stories were to be written, but they were abandoned shortly after this. Incedently, Eriol was originally concieved as having written The Book of Lost Tales.
All in all this is an excellent book if your interested in learning the history behind the Silmarillion and parts of Unfinished Tales.

. . .a young soldier, fighting in the First World War, exercised his imagination beyond the realms of most mortals, and began, in this volume, the single greatest sustained work of fictional imagination of the 20th century (and possibly the 2nd millenium). JRR Tolkien truly deserves the title "Master of Middle-Earth".
In this book, "The Book of Lost Tales, Part 1", the Master's son, Christopher Tolkien (himself quite a scholar in his own right) presents the very beginnings of the legends which would grow into the Silmarillion and the other great tales, songs, poems, and adventures of Middle-Earth. This work (and the volumes to follow) represent a tremendous effort of editing, sorting and categorizing -- and all hobbits have much to be grateful for in Christopher's work.
In this volume, the astute hobbit will be able to identify the beginnings of the stories so well-loved in later years and the evolution of names, plots, literary devices, languages etc; as well as ideas and concepts which never quite got off the ground (The cottage of lost play) comes to mind.
Altogether, a highly enjoyable -- and highly recommended volume.

"The Book of Lost Tales" is a unique experience -- read it, and get to see a created mythology evolve before your very eyes. J.R.R. Tolkien created the vast backdrop of his Middle-Earth over the course of his life -- except that mythology evolved as time went on. Now the first batch of his old notes, drafts and rewrites are compiled in "Book of Lost Tales."
It presents some of the material from Tolkien's "Silmarillion"... except that these stories are different. In the tradition of some old Norse myths, the story is told to a human mariner called Eriol. Eriol makes his way to Tol Eressea, an island full of Elves, and is told about their history -- the Ainur, the creation of the world, and many other stories.
Some parts of "Book of Lost Tales" are almost indistinguishable from the stories in "Silmarillion." Others are drastically different: at some points Tolkien refers to the Elves as "fairies," the Dwarves are shown as evil, and legendary hero Beren was once written in as an Elf (which changes the story centering on him).
But this isn't a book for newbies. Instead it's for people who read and enjoyed "Silmarillion," not just "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings." It also isn't quite as scintillating as "Silmarillion," however. Why? Because, to put it politely, Christopher Tolkien is a solid scholar, but not a very good writer. His constant analysis of Daddy's work is rather dull and long-winded, though he is to be commended for organizing and publishing them to start with.
Tolkien's writing genius, however, shines in every discarded note he wrotes. His prose here is more poetic and flowing. It's a lot less mythic and more "fairy-tale-ish." And in many of the stories, he provides a lot more detail and insight than in the later drafts.
"Book of Lost Tales" is strictly a treat for die-hard Tolkien fans, as anybody who isn't will be hopelessly lost. But oh, what a treat it is.

`if he could indeed destroy with his cunning the happiness and glory of the Gods and Elves...'

When the hateful god Melko marred the world, the Valar hid within the blessed land of Valinor, abandoning the Elves and Men of Middle Earth to slavery under his terrible rule. This was the time of great heroes who challenged Melko's impossible might. Beren and Lúthien entered Melko's hall to pluck his most prized possession from his crown. Cursed Túrin became a feared enemy of all evil creatures. Tuor fought to save a beleaguered realm. The mighty kingdoms of Gondolin - ruled by King Turgon - and Menegroth - ruled by King Thingol - long provided refuge for the few free people. Finally Eärendel risked all to beseech the Valar for aid. These heroes made terrible sacrifices to rid the world of the greatest evil it has ever known. Ashamedly, as magic faded and the Elves fled from the world, Men forgot these great deeds.

Ages later, the English mariner Eriol sailed to Tol Eressëa, the Lonely Isle, where Elves welcomed him as guest. In grand oral tradition, they recounted to Eriol the tales that should never have been lost.

Anybody who enjoyed The Book of Lost Tales Part 1, which should be read first, will love Part 2. It is also helps to first read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Unfinished Tales, and, most importantly, The Silmarillion.

Christopher Tolkien continues to expertly assemble and present his father's works. His precise commentaries are essential to understanding J.R.R. Tolkien's mythos.

Some of the stories in Lost Tales are much more detailed than their final versions in the Silmarillion. Lost Tales is a treasure trove of rejected content that really fleshes out the myths.

The Book of Lost Tales Part 2 has six sections.

`The Tale of Tinúviel', one of Tolkien's most popular stories, tells of the triumphant love between Beren and Lúthien. This version is shockingly different than that found in The Silmarillion, and it contains much more dialogue and plot.

`Turambar and the Foalókë' is the stirring tragedy of Túrin son of Úrin (or Húrin). Cursed as a child, Túrin rages against fate with heroic intensity. This account is wonderfully detailed.

`The Fall of Gondolin' recounts the final days of King Turgon's fair city. Ulmo (the only Valar to intervene in Middle Earth during this period) sends brave Tuor upon a divine quest to bring counsel to the doomed realm. This Lost Tales version is staggeringly well detailed. The final battle for the city (summarized in a few sentences in The Silmarilllion) here receives tremendous attention. This action-heavy scene is definitely a highlight of the book.

In `The Nauglafring', Elves and Dwarves battle over cursed gold. This early-abandoned tale flatly contradicts much of Tolkien's other work.

`The Tale of Eärendel' tells of the legendary mariner who now sails the firmament above Earth as a radiant star, bringing hope to men. J.R.R. Tolkien never wrote this story, so this section consists of outlines, poems, and heavy commentary.

`The History of Eriol or Ælfwine' delves into Eriol's life. It clearly identifies Middle Earth as our Earth; for instance, the origins of England and Ireland are spelled out and Rome is presented as an Elvish enemy. Although enlightening, this thoroughly explained setting lacks the mysterious grandeur of LoTR's Middle Earth. This tale was never finished, and Christopher Tolkien shows superhuman diligence in piecing together jumbled outlines and narrative fragments. It is densely commented and makes a slow, though worthy, read.

The Book of Lost Tales shows the devotion J.R.R. Tolkien had for his craft. It is a perfect choice for any Silmarillion fan.

-Zach Zelmar

When the English seafarer Eriol (or Ælfwine) sails across the westward ocean, he discovers the Elvish island of Tol Eressea. Eriol is enchanted by the magical land and welcomed by the blessed Elves, who reveal to him the true history of Arda, the World. This framework links various myths; between each tale Eriol reacts and requests greater knowledge.

Tolkien originally intended to release his mythologies of Middle Earth as the Book of Lost Tales, but the project never reached a publishable state. After publishing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien's popularity grew, and he returned to his myths of Elder Days. He spent the rest of his life revising and linking these legends, which he intended to publish as the Silmarillion. Along the way he abandoned the narrative framework of Eriol's sojourn upon the Lonely Isle.

Tolkien died before completing the Silmarillion, leaving behind a chaotic collection of material. His stories were written out of order upon notebooks and loose papers. Over the years, much of the penciled writing became unreadable. Often multiple drafts of a story were written, and there was no indication as to which draft was made last.

J.R.R. Tolkien left a difficult task for his successor. Fortunately, his diligent son Christopher Tolkien was up to the challenge. With scholarly precision he delved into the myths and completed his father's work on The Silmarillion. He had to choose between many conflicting versions of the legends. Later he wrote The Book of Lost Tales to reveal what he had left out and to shed some light on his father's intentions.

Lost Tales shows the evolution of many parts in The Silmarillion. Often Lost Tales has much greater detail - it details the powers and limitations of the gods, as well as the construction of the ships of the Sun and Moon - while the Silmarillion gives briefer, more poetic descriptions, maintaining an air of mystery. Early drafts are often shockingly different; for instance, dwarves were evil beings allied with Orcs, and Beren was an Elf. In the revived Eriol story, Tolkien explicitly links Middle Earth to our Earth; for example, he spells out the origins of England and Ireland and mentions Rome, Babylon, and Troy. Each revelation is fascinating.

J.R.R. Tokien's dedication to his work becomes increasingly evident as Christopher details the evolution of his legendarium. J.R.R. would change a character's name multiple times within a draft, redraft with a new name, and then revert to the original. A single syllable of a hero's name had great significance. Each name was derived from an appropriate word, and for Tolkien language was inseparable from mythology. The lexicon included in the book demonstrates his devotion to perfecting aesthetic and consistent languages.

This amazing book will appeal to a narrow range of people: namely, those who have read and thoroughly appreciated The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and perhaps Unfinished Tales. It is not meant for casual readers. It is a very different work than The Lord of the Rings, with a slower pace. Patient Tolkien fans will love the father's beautiful prose and the son's careful analysis. The Book of Lost Tales is an astounding creation.

-Zach Zelmar

The book of Lost Tales Part I chronicles the history of Middle Earth during the first age, through to the Hiding of Valinor and the creation of the Sun and Moon. It is a fascinating book, particularly if you are already familiar with the Silmarillion.

The problem with this book is similar to that which plagues the Silmarillion. It can be hard to get into, difficult to follow and tough going at times. Personally,I love the Silmarillion and the Unfinished Tales, Tolkien criticism/analysis and I am fascinated by history in general all of which made the first two volumes of HoME easier for me. However, the first hurdle to start and keep going is probably the hardest. The tales begin with the story of the Cottage of Lost Play and Eriol's arrival at Tol Eresea...this was my stumbling block and for years I never made it further. The framing devise and style take some getting used to. Keep going through to the actual tales and you'll find the diamonds in the rough.

What is so amazing, is how much of the final form of the history is already formed or begun in these first tales Tolkien wrote. At the same time, some of Tolkien's earliest thoughts concerning the Valar and the phases of the creation of Arda are startlingly different.

I was particularly drawn to the Music of the Ainur and the Creation of the Sun and Moon. The music has always been one of my favorite chapters in the Silmarillion, here it is greatly expanded, and though sometimes rough, the prose is exquisite. Also the religious-philosophical underpinnings of the tale are all present, and expressed in beautiful prose. Some ideas are expanded, some are different, and some new (old) ideas later discarded.

The Creation of the Sun and Moon is significantly longer in the Tales, and full of surprising detail. The first thoughts of Tolkien are at times very close to the published Silmarillion, and at other times so far afield as to be unrecognizable. Even so, many of the ideas here linger in later works, and it is fascinating to discover these kernels of insight.

This book, and the following, are highly recommended to anyone who read and enjoyed the Silmarillion. It is really for those who want to dig further into Middle Earth, as well as Tolkien's development of the mythology. I tend to read a lot of criticism and analysis of Tolkien's works, and write a bit myself. From that standpoint, The Book of Lost Tales is a Gold Mine!

As customer reviews of this series are liberally sprinkled with assertions that JRR's son Christopher is driven by ego or a desire to cash in on his father reputation, it's worth pointing out that said son (and his siblings) inherited the copyright to their father's novels and have no need to "cash in." Christopher would appear to be the ideal manager of his father's manuscripts, and he's paved a responsible path through them with "The Silmarillion" and "Unfinished Tales."
Should you finish the novels and the above books and want to know still more of the vast history, mythology, creative development, and languages of Middle Earth, of which TLOTRings' events are only a late chapter, you'll certainly enjoy much of this series. Tolkien's vision was vast -- too vast ever to be finished in a lifetime of an active professor. The arrangement of material across the volumes is sensible, and you can pick as choose as interest dictates. Tolkien's manuscripts have been culled, organized, and put in order for all to enjoy.

In Christopher Tolkien's first volume in The History of Middle Earth series he brings to light his father's original conception of what became known as the Silmarillion. This volume deals with the central theme in Tolkien's early works where an Englishman named Elfwine (or Eriol in Elvish) is told the history of the Elves after finding the "straight road" to Tol Eressea. This book deals mostly with Elvish history before the coming of men, and the later histories can be found in another great book, The Book of Lost Tales 2. I would recommend this book, along with all twelve of the other volumes, to anyone who enjoyed Tolkien's works but found them to be too short and would like more information. Also, for those interested in making a career out of writing this series is a very good example of the hardship required to write a classic work of fiction.

These are the earliest versions of the legends which were posthumously compiled as The Silmarillion. Most of the stories are MUCH more detailed than they later became, and Tolkien's style is very dense, more imitative of Old English than it later became. It is remarkable how fully Tolkien had already conceived of these legends at a very early age. Although lacking its later refinement, Tolkien's mastery of modern English as a medium for expressing the epic style of Old English works is very evident and quite enjoyable. The Fall of Gondolin and the legend of Turin Turambar are more compellingly told in their full, earlier versions. Christopher Tolkien (son of J.R.R.) deserves credit for very comprehensive annotations. I loved it, as I love all Tolkien's works.

In the second volume of The History of Middle Earth, Christopher Tolkien once again does a superb job in showing his father's early view of Elvish histories and giving his indispencible annotations. In this volume, Tolkiens main stories come into view. The Tale of Tinuviel, Turumbar and the Dragon, and The Fall of Gondolin are here told in more detail than would later be seen. The Fall of Gondolin in particular is one of my favorite stories and easily rivals anything written in LOTR. This volume gives the early versions of the Elvish history from the coming of men to War of Wrath, plus some insight on Elfwine himself. I recommend this book to any Tolkien fan and especially those that enjoy, as I do, classical literature because of this book's rich Old English style.

Part Two continues the history of the Elves and contains the oldest version of my personal favorite story "The Tale of Tinuviel". The stories in this book (which include an early version of Turumbar, The Fall of Gondolin, The Nauglafring- aka the fall of Doriath, and the story of Eriol) are recounted in grand Tolkienian style. They reveal some very interesting early ideas which Tolkien did not include in "The Silmarillion". The stories are superb in and of themselves but also offer a tantalizing 'behind the scenes' look at Tolkien's creative genius in progress. One of the most pleasurable aspects of reading this book is to watch the metamorphoses of the characters and to contemplate the elements which Tolkien altered or deleted in the later and more finished "Silmarillion". The stories in "Lost Tales 2" are even more marvelous than those of Book One. Book Two also provides a complete (though lamentable) closing to the tale of the wanderings or Eriol. Yet, to those who have read only "Lost Tales 1" there is no need to persuade. For I do not believe it humanly or divinely possible to read only Book One without inflaming the insatiable desire to experience the second half of the enchantment.

This book gives great insight to Tolkiens first ideas of Middle-Earth, the first ideas of Orcs, Elves, Balrogs, Valar and Ents. The seafarer Ælfwine (or Eriol, his name given by the Elves), comes upon the Elven island Tol Eressea, where he finds the city of Kortirion and the friendly elves Vaire and Lindo, who gives him a place to sleep and rest for several days. On the island his great lust for seafaring ceases, and he starts to learn the true story of the World from the Elves. He is told about the great Valar, the terrible Morgoth, the glory of the Early Days, and of the highest himself: Eru Iluvatar.
This is a magnificent work which combines Tolkien's magic of writing with a anazing mytology, simply a masterwork, yes i would say a second Silmarillion

This book, a compilation of notes, shows how the mind of the
greatest fanasty writer of all time came upon his tale, from
the first word to the last any reader of sophisticated taste
with a love for the unusual will find this book to their liking.
Set as a narrative of the education of a man by the Eldar of
Middle Earth, it will continually surprise with its brest of time
and place to bring about each of the individual tales. These
tales are books unto themselves, and once caught one can never
quite be free from the grasping clutch of Middle Earth upon ones
heart, mind, and soul.

Adrian Sloan

"The Lost Tales" are the early versions of the tales which were expanded and polished to become those in the Silmarillion. It is fascinating to see the evolution of these stories. (One can only imagine the level of perfection Tolkien would have reached had he ever completely finished his epic.) The Tales give a unique glimpse into the life of Elves on Tol Eressea as the human Eriol is introduced to it. This fascinating vision of life in the Western Lands is augmented with history of the Elves as told in their own oral tradition. Both books 1 and 2 are fabulous and intriguing, answering many questions and yet engendering many others. I became so enveloped in the tales that I read both books plus "The Lays of Beleriand" all at the same time! If you are interested in the internal and external history of Middle-Earth, this is a book you cannot afford to miss.

The Silmarillion is justly seen as a wondrous work. The Book of Lost Tales Part II (and part I for that matter), are just as wondrous. These early examples of mythology are written in a style which I find simply charming, and their attention to detail is great. Much of it is similar (and contradictory) to the Silmarillion, but much new information is given too, and characters who were later rejected (like Tevildo, Bodruith and Ufedhin) are put into the tales. The old english (thee, thy) can be hard, but just adds to its charm. Highly recommended.

Have you ever wondered how Tolkien wrote his wonderful stories? Then these are the books for you. Here we get to see the first steps of the creative process, the first ideas that began a world. Here are given the first drafts of the stories that were to become the Silmarillion, and even though the later stories are very different, the core of them is already there, along with many details that were to make it all the way through the process. Its fun to sitt there and recognise all the precious details.
The differences are just as great, and you will miss many of the central characters of the Silmarillion. On the other hand, you will meet many new ones.
The stories here have more details, more beautifull descriptions than the later book does, but the pace is different.
To tell you the truth, its almost worth buying the book just for the exelent commentaries and insights by Cristopher Tolkien, who shares his view of his fathers vision. Its hilarious to her him tell about hos difficult it was to figure out what went where, since these stories where scattered through many notebooks, and in some cases almost unreadable.
A word of advise, read The Silmarillion first. If you have, than this will give you a much deeper insight into the mind of a genius.

The Book of Lost Tales 2 is a fantastic continuation to the first, taking place right where it left off this book goes in deeper than the first. The Book of Lost Tales includes 6 tales that where apart of the first but explains it with greater detail. This book was edited by Christopher Tolkien, the author's(J.R.R. Tolkien) son. All of the six stories include many notes that help you with the story, and 4 of them include a commentary that Christopher Tolkien wrote. I found the commentary and notes to be very helpful and enjoyable although he refers a lot to The Simarillion so one who has not read that might not understand some of it, and infact the stories that are in The Book of Lost Tales 2 are briefly in The Simarillion, which is also a very wonderful book. These books can be at sometimes a little difficult to read given the ammount of detail and information that they give you, sometimes it is hard to organize all of it but as you read on more things fall into place.
I highly recommend this book, although suggest reading The Simarllion before hand, J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world is quite enjoyable and his writings are full of detail. I also found the appendix and index of words quite useful and very nice to have, it tells you where all the names come from and have referances to where you can find them in this book and others. If you have read Lord of The Rings then you will find referances that are from this book and also The Simarillion that you did not get before.
Overall I thought this book was very enjoyable, although some what tedious at some points, and I recommend it to all fantasy and Lord of The Ring fans.

Christopher Tolkien's notes on the state of his father's rough drafts, combined with his conjecture on many subjects throughout the 'Tales' gives the reader a window into the mind of one of the most famous British authors of the 20th century. A must-read for any fan of J.R.R. Tolkien.

I first found myself in the world of Tolkien about two years ago, and the I find that the more of it I read the more I want to know. The sheer complexity behind the Silmarillion astounds me because its like entering into an epic, complicated, life-like history as complicated as our own. This book gives a little of how that history evolved into what it finally became, and suggests some of the possiblities for it that Tolkien had, along with other books in this series. After reading the Silmarillion I was left with a great curiosity and wanted to find out more; discovering this book helped, and reading it give me most of my answers, though it did leave far more questions. All said though, it is worth the read for any fan of Tolkien

I love the background lore of Middle Earth and the conversations between Frodo and Gandalf surrounding the events leading up to the Fellowship of the Ring and the Hobbit. I love this book. It is a great read.

This second volume of The History Of Middle-Earth takes us back to the mythical times of the Silmarillion. In fact it comprises very interesting sketches of tales found in the Silmarillion itself. Featuring among others the tales of Beren and Luthien, Turin Thurambar, and the full accounts of the Necklace of the Dwarves and the Fall of Gondolin. Each text is followed by explanatory comments by Christopher Tolkien and also some related poems by the author himself. Reading The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales is also highly recommended.

this book is incredible, but the store sent me a copy with a different cover than pictured here. not to sound whiny, but i really wanted the john howe artwork instead of the hideous one that i got. but still, the book rules.
thanks for screwing up the store.

This book offers more fleshed-out and satisfying versions of many of my favorite stories from the Silmarillion. The best by far was the Lay of the Children of Hurin in poetic verse- it is even more deeply moving than the version from the Sil, which now only seems to brush the surface of the story. The archaic English that Tolkien uses here is lovely and also very fitting for these epics. Read it TODAY.

This book has the definitive account of the fall of Gondolin, which is Tolkien's best portrayel of the valour of Elves in defence against Morgoth, the dark Lord, If you have read the Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings then jump right in because this book is excellent.

I am the biggest tolkien fan there is.....Stick to the books he continued to work on throughout his life; The LOTR the Hobbit, The Silmarillion and even Unfinished Tales.... Once you stray into the bounds of Christopher Tolkien's Ego you will find yourself wondering what you are doing. These notes scribbles and random thoughts of the master are unreadable...I mean all of them from volume 1 to volume 12. How many times can you re read the tale of the children of Hurin? In a row? WHO CARES!!
Do yourself a BIG FAVOR.....Re read the Hobbit and the LOTR instead. NOT WORTH YOUR EFFORT

The first item in 'History of Middleearth' is an exciting Book and very wonderful to read but U should have read the Silmarillion first and had to be interessted in Middleearth. And when, then you'll love it.

A J.R.R. Tolkien fan since my earliest adolescence, I have only in my middle age begun to read the notebooks his son Christopher has published in the 1980s and ‘90s as The History of Middle-earth. It is wise not to begin with these books. They do not draw us in to the great master’s enchanted realm as does The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and most especially (for me at least) The Silmarillion.

This, the second book of “Lost Tales” is no easy read, even for Tolkien geeks such as myself. The sentences are long, the words often archaic, the stories themselves often overwritten, and occasionally even convoluted. And yet, they give you incredible insight into the evolution of the master’s mythos. By the time he turned thirty, he had largely fleshed out the stories that form the backbone of The Silmarillion.In the first book, his son included the great cosmological tales up through the flight of the Noldor where a great tribe of elves breaks off from their brethren living among the deities who would become the Valar. In this the second, we see the first sketches of the stories which would become the three great tales of mortal men in the First Age of Middle-earth, Beren, Túrin, and Tuor—and through the son of that last man, the second from the Elder Days to marry an elf princess, of Eärendil and his voyage to the Undying West.

This volume also includes, as its last section, “The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales.” Unlike the tales of the other men, no great revised version of this part made it into The Silmarillion. But, those familiar with Tolkien’s biography will recognize it as a kind of “missing link” (if you will) between his Middle-earth and the rise of England. J.R.R. Tolkien had long sought to craft a national mythology that he had found lacking in his homeland.

After attempting “to construct a narrative taking account of all the essential features” of that last tale, Christopher Tolkien writes:

<<I claim no more for this than that it seems to be to be the only way in which these disjecta membra can be set together into a comprehensive narrative scheme. It must be admitted even so that it requires some forcing of the evidence to secure apparent agreement…. Doubtless in these jottings my father was thinking with his pen, exploring independent narrative paths; one gets the impression of a ferment of ideas and possibilities rapidly displacing one another, from which no stable narrative core can be extracted.>>

And yet in this book, we did see such a “stable narrative core” for each of the three aforementioned tales of mortal men from the Elder Days as well as for Eärendil the Mariner and the Nauglamír (the dwarf-forged necklace referenced in The Silmarillion, referred to in this book as the Nauglafring).

Even without that “narrative core,” the last story (albeit challenging to read) should engage Tolkien geeks. As his son writes, the various “’plots’, abandoned and doubtless forgotten… bear witness to truths of my father’s heart that he never abandoned.” Those notes, he adds, “were scribbled down in his [father’s] youth”.

And these notes—as well as the more structured stories from Tolkien’s notebooks—show how early in his life the master has mapped out the great story he had to tell. They show another thing as well, that he had not yet found the voice with which he was to tell them.