The Fall of Gondolin

This review refers to The Fall of Gondolin published by HarperCollins (ISBN: 9780008302757). I purchased this item along with The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Boxed Set also published by HarperCollins (ISBN: 9780008376109). I was very happy to find quality paper and smyth-sewn binding in all four volumes. They open well and lay flat.However, with this particular volume of The Fall of Gondolin, the paper is noticeably worse and is sadly glue binding. It doesn't open well and the spine struggles with sounds of cracking. An odd choice for an edition that was published with a focus on the illustrations. Disappointing.

As with 2017's "Beren and Luthien," this is not a previously unpublished Tolkien story but a systematic study of various incomplete texts previously published by Christopher Tolkien in "The History of Middle Earth." His purpose is to show how his father's conception of one of the major tales in "The Silmarillion" evolved over time.So what do we get for our money?1. There are two beautifully written narratives of some length that together go a long way in telling the story published in "The Silmarillion" as the chapter "Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin." Whereas that chapter was only 8 published pages, however, these two narratives make for more than 130. Rich with detail, they will delight those who love "The Silmarillion" but probably hold no interest for those not already familiar with that book.2. Included also are sketches of how JRRT saw the story unfolding after the fall of Gondolin when Tuor's son Eärendil becomes the principal character. There are some interesting surprises such as the information that Eärendil voyaged south and slew Ungoliant, the mother of all spiders who had poisoned the Two Trees in Valinor. We are also informed of the ultimate fate of Arda including the final recovery of the Silmarills and the restoration of the Two Trees.3. Tolkien fans who are as fascinated by the names of things as the Master himself will enjoy seeing how character and place names evolved or were recycled. For example, we come across what may be the first usage of the name Legolas Greenleaf, which JRRT ultimately used for a major character in The Lord of the Rings. An extensive glossary of names at the end of the book provides further information.So there you have it. This book is intended and recommended only for the hardcore Tolkien fan already deeply familiar with the mythology of the First Age of Middle Earth. For those, however, who prefer to stick to Hobbits—a view JRRT himself quite understood and approved of—this is probably a pass. Yet it might also prove for such readers an intriguing gateway to the great tales of the First Age.

Firstly, buyer beware. This is a book for real Tolkien enthusiasts and not casual readers. Do not buy this book expecting to find a new complete Tolkien story. The Fall of Gondolin was never finished. What you have here is an unfinished story that has already been in print, parts of it are spread over various books (The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The History of Middle Earth). Tolkien wrote and rewrote the story several times. These fragments are now gathered together in one place for the first time and presented in the order that Tolkien wrote them. This book is more about the evolution of Tolkien's writing, which is quite fascinating. The hardback version is beautifully illustrated with Alan Lee's paintings and pencil sketches. (Personally I think these are worth the price of the book on their own.)

One for the Tolkien purists! It is as much a study of Tolkien and his writing process (and the many changes that he made) as it is a story of this text. That said, I enjoyed the commentary a lot and took a lot from it. I have a newfound respect for Christopher Toliken (albeit sadly too late, as he recently died). He has honoured his father greatly over the past forty years and dedicated his own life to allow the public to access the many stories which otherwise would never have been unearthed which would have been a great shame!This book tells four versions of 'The Fall of Gondolin'. The first, called the Original Tale (or simply 'The Tale') is really the only complete version. Christopher Tolkien compares the versions mainly for differences in the story, place and character names and how revisions were made. Whilst interesting, and the implications around those changes are of interest, I personally found the stylistic change in writing more drastic.The 'Sketch of the Mythology' and 'Quenta Noldorinwa' versions of the story are brief - fine and easy to read but without full development. Contrast the Original Tale with the Last Version (which was unfinished) and you see a huge difference in the telling rather than the content. Thirty years had changed J.R.R. Tolkien it seems. The first version, written in the early 1920s, contains a significant amount of archaic language (understood through the handy glossary at the back) and is written in a way almost biblical. I was somewhat reminded of reading Cormac McCarthy is as much as I needed a dictionary hand to read some of his (utterly brilliant) works. Personally, I really enjoyed it in The Fall of Gondolin as I like learning words no longer in use. It is almost a study of language. It went some way to show the age of the tale I felt. The Last Version is more detailed and, if fully completed, would undoubtedly have been the definitive version of the story. Completed around 1950, Tolkien's style had changed a lot - it is written much more akin to The Lord of the Rings, making it easier to digest for readers. It is more descriptive and archaisms are toned down drastically.What I would say is that, although you are essentially reading the same tale four times, it never really felt like that for me because each version has so many differences in the length, the amount of details and also in the way of the telling. It feels fresh and new. Christopher Tolkien adds great detail and commentary throughout when needed. Having ignored other Tolkien releases over the past 10 years (since I bought Children of Hurin in 2007), seeing them as money-spinners from the Tolkien estate, I have just bought Beren and Luthien and am keen to start reading it! Highly recommended for any Tolikien fans - even those that found The Silmarillion dry and dull (which I did)!

The third of the great stories of the First Age, The Fall Of Gondolin. Given the mass of material around this tale I was looking forward to a cohesive tale woven together from the Unfinished Tales, The Silmarillion and The History Of Middle-earth. But no, Christopher Tolkien has chosen to take an academic approach again as he did with The Tale Of Beren and Luthien. In my view a redundant approach as it has been covered in great depth already in The History Of Middle-earth.To preserve a tale comes in the telling and retelling. Sadly Christopher Tolkien seems to have misunderstood this and has not preserved anything, rather frozen it in time.I’m giving this 5 stars, purely for Alan Lee’s superb illustrations.

Loved this so much that I just breathed it in!For the uninitiated, like most of Christopher Tolkien’s work on the history of Middle-Earth, this book is not one, long narrative, but a journey through the differing developments/versions of this ‘great tale’. For those, like myself, who are into that sort of thing, then this—like the others—is par excellence; giving the depth and immersion you’ve come to expect from Christopher’s expertise and sensitivity to his father’s creations.It’s rather poetic that Christopher Tolkien’s final editorial release of his father’s work would be first story that J.R.R Tolkien drafted of his Middle-Earth Saga. Knowing this however, brought a twinge of lament when I turned the last page; it saddens me to think that this is possibly the last of Tolkien’s work that we will see emerge. I’ve said this before (somewhere), but I firmly believe that Christopher Tolkien deserves as much praise as his father for editing and bringing all these unfinished tales posthumously to light.At the risk of sounding paradoxical; the Fall of Gondolin is a triumph!