Re: The General Tolkien News Thread

[Bluebottle]

Crikey, I wasn't exaggerating on the quite expensive part:

http://www.amazon.com/Smith-Wootton-Major-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0007202474/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

You certainly weren't.

I'll think about getting the pocket hardback when it comes out. Thank you for mentioning it.

[chris63]

[azriel]

Its a shame peejers didnt elaborate more on the poems where he had the chances, instead of cherry picking the odd line ?

[Eldorion]

I really liked the "arming for battle" scene with Theoden where he recites the bulk of that poem before the Battle of Helm's Deep. I thought it was excellently done; one of Bernard Hill's finest moments in the trilogy (and he had a number of great ones).

[Pettytyrant101]

Yup its a nicely done scene and one of those occasions where cinematic can trump sense (the big light behind him is stupid and looks like a big light when taken form a 'realism' perspective) but it generates the right doomed atmosphere that the book has at the same point whilt making a striking visual accompaniment to the words.
Pity they then blew all that right away with a crack army of elves turning up

[Eldorion]

And that's about as much praise for PJ as Petty can stomach in one sitting. Give the man a buckie before he keels over!

[Bluebottle]

Yup, well done.  

Pity they then blew all that right away with a crack army of elves turning up

Which then all had to die in short order, as their appearance and inclusion made no narrative sense.

[malickfan]

Yet another new Book by Wayne G Hammond and Christina Scull on the way, 'The Art Of The Lord Of The Rings':

http://wayneandchristina.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/new-tolkien-projects-part-two/

[malickfan]

And I agree about that Theoden bit.

[Eldorion]

Yet another new Book by Wayne G Hammond and Christina Scull on the way, 'The Art Of The Lord Of The Rings':

http://wayneandchristina.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/new-tolkien-projects-part-two/

Awesome news! I've flipped through The Art of The Hobbit before and it's quite good (I like Tolkien's drawings and paintings even if they aren't especially polished), but the "behind-the-scenes" maps and charts from LOTR are way more exciting to me. I'm curious to see what differences might exist in some of the earlier maps in particular.

[Elthir]

Will the Himling map controversy be explained? Probably not... since I might be the only one who thinks it's a controversy in the first place.

I'll get the book in any case.

Hammond and Scull is goodness. As is Tolkien's art!

[chris63]

Tolkiens languages.

http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/

[Ringdrotten]

By a fjordian, no less

[chris63]

[malickfan]

Surprising news, according to Amazon Tolkien's 'The Story of Kullervo' is set to be reprinted next year, Edited by Verlyn Flieger (Flieger originally edited it for publication in the academic journal 'Tolkien Studies'):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Story-Kullervo-J-R-Tolkien/dp/0008131368/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417376812&sr=8-1&keywords=the+story+of+kullervo


http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Story_of_Kullervo

I presume this is either an expanded 'annotated' scholarly edition or a pocket hardback, as the Amazon listing of 300 pages in considerably more than that listed for the page count in Tolkien Studies (acording to the wiki at least, I haven't read this before), then again Amazon listings are very unreliable this early pre release.

With this, 'The Art of The Lord of The Rings', the extended 'Smith of Wooton Major' and perhaps (at long last) the facsimile first edition of The Hobbit 2015 is going to be an exciting year on the books front...

[Eldorion]

They're making extended editions of books now?

[malickfan]

They're making extended editions of books now?

[Elthir]

Hmm, I have the Tolkien Studies volume in question... and yes 300 pages it (this section) isn't.

More notes?

[malickfan]

Hmm, I have the Tolkien Studies volume in question... and yes 300 pages it (this section) isn't.

More notes?

I would assume so, even though this is about Middle Earth it is a relatively niche Text and would probably merit an expanded scholarly edition, it seems an unlikely candidate for the pocket hardback range, I know a number of Tolkien's early poems are unpublished-including an additional version of the Turin story, (or very hard to get hold off) so perhaps this is a joint edition with related texts included?, it is worth noting that not all of Tolkien's draft material was published in HOME/HOTH/UFT so it's possible this contains some additional material (why bother reprinting it as a separate volume?, it's relatively unknown material).

I wonder if this is a sign of things to come, are we likely to see more of the variant draft, 'niche' material published? (the vast majority of Tolkien's academic lecture notes and essays remain unpublished as I understand it) Christopher Tolkien is, unfortunately getting on in years, and in the last decade an increasing number of posthumous material has been edited for publication by other hands, perhaps we will see more of Tolkien the academic rather than Tolkien the author.

I guess we will have to wait for additional details...

[Elthir]

If anone is wondering, Flieger's introduction in Tolkien Studies starts on page 211, Tolkien's Kullervo story on page 214 running to page 235 where it breaks off unfinished.

Then you have MS Folio 6, list of names, and draft plot synopsis, Folio 21 bringing you to page 238, then notes and commentary from VF to page 245.

Next there's Tolkien's essay On "The Kalevala" or Land of Heroes, manuscript draft, page 246 to 257. Then VF's notes and commentary to that. Then Tolkien's 'The Kalevala' typescipt draft begins on page 262 running to 276, and a page more of VF's notes and commentary to that.

So the whole things runs from 211 to 277, with Tolkien's actual unfinished story being shorter obviously.

Unless I messed up somewhere... but it's not 300 pages in all... if my math is correct.

[malickfan]

If anone is wondering, Flieger's introduction in Tolkien Studies starts on page 211, Tolkien's Kullervo story on page 214 running to page 235 where it breaks off unfinished.

Then you have MS Folio 6, list of names, and draft plot synopsis, Folio 21 bringing you to page 238, then notes and commentary from VF to page 245.

Next there Tolkien's essay On "The Kalevala" or Land of Heroes, manuscript draft, page 246 to 257. Then VF's notes and commentary to that. Then Tolkien's 'The Kalevala' typescipt draft begins on page 262 running to 276, and a page more of VF's notes and commentary to that.

So the whole things runs from 211 to 277, with Tolkien's actual unfinished story being much shorter.

Unless I messed up somewhere... but it's not 300 pages in all... if my math is correct.

That's...interesting, unless Amazon has a messed up listing (probably, as far as I can tell the product page was only put up today) the new edition must have new content, there's no way you could stretch 66 pages to 300

[Elthir]

Maybe it's the Font?



And illustrated!

[malickfan]

Maybe it's the Font?



And illustrated!

Good point(s).

[Eldorion]

I'd imagine it includes various other stories and/or fragments. Sort of like the new edition of Beowulf also included Sellic Spell. Maybe some fragmentary pre-BoLT works? And I'd expect the scholarly notes to be at least as long as the Tolkien material itself.

[Elthir]

Maybe a more detailed comparison between the Kullervo tale and the earliest forms of the Turin tale? Which could also be stretched for Middle-earth fans by comparing all that to the later forums of the Turin tale.

I have been slooowlllyy reading my Kalevala translation... so slowly I haven't yet gotten to Kullervo, so, so far I've purposely resisted reading Tolkien's prose version (although it's not completely prose) and am saving it for after I read 'the original'.

So with Tolkien Studies, so far I've read the manuscript essay about the Kalevala, and the notes on names, including VF's notes. Enjoyable. But all I know so far about Tolkien's actual story (IIRC) is that JRRT injected some of his own invented names, for some reason... he couldn't resist?

So not having read the early Turin tale in years... and 'saving' Tolkien's version of Kullervo until I read my translation... I don't even know what there might be to say about the two things in comparison. I already know some very basic Kullervo details like (spoiler alert): wedding his sister unknowingly (well I think he weds her, in any case they have... well, you know), and the talking sword when Kullervo... well, you know...

... that thing Turin did right after his sword 'spoke' to him.