Re: The General Tolkien News Thread

[malickfan]

New Illustrated edition of The Silmarillion to be released (presumebly this will in the same format as the recent Unfinished Tales illustrated edition):

https://www.facebook.com/officialtolkien/photos/a.361297593944637/4502831499791205/?type=3&theater

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silmarillion-J-R-Tolkien/dp/0008433941

The first illustated edition by Ted Nasmith was released in 1998 I think and had 18 full colour paintings, I have the 2004 edition which had 45, it looks like this new one will have 'almost 50' so perhaps only three or four more, though it's possible it may also have some pencil drawing illustrations as well I suppose.

I'm assuming they went for the Fall of Numenor as the cover picture to tie in with the upcoming Amazon Prime series.

[Lancebloke]

Not sure if anyone has posted this anywhere?

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/19/jrr-tolkien-the-nature-of-middle-earth-published-june-2021

[halfwise]

Whoah! I already want to place my order. Had no idea this was coming out.

[Pettytyrant101]

{{ Sure somene (possibly Malick) mentioned it while back- but yeah, definently on the must buy list }}

[halfwise]

Pre order for $30 on Amazon. Doesn't come until June. If waiting that long I may as well wait for the reviews but may not be able to resist.

[Lancebloke]

I wonder if we will find out who/what Bombadil really is?

Also, the article was badly written suggesting that a lot of the recent stand alone titles were never seen before so that also makes me wonder if this will be a compilation of silmarillion/appendices in a more readable format or really something new.

[malickfan]

Looking at the article this was interesting:

Topics include Elvish immortality and reincarnation; the nature of the Valar, the god-like spirits of Middle-earth; the lands and beasts of Númenor; the geography of the kingdom of Gondor; and even who had beards. Whether elves, hobbits and even dwarven women could grow beards has long been subject of debate among fans.

I don't think anyone else here apart from me, Elthir and Eldy have read the various History Of Middle earth books, but from what I recall some of the topics listed above were explored in the last three volumes in that series Morgoth's Ring, The War Of The Jewels and The Peoples Of Middle Earth though of course even that lengthy series of books wouldn't have included every bit of writing/draft material by Tolkien, the author of The Nature of Middle Earth commented as such on the Hall Of Fire forum some years ago:

http://www.thehalloffire.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=2250&sid=a5aa96d5505afc4467b2acbbf560c80e

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Carl_F._Hostetter

Perhaps The Nature Of Middle Earth will include some of the material that Chrsitopher tolkien had to leave out of the History of Middle Earth books for reasons of space.

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Index:Unpublished_material

the geography of the kingdom of Gondor

I wonder if this will be a reprint of:

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Rivers_and_Beacon-hills_of_Gondor

Whether elves, hobbits and even dwarven women could grow beards has long been subject of debate among fans.

https://middle-earth.xenite.org/why-does-cirdan-have-a-beard/

The following etymological note pertains to the name Russandol in the discussion of the name Maitimo in the numbered list of names of the seven sons of Fëanor (XII:352-52). A marginal note against that discussion provides the detail that Nerdanel “herself had brown hair and a ruddy complexion”. A note elsewhere in the papers associated with this essay reads: “Elves did not have beards until they entered their third cycle of life. Nerdanel’s father [Cf. XII-66 n.61] was exceptional, being only early in his second.”

Cirdan is something like 11-15,000 years old at the close of the Third Age so may well have been enterting the 'third cycle of life'.

[malickfan]

I wonder if we will find out who/what Bombadil really is?

https://www.hammondandscull.com/addenda/bombadil.html

See this 1954 letter by Tolkien for a possible answer to that question:

But Tom Bombadil is just as he is. Just an odd ‘fact’ of that world. He won’t be explained, because as long as you are (as in this tale you are meant to be) concentrated on the Ring, he is inexplicable. But he’s there – a reminder of the truth (as I see it) that the world is so large and manifold that if you take one facet and fix your mind and heart on it, there is always something that does not come in to that story/argument/approach, and seems to belong to a larger story. But of course in another way, not that of pure story-making, Bombadil is a deliberate contrast to the Elves who are artists. But B. does not want to make, alter, devise, or control anything: just to observe and take joy in the contemplating the things that are not himself. The spirit of the [deleted: world > this earth] made aware of itself. He is more like science (utterly free from technological blemish) and history than art. He represents the complete fearlessness of that spirit when we can catch a little of it. But I do suggest that it is possible to fear (as I do) that the making artistic sub-creative spirit (of Men and Elves) is actually more potent, and can ‘fall’, and that it could in the eventual triumph of its own evil destroy the whole earth, and Bombadil and all.

[Mrs Figg]

That's interesting about Bombadil. Part of me doesn't want to find out what he is because he should be mysterious. He should be left to the imagination.

[malickfan]

Agreed, I think Bombadil's indentity is best left to the imagination (though I think the most logical theory is that he is either a personification of nature made flesh or a by product of the http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Music_of_the_Ainur)

There's also this infamous theory:

https://km-515.livejournal.com/1042.html

[halfwise]

That last guy scores a lot of good points.

[malickfan]

I'm guessing the Nature of Middle Earth may also reprint some of the texts found in this:

https://mythoi.tolkienindex.net/2014/12/11/tolkiens-fragments-on-elvish-reincarnation-14/

The pre-order links for the book are up on Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0008387923/

https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Middle-earth-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0358454603/

Looks like the front cover illustration is this painting by Ted Nasmith:

https://www.tednasmith.com/tolkien/the-light-of-valinor-on-the-western-sea/

(I don't think the book itself will be illustrated though as it seems to be less a narrative work, and more a collection of lore/thematic essays etc)

[halfwise]

Not a fan of Nasmith's but if you take out all the cartoonish characters his landscapes are pretty good. If PJ did anything right, it was to focus on Alan Lee and John Howe.

[malickfan]

I came across a couple of short, but intriguing looking books on Amazon just now:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spring-Harvest-Geoffrey-Bache-Smith/dp/1546992715/

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Geoffrey_Bache_Smith

For those unaware Geoffrey Bache-Smith was one of Tolkien's closest friends in his formatative years, they went to school together, Smith aspired to be a professional poet but he was killed on active service in 1916 at the Battle Of The Somme. After his death Tolkien and his friend Christopher Wiseman edited a selection of his poems for publication, entitled 'A Spring Harvest' in 1918, presumebly this reprints that same selection of poems.

I was also unaware that J.R.R Tolkien's brother Hilary also wrote fiction:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-White-Ogre-Country-Tolkien/dp/0955190010

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Black_%26_White_Ogre_Country

A planned biography was cancelled some years back:

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Wheelbarrows_at_Dawn

[halfwise]

"recently discovered tales written in a little exercise book" - Hilary obviously didn't push his writing very hard, and the few comments in Amazon are mixed.

[malickfan]

Couple of updates on the forthcoming book The Nature Of Middle Earth

The editor of the book Carl F. Hostetter posts online under the name Aelfwine, he commented in this thread on The Tolkien Collectors Guide Forum: https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=3727&start=100

I cannot yet speak to the contents in specifics, but let me dispel this speculation now. It is true that The Nature of Middle-earth will contain some primary material that was previously published in specialist journals; but the vast majority of the material is previously unpublished. (That's why I've been at work on this in earnest and as my schedule permits for some years now.

So it seems most of the content will be genuinely newly published.

On Amazon UK the book is listed as 400 pages long, on Amazon Germany it's listed as 600 pages long:

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/3608964789/

Whether that's indicating the final length of the book hasn't be nailed down yet, the Amazon Germnay edition is in a larger font size/different format or one of the listings in incorrect I'm not sure (I think it's highly likely they will publish a 'delixe version' on this book in slipcase hardcover, as they have done so for most of Tolkien's books), I guess we'll get more infomation in another press release nearer the time.

I haven't pre-ordered a copy just yet, but on Amazon UK the price seems to be fluctuating between £18-£25 every few days.

[halfwise]

On Amazon UK the book is listed as 400 pages long, on Amazon Germany it's listed as 600 pages long

Germans are longer winded.

[chris63]

Or have smaller.pages.

[Lancebloke]

Germans.

Don't.

Say.

Anything.

Unless.

It.

Is.

Worth.

Taking.

A.

Long.

Time.

To.









Say.

[Pettytyrant101]

{{{ }}}

[Lancebloke]

https://www.projectnorthmoor.org/

[azriel]

I saw this advertised. Wasnt sure if it was a prank ? but, obviously it isnt. Yes ! Im amazed its in the position that its got to be saved ? They can slap a preservation order on a telephone box but Tolkiens home with all that culture, feeling & atmosphere ?

[Elthir]

I will be referring to the book The Nature of Middle-Earth as GNOME.

Just sayin'

[halfwise]

I assume you're referring to the German Nature of Middle Earth. Noted for future cross reference.

[Elthir]

I think you mean gnoted for future reference.

Sorry.