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 Post subject: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 3:01 pm 
Elven Warrior
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A new Beren and Luthien book is coming out in May.

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The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien. Returning from France and the battle of the Somme at the end of 1916, he wrote the tale in the following year.

Essential to the story, and never changed, is the fate that shadowed the love of Beren and Lúthien: for Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal elf. Her father, a great elvish lord, in deep opposition to Beren, imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. This is the kernel of the legend; and it leads to the supremely heroic attempt of Beren and Lúthien together to rob the greatest of all evil beings, Melkor, called Morgoth, the Black Enemy, of a Silmaril.

In this book Christopher Tolkien has attempted to extract the story of Beren and Lúthien from the comprehensive work in which it was embedded; but that story was itself changing as it developed new associations within the larger history. To show something of the process whereby this legend of Middle-earth evolved over the years, he has told the story in his father's own words by giving, first, its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts that illustrate the narrative as it changed. Presented together for the first time, they reveal aspects of the story, both in event and in narrative immediacy, that were afterwards lost.

Published on the tenth anniversary of the last Middle-earth book, the international bestseller The Children of Húrin, this new volume will similarly include drawings and color plates by Alan Lee, who also illustrated The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and went on to win Academy Awards for his work on The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.


From the description, it seems like it will be a compilation of drafts, rather than the full story, which can be found in The Silmarrilion.

A couple other things which may have slipped under some peoples' radar:

The Story of Kullervo was released in April:

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Tolkien himself said that The Story of Kullervo was "the germ of my attempt to write legends of my own," and was "a major matter in the legends of the First Age." Tolkien’s Kullervo is the clear ancestor of Túrin Turambar, tragic incestuous hero of The Silmarillion. Published here for the first time with the author’s drafts, notes, and lecture essays on its source work, the Kalevala, The Story of Kullervo is a foundation stone in the structure of Tolkien’s invented world.


The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun was released in November:

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Unavailable for more than 70 years, this early but important work is published for the first time with Tolkien's 'Corrigan' poems and other supporting material, including a prefatory note by Christopher Tolkien. Set 'In Britain's land beyond the seas' during the Age of Chivalry, The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun tells of a childless Breton Lord and Lady (the 'Aotrou' and 'Itroun' of the title) and the tragedy that befalls them when Aotrou seeks to remedy their situation with the aid of a magic potion obtained from a corrigan, or malevolent fairy.


Wonder how much more Christopher can possibly publish?
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 Post subject: Re: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 5:57 pm 
Loremaster
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I am very excited for the beren and luthien book!
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 Post subject: Re: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Fri Dec 23, 2016 2:43 am 
Elven Elder
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Interesting, I'll be picking this one up. Will the Fall of Gondolin be getting a single release in a few years too then?

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 Post subject: Re: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 7:28 pm 
Elven Warrior
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Awesome news, thanks a lot for sharing! 8)
It's hard to be sure whether the story of Beren & Luthien as told in the Silmarillion will be repeated here, but if so I will definitely get it! It seems like the most obvious thing to do (also compared to similar books that have been published in the last few years).
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 Post subject: Re: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 8:58 pm 
Elven Warrior
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According to Amazon, release date has been pushed back to June.
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 Post subject: Re: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 11:51 pm 
Kinsman
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Jamros wrote:
According to Amazon, release date has been pushed back to June.

Makes sense, Tolkien may be having trouble finishing it, being dead and all.
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 Post subject: Re: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 12:18 am 
Elven Warrior
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Hahahahaha!
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 Post subject: Re: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 12:50 pm 
Craftsman
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Just picked up my copy of Beren and Luthien, hopefully this will provide some good reading for my time off !

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 Post subject: Re: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 1:59 pm 
Loremaster
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I got my copy too! I'm knee deep in it right now. For those interested, it is not a retelling of the tale from the silma. It is taken from earlier drafts of the story and so certain key features are different. Characters are different races, there are new villians and even some names have changed.
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 Post subject: Re: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Sun Jun 18, 2017 11:51 am 
Ringwraith
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I have to get Beren and Luthien - I was not even aware of it being published! (Dorth has been in a bubble for some months folks)

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 Post subject: Re: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 5:49 pm 
Kinsman
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I’ve never cared much for the story. After reading it, I’ve never thought “hey this is the ultimate love story!” I understand its importance in ME’s history in bringing the miar, elves and men together into a single bloodline. But I never found it particularly interesting. Although the irony of the story, which Tolkien never really dealt with, is that Thingol opposed Beren, as too low for his daughter, whereas he had no problem in daring to approach one of the miar as a marital partner. It always seemed very hypocritical of him.

I'll get the book at some point. I'm too much of a completionist.
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 Post subject: Re: New Beren and Luthien
PostPosted: Tue Jul 25, 2017 3:28 am 
Loremaster
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That is a good point. I really like what you point out about Thingol and his spouse. That is great irony!
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