Whew. It’s been a journey.
I started this whole thing back in July of 2018. I’d been kicking around the idea of doing a LotR read-along for a while, and actually up and started it more or less on a whim.
Much of what I said in the wrap-up of the LotR readalong holds true for this as well. For as often as I’ve read the Sil over the years, doing it like this - one chapter at a time, with deep and careful thought given to each one - was a totally different experience. It really gave me a new appreciation for what Tolkien created. There’s a whole lot of beauty in this book.
Yet at the same time it’s profoundly unsatisfying. This is the literary version of a tasting menu prepared by a master chef. It’s delicious. It’s an experience. The craft involved is obvious. And it’s really, really unsatisfying. Sure these bits and bites are delicious, but I want more, damn it!
Fortunately there is more. I actually finished up my re-read of the Sil a while ago, and have been listening to the audiobook of The Children of Húrin. For one thing, I can tell you that the narration - by none other than Sir Christopher Lee - is amazing. It’s also super depressing, because Túrin’s life isn’t exactly made any more cheerful by a longer telling. But going from the in-depth read of the Sil to CoH took it to a whole new level. I haven’t actually read the full editions of Beren and Lúthien and The Fall of Gondolin <hangs head in shame> <wait a minute, I don’t have a thing to be ashamed of - I own a copy of Roverandom, damn it!> but I’m looking forward to reading them soon.
For those looking to dive deeper, the next place to go, besides the books I mentioned above, is Unfinished Tales. It’s exactly what it says it is: things that Tolkien wrote but never got completed enough for Christopher to include them here. But they’re still very interesting on their own - the expanded version of Tuor’s journey to Gondolin is actually one of my favorite things Tolkien ever wrote, and the Seven Gates have always loomed very large in my imagination.
After that comes the 12-volume History of Middle-earth. This is where things really get tough, because this is more like a college English seminar than anything else. It’s not for everyone; give Unfinished Tales a try first if you want a taste of what you’ll be getting in the Histories. They take you through the entire story of the creation of Middle-earth, so it’s about the history and the influences and the craft more than the universe itself. It basically gives you a glimpse into the forge where Fëanor wrought his masterworks.
I want to give a big thank you to everyone who encouraged me to do this, and to everyone who’s read along with me, commented, or lurked. It’s been super rewarding and a wonderful experience. But it’s also taken a lot of time and energy - no regrets about doing it, but I’m glad to be done.
Aure Entuluva!
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