The Book of Lost Tales: Part 2

Part II is a continuation of the texts Tolkien included in his Lost Tales writings from the 1910s. The division between the two parts is a publishing choice. However, it is conveniently divided between what could be called genesis stories, those which focus more on creation and the gods, and later stories, those that deal with elves, humans, and the other beings. Most of the stories here we've already encountered once or twice before. But in all cases, they are the earliest documentation of these stories. While they are the banner stories of Tolkien's First Age imaginarium, reading them again but this time in archaic style makes for a tough go. And to give them a fair shake, you really need to forget most of what you remember from The Silmarillion and The Unfinished Tales, something I was not completely able to do.

Come visit my blog for the full review!