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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2015 1:32:54 GMT -5
article from the GuardianA previously unknown map of Middle Earth annotated by Tolkien himself was recently discovered. It was part of the working relationship between the good professor and one of the illustrators who worked on the books. The existence of the map was suspected based on correspondence between the two, but the map itself was never found until discovered loose in a book of Baynes (the illustrator) about to go up for auction in a rare book auction. I was a huge Tolkien fan when younger (I read The Hobbit and LoTR once a year for 9 years straight between the ages of 12 and 21 (starting the Hobbit during/just after spring break and reading through the summer-with spring break being when I first read the Hobbit in 6th grade and the LoTR in 7th), but have not revisited the books themselves in nearly 2 decades). I have the first 11 volumes of the Christopher Tolkien edited History of Middle Earth (though have only made my way through the first 4 volumes and part of the 5th) and did my first ever research paper in high school on the LoTR (showing how it followed the model/structure of a traditional medieval romance for my freshman Literary Arts class), so I have a fondness for Tolkien scholarship. I also love the behind the curtain glimpses of the creative process of creators/works I enjoy, so I was enthralled reading about this latest discovery. Apparently the city of Ravenna was Tolkien's geographic inspiration for Minas Tirith and Hobbiton is on the same latitude as Oxford according to the annotations on the map (and lots of other wonderful tidbits). I hope a more detailed/complete look at these annotations is made available, as I love seeing this kind of stuff. -M
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 25, 2015 20:04:41 GMT -5
Tolkien didn't create a fantasy world; he created a genuine mythology. Like you, mrp, I used to read LotR every year; getting older, I found that I enjoyed the Silmarillion even more (despite its lack of central characters and actual plot). The sheer amount of details that went into Tolkien's creation is awe-inspiring, and reading the "first drafts" in Christopher Tolkien's series is really like reading alternative versions of ancient greek myths; it just adds to the feeling of authenticity of the whole shebang!
I used to refer to Tolkien's stories when I told my kids bedtime stories. The concept of the Earth being round because the Valar bent it so we couldn't reach Valinor anymore really struck their imagination!
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Post by DE Sinclair on Oct 27, 2015 8:39:13 GMT -5
This map would be an awesome thing to see in person. The last time I re-read LOTR was the summer/fall before the 1st movie came out. I don't know how often I read it before that because some years before I stopped counting at an even dozen. I first discovered Tolkien right after I graduated High School, so it's been a while.
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Post by berkley on Oct 27, 2015 23:27:57 GMT -5
Very cool the see Tolkien's own written comments on the map.
Like RR, I thoroughly enjoyed the Silmarillion when it came out, but I haven't read any of the other posthumous volumes, Unfinished Tales, etc - anyone recommend any of those?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2015 0:24:21 GMT -5
Very cool the see Tolkien's own written comments on the map. Like RR, I thoroughly enjoyed the Silmarillion when it came out, but I haven't read any of the other posthumous volumes, Unfinished Tales, etc - anyone recommend any of those? Most of the Unfinished Tales (in part) and the Book of Lost Tales (both volumes)are earlier drafts by Tolkien of the stories/myths that became the Silmarillion, so if you're someone who likes to see how the tales evolved, they are interesting (and personally I think some of the earlier versions read better than the final edits). The Lays of Beleriand are the same stories told as an aborted epic poem by Tolkien, again interesting as a curiosity moreso than for reading something new from the Professor. The Shaping of Middle Earth (which is Vol. 4 of the History of Middle Earth) is where I ran out of steam and where intellectual curiosity of seeing the stories evolve was trumped by over-familiarity with the stories in their myriad versions by then. I know Vol. 5 on cover different ground, but I never mustered the gumption to go back and pick up the series again. I do at some point want to get to The Children of Hurin and The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrin (and possibly the Fall of Arthur), but I've not gotten around to acquiring those yet or checking them out of the library. -M |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 28, 2015 10:52:54 GMT -5
Very cool the see Tolkien's own written comments on the map. Like RR, I thoroughly enjoyed the Silmarillion when it came out, but I haven't read any of the other posthumous volumes, Unfinished Tales, etc - anyone recommend any of those? Most of the Unfinished Tales (in part) and the Book of Lost Tales (both volumes)are earlier drafts by Tolkien of the stories/myths that became the Silmarillion, so if you're someone who likes to see how the tales evolved, they are interesting (and personally I think some of the earlier versions read better than the final edits). The Lays of Beleriand are the same stories told as an aborted epic poem by Tolkien, again interesting as a curiosity moreso than for reading something new from the Professor. The Shaping of Middle Earth (which is Vol. 4 of the History of Middle Earth) is where I ran out of steam and where intellectual curiosity of seeing the stories evolve was trumped by over-familiarity with the stories in their myriad versions by then. I know Vol. 5 on cover different ground, but I never mustered the gumption to go back and pick up the series again. I do at some point want to get to The Children of Hurin and The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrin (and possibly the Fall of Arthur), but I've not gotten around to acquiring those yet or checking them out of the library. is one I will continue avoiding. The tale of Turin Turanbar has been told enough times already! I really enjoyed the not-quite-right feel of the first drafts in the Book of Lost Tales. The evolution of the stories make them look more historical, more like actual myths than modern made-up stories. I seem to recall that the awakening of the Elves in Cuivienen was covered in more details, too, but may be wrong about that. |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Oct 29, 2015 8:22:39 GMT -5
I love The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings -- I grew up reading and re-reading those books (especially in my early teens) -- but I've tried three times to read the Silmarillion and failed. I tried once when I was 14, again when I was 18 and had a third attempt just a couple of years back. I never seems to even get past the first chapter. That book is some impenetrable s**t!
Of course, I can really appreciate the intricate and exhaustive world building, but as something to read for enjoyment, The Silmarrilion has just never done it for me. I've never tried any of the other Tolkien books or the masses of posthumously published material either. I'm not really a Tolkien nut, I'm just a big fan of The Hobbit and LOTRs books.
Wonderful to see that map with the man's own annotations on it though. Thanks for sharing, mrp.
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