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Ardamírë
Valinor
Nov 13 2012, 5:13pm
Views: 1425
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And they are all absolutely worth the read.
It follows the evolution of Tolkien's Middle-earth writings from approximately 1916 to the end of his life. As with all writings, there are many conflicting manuscripts and changes from one revision to another.
Much of it is inconsistent with what he later wrote, but there is still much that isn't. In fact, much of the material at the end of the Silmarillion comes from the older stories because Tolkien never significantly rewrote them or revised them.
My two favorite volumes are X & XI (Morgoth's Ring & The War of the Jewels). They follow the expansion and revision of the Silmarillion material after the completion of LOTR and are fascinating. Much of it was used in the compiling of the published Silmarillion, but not all. There is a wealth of untold stories, many of which are better than their "canonical" counterparts.
Laws and Customs among the Eldar is a fascinating look into Tolkien's vision about the Elves, and The Shibboleth of Feanor is a marvelous look at languages and how they influence the world.
If any of this sounds the least bit interesting to you, I'd suggest you look into them. As others have said, they are rather expensive (especially since there are 12 volumes), but I find them to be invaluable.
"...and his first memory of Middle-earth was the green stone above her breast as she sang above his cradle while Gondolin was still in flower." -Unfinished Tales
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