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The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Reading Room:
NEW book - The Story of Kullervo by JRR Tolkien

Eruonen
Half-elven


Aug 7 2015, 6:20pm

Post #1 of 14 (2267 views)
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NEW book - The Story of Kullervo by JRR Tolkien Can't Post

http://www.amazon.com/...olkien/dp/0008131368


(This post was edited by Eruonen on Aug 7 2015, 6:21pm)


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Aug 7 2015, 6:46pm

Post #2 of 14 (2231 views)
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This was brought up a few weeks ago. [In reply to] Can't Post

Again, the site is deceptive. This is not the first publication of The Story of Kullervo; although this is perhaps the first mass publication making it readily available.

"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock


SilentLion
Rivendell

Aug 8 2015, 12:55pm

Post #3 of 14 (2181 views)
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This is a Finnish folk tail that Tolkien expanded on [In reply to] Can't Post

After reading a synopsis, it seems that Tolkien used many details from the Kullervo myth in the story of Turin Turambar.


Malveth
Rivendell

Aug 11 2015, 10:39am

Post #4 of 14 (2088 views)
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Sort of ... [In reply to] Can't Post

Part of this book was published in a specialist journal many years ago. For the average fan or general reader, this is the first time the material has been made available. I'm really looking forward to this, having really enjoyed the last three CRT volumes :) VF is one of the earliest academic Tolkien scholars, I'm looking forward to reading her commentary.


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Aug 11 2015, 1:31pm

Post #5 of 14 (2074 views)
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Okay [In reply to] Can't Post

Thanks for the clarification. And the previous discussion was some time ago.

"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock

(This post was edited by Otaku-sempai on Aug 11 2015, 1:36pm)


Ilmatar
Rohan


Aug 11 2015, 11:39pm

Post #6 of 14 (2051 views)
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Yes [In reply to] Can't Post

Here is some more background info for those interested: New Tolkien book: The Story of Kullervo


Quote
Kullervo son of Kalervo is perhaps the darkest and most tragic of all J.R.R. Tolkien’s characters.


Maybe I should not "say this aloud" on a Tolkien forum, but I find it a little amusing that Kullervo is called a "Tolkien character", when Kullervo, Kalervo, Untamo etc. and the whole tragic back story are straight form the Finnish national epic Kalevala. Cool I'm sure that Tolkien seasoned the tale thoroughly with his own creativity (and will read it at some point to find out and enjoy), but still - when even the characters' names are completely the same - it looks funny to me that they are named "Tolkien characters" when he did not originally invent them.


Elthir
Grey Havens

Aug 12 2015, 12:17pm

Post #7 of 14 (2010 views)
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Part of the book [In reply to] Can't Post

As I have the Tolkien Studies (TS) volume in question, I'm wondering what more will be in this book. TS includes Tolkien's prose tale (some chunks of poetry in it), V. Fliegers commentary, and two versions of Tolkien's essay on the Kalevala in general.

I'm not questioning your "part of" in the sense that I don't believe you, but merely asking: for those of us who already own TS, what is the "more" part in this book?

It seems like there would almost have to be more. Although then again, even a thinnish Finnish (well, in a sense) book with Tolkien's name on it would probably sell well enough anyway.


(This post was edited by Elthir on Aug 12 2015, 12:25pm)


Elthir
Grey Havens

Aug 12 2015, 1:38pm

Post #8 of 14 (1997 views)
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to answer my question, in part [In reply to] Can't Post

On another site, Troelsfo recently posted:


Quote
The core of this new book will undoubtedly be Tolkien's The Story of Kullervo and his Kalevala essays, which were also published in Tolkien Studies VII in 2010 – then, as now, edited by Verlyn Flieger.

Carl Hostetter has, on the Mythopoeic Society mailing list (“Kullervo” 11 Aug.), explained that “Verlyn has made revisions and corrections to the texts that appeared in "Tolkien Studies” — and thus is important — but it is not an expansion of the TS edition.

The text in Tolkien Studies VII runs to 68 pages, and even with larger fonts, some illustrations, and more space generally than in Tolkien Studies (which is very much an academic journal, including using a densely packed small font), I do hope that it will still take at least a little expansion (even if only an extra paragraph here and an extra couple of lines there) to fill out the 192 pages promised in the new book.



Hmm Smile


Voronwë_the_Faithful
Valinor

Aug 12 2015, 3:56pm

Post #9 of 14 (1983 views)
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Additional material [In reply to] Can't Post

My understanding is that in addition to the revisions and corrections mentioned by Carl, the book will also contain the essay that is included in Verlyn's book Green Suns and Fairie called "Tolkien, Kalevala, and 'The Story of Kullervo'", which was not part of the material included in Tolkien Studies, Volume VII. But, of course, if you already have that fine book, it would not be additional material to you.

'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'

The Hall of Fire


Elthir
Grey Havens

Aug 12 2015, 8:01pm

Post #10 of 14 (1968 views)
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thanks [In reply to] Can't Post

Although I have several books of Fliegerian authorship, I don't have Green Suns And Faerie (yet) Smile

More reasons to buy!


emre43
Rohan

Aug 14 2015, 9:19am

Post #11 of 14 (1879 views)
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So, is this [In reply to] Can't Post

An expansion of Middle Earth or a rebelling of the Kalevala?

The blurb mentions it being described as an 'important matter of the First Age'.

Two things I love most, good horses and beautiful women, And when I die I hope they tan this old hide of mine and make it into a ladies riding saddle, So I can rest in peace between the two things I love.
- Russell J. Larsen


emre43
Rohan

Aug 15 2015, 5:12am

Post #12 of 14 (1830 views)
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It also says on Harper Collins' website [In reply to] Can't Post

That Tolkien's 'Kullervo is an ancestor of Turin Turambar'. I am not sure whether this is to be taken literally or whether it means the character inspired Tolkien's Turin. I wouldn't have thought they would put something so ambiguous on a product pre-order description.

Two things I love most, good horses and beautiful women, And when I die I hope they tan this old hide of mine and make it into a ladies riding saddle, So I can rest in peace between the two things I love.
- Russell J. Larsen


Elthir
Grey Havens

Aug 15 2015, 6:19pm

Post #13 of 14 (1788 views)
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it's a retelling... [In reply to] Can't Post

... of the Finnish tale of Kullervo. Tolkien made some changes however, and Hammond and Scull note that some of the changes "look forward" to the tale of Turin (Reader's Guide)

Or for example, Tolkien enhances the role of the dog Musti, and jumping over to the Beren and Luthien tale, Hammond and Scull note that perhaps Huan is his successor


(This post was edited by Elthir on Aug 15 2015, 6:25pm)


Mooseboy018
Grey Havens


Aug 27 2015, 5:56pm

Post #14 of 14 (1588 views)
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April... [In reply to] Can't Post

I thought the book was being published everywhere in October. Now I just found out today that it's published today in the UK, but it won't be out in the US until April. The link in this thread still says October, but it's labeled as an "International release" and "out of print."

When is this thing actually coming out in the US? Why would it take almost eight extra months to publish it here...? Crazy

 
 

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