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Voronwë_the_Faithful
Valinor
Dec 23 2022, 4:47pm
Post #1 of 8
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Review of The Fall of Numenor
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My review of The Fall of Numenor is now up at The Journal of Tolkien Research.
The Fall of Númenor (2022) by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Brian Sibley
Some may recall that in a previous discussion I said that I would be afraid to publish a review of the book because it would almost sound like I was plagiarizing Eldy's post describing her impression of the book. In order to get around that, I include several quotes from her post in the review. So TORN itself is mentioned and cited.
'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
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noWizardme
Half-elven
Dec 23 2022, 5:16pm
Post #2 of 8
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That sounds like a good solution!
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And now I have something interesting to read in a quiet moment of the holidays 
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"I am not made for querulous pests." Frodo 'Spooner' Baggins.
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Eldy
Tol Eressea
Dec 23 2022, 8:45pm
Post #3 of 8
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Good to read your thoughts in full...
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...especially since I couldn't make it through the whole book.  Part of me is tickled that Elentir, one of my favorite one-off canon reject characters from HoMe, got mentioned in a book that theoretically could have a greater readership than The Peoples of Middle-earth. I just wish it wasn't in this format.
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Dec 23 2022, 10:14pm
Post #4 of 8
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I read both yours and Eldy's reviews
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and while both are very well written and thoughtful (and much more knowledgeable than anything I could write), I've been thinking for a while that I should say that I really love this book.
I've been savoring it for quite a while, reading slowly, which may be why the flow issues aren't bothering me. I'm not learning much I didn't already know (the dancing bears were new to me.) But I love having the tale in chronological order. (I have a separate bookmark in the back so I can read the endnotes easily.)
Back in the early 1970s, when I was first reading LotR over and over, there were news stories about how Tolkien was trying to finish the Silmarillion and publish it. Then in 1973 he died, and hope of the Sil died with it, for a time, At the time, I hadn't dug into the appendices much, so I thought the Sil was going to be about the fall of Numenor and the Last Alliance, and be a novel about that time. Of course I was mostly mistaken. But I always wanted that book.
Unfinished Tales gave me a lot of what I had wanted, but it wasn't quite it. I loved The Mariner's Wife, but of course it was unfinished. And not really in context either.
I can see and understand the flaws both of you are pointing out, but this book feels like the book I've been waiting for for half a century.
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GNU Terry Pratchett
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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(This post was edited by Aunt Dora Baggins on Dec 23 2022, 10:16pm)
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Eldy
Tol Eressea
Dec 23 2022, 10:54pm
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I've been pretty outspoken about The Fall of Númenor, but I acknowledge that my views are shaped by my perspective as someone who came in with an arguably excessive attachment to the Second Age (not to imply that other hardcore Second Age fans must necessarily agree with me about this volume!), and I've never wanted to begrudge others their enjoyment. I have no objection to the concept of a single volume compendium of Tolkien's Second Age works, and even though this isn't how I would've approached such a project, I'm happy if it rekindles—or ignites for the first time—others' appreciation of this corner of the legendarium. :)
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Voronwë_the_Faithful
Valinor
Dec 24 2022, 12:10am
Post #6 of 8
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I am very glad that you are enjoying it!
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It really goes to show how perspectives differ. I'm very pleased that you chose to speak up.
'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
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Dec 24 2022, 1:59am
Post #7 of 8
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Thanks to both of you for your kind replies.
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The thing I've loved most about these forums over the past two decades is that we don't have to agree on everything, and yet we can still be kind <3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GNU Terry Pratchett
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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Dunadan of North Arnor
Rivendell
Jan 19 2023, 4:34am
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I didn't mind the structure, love the art, one complaint...
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NO INDEX!
Actually 2 complaints. It’s a little too incomplete for my tastes. For instance, I find none of the dialogue between Celebrimbor and Galadriel, nor any reference to Glorfindel & the Blue Wizards arriving c.1600. Which leaves the completist in me wanting more, although I confess that I haven’t given it a full go, including notes, from cover to cover yet.
But I kinda like the chronological approach, the yearly entries as chapters, and the piecing together of material, however disjointed it may seem. The Mariner’s Wife and Akallabeth, with some of the best Tolkien narrative and dialogue, still come through as the main acts of the Second Age Play. (Tar-Meneldur’s soliloquy after letting Gil-Galad’s letter drop to his lap still brings a tear to the eye, almost Shakespearean - it's where I planted my bound red ribbon!)
I watched ROP Season 1 with my nephews (11 & 16), and we were all, ahem, less than thrilled. So I bought them both Deluxe Editions for X-Mas, saying here’s the source material, as written by Tolkien, and it’s even made to read piecemeal at your leisure; and wow, look at that amazing Alan Lee art!!
I agree VtF, no one can replace Tolkien the Son, just as we said about the Father prior to Christopher’s passing. But I’ll give Sibley his due, along with Carl Hostetter, for continuing to extend the primary material section of my Tolkien bookshelf past CT’s adjunct compilations of CoH, B&L, and FoG.
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