Description
The Lays of Beleriandgives us a privileged insight into the creation of the mythology of Middle-earth, through the alliterative verse tales of two of the most crucial stories in Tolkien’s world–those of Turin and Luthien. Accompanying the poems are commentaries on the evolution of the history of the Elder Days. Also included is the notable criticism ofThe Lay of Leithianby C.S. Lewis, who read the poem in 1929.
InThe Shaping of Middle-earth,the chronological and geographical structure of the legends of Middle-earth and Valinor is spread before us. We are introduced to the hitherto unknownAmbarkantaor “Shape of the World,” the only account ever given of the nature of the imagined Universe, accompanied by maps and diagrams of the world before and after the cataclysms of The War of the Gods and the Downfall of Numenor.
The Lost Roadcompletes the examination of Tolkien’s writing before he beganThe Lord of the Rings, presenting later forms of the annals of Valinor and Beleriand, the legend of the downfall of Numenor, and the abandoned “time-travel” story “The Lost Road,” linking the world of Numenor and Middle-earth with the legends of many other times and peoples.
Published together for the first time, these three books collect a fascinating period of Christopher Tolkien’s forty-year career devoted to presenting his father J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings on Middle-earth, a unique accomplishment that celebrates the greatest invented world in all of fantasy literature.
J.R.R. TOLKIEN(1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writingThe Hobbit,The Lord of the Rings,andThe Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over sixty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.
Christopher Tolkien(1924-2020) was the third son of J.R.R. Tolkien. Appointed by Tolkien to be his literary executor, he devoted himself to the editing and publication of unpublished writings, notablyThe Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales,andThe History of Middle-earth.
William Morrow & Company
Pub Date: May 14, 2024
3.78″ H x 9.37″ L x 6.14″ W
1264 pages
Boxed set
