New Tolkien book to be published in April

[mattbib]

Just saw this on Yahoo! News, figured Tolkien fans would be interested...

LONDON (AFP) - An unfinished book by "Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien, which was completed by his son, will go on sale on next month, a newspaper said.

"The Children of Hurin", which Tolkien began in 1918, will be in bookshops on April 17, the Independent on Sunday added. The author's son, Christopher, spent 30 years completing the story from the many drafts produced by his father.

Publisher HarperCollins is keeping exact details of the story under close wraps but its description as "an epic story of adventure, tragedy, fellowship and heroism" will be familiar to the legions of Tolkien fans.

Artist Alan Lee has provided 25 pencil sketches and eight paintings for the book.

Lee won an Oscar for art direction on Peter Jackson's "The Return of the King", the third blockbuster film based on the "Lord of Rings" trilogy that brought the stories to a worldwide audience.

"The Children of Hurin" is the first "new" Tolkien book since a collection of his works -- "The Silmarillion" -- was published posthumously in 1977, four years after the writer's death. It was also edited by Christopher Tolkien.

The chairman of the Tolkien Society, Chris Crawshaw, was quoted by the Independent on Sunday as saying: "It ('The Children of Hurin') would probably make a very good movie, if anyone can secure the film rights."

[Nate C.]

ooooooooooooh.

thanks, Matt. I will buy day 1.

[Subotai]

Yeah, I have a feeling it will sell well. I'll be there.

[Jonathan Bogart]

I won't. It's the literary equivalent of a new greatest hits CD with two new songs, both of which suck. I'm sure Christopher Tolkien is a perfectly nice man, but I have no interest in reading his books.

[Blueferret]

I won't. It's the literary equivalent of a new greatest hits CD with two new songs, both of which suck. I'm sure Christopher Tolkien is a perfectly nice man, but I have no interest in reading his books.

Just got an Motley Crue or Van Halen image just now

[Subotai]

I won't. It's the literary equivalent of a new greatest hits CD with two new songs, both of which suck.

Are you kidding? You make it sound like a U2 compilation or some crap. This isn't a quick, money-grabbing knock-off by any means.

A little more info:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...538603,00.html

And an illustration from the book, Beleg Cúthalion leaving Menegroth:

http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/..._Menegroth.jpg

This book isn't exactly for the layperson, but for those of us who would love more stories from the First Age of Middle Earth, it sounds fantastic.

[Jonathan Bogart]

This book isn't exactly for the layperson, but for those of us who would love more stories from the First Age of Middle Earth, it sounds fantastic.

"The new U2 compilation isn't exactly for the layperson, but for those of us who would love to hear more overwrought Irish bombast with a watery guitar sound, it sounds fantastic."

I love the books that Tolkien completed to his own satisfaction, but everything else is outtakes and demos and life's too short.

(Actually, a better comparison on my part would have been those John Lennon demos that Paul McCartney gussied up and released as new Beatles songs in the 90s.)

[Nate C.]

Dear Jonathan,

you seem incredibly short and grumpy as of late. Might I suggest some girly books. No, wait. Might I suggest some aggression therapy.

Sincerely,

Nate.

[Jonathan Bogart]

you seem incredibly short and grumpy as of late.

Surely that's less dull than being cheerfully prolix?

(I was going to make a Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs joke, but realized it might be misinterpreted in a Tolkien thread.)

[Nate C.]

Surely that's less dull than being cheerfully prolix?

(I was going to make a Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs joke, but realized it might be misinterpreted in a Tolkien thread.)

can one be cheerfully tedious and/or protracted?

and how am I either? I was shooting for smarmy and contrarian.

[Jonathan Bogart]

can one be cheerfully tedious and/or protracted?

and how am I either? I was shooting for smarmy and contrarian.

Oh, I didn't intend to cast any aspersions on you, only at my usual habit of going on at length about things I love (more on the Music Board than on this one, because so few people here seem to share my literary interests. And that, I suppose, is why I tend towards the curt).

[mgs]

Are you kidding? You make it sound like a U2 compilation or some crap. This isn't a quick, money-grabbing knock-off by any means.

A little more info:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...538603,00.html

</p>
Geez!! the man's 81 and he's still working on his dad's books!!?!?!!! That's crazy dedication, but I wonder if he sired any offspring or will this be the end of the line?

[Nate C.]

Oh, I didn't intend to cast any aspersions on you, only at my usual habit of going on at length about things I love (more on the Music Board than on this one,

ah. Thought I was prolix.

because so few people here seem to share my literary interests. And that, I suppose, is why I tend towards the curt).

well at least we're trying. picky.

[Kirayoshi]

I can understand Jonathan's hesitance to try Christopher Tolkien's attempt at finishing his father's work. We all were burned by James Herbert's Dune prequels.

On the plus side, C. Tolkien didn't co-write this with Kevin J. Anderson. I shall reserve judgement until I read a few trustworthy reviews.

Somewhat OT, I did stumble on an interesting book at my local bookstore; "Letters from Father Christmas". A collection of unedited letters signed "Father Christmas" that J.R.R. Tolkien had written to his children as Christmas presents. I'm sure it's been around awhile, but this is the first time I've stumbled onto it.

[Adam C]

"The new U2 compilation isn't exactly for the layperson, but for those of us who would love to hear more overwrought Irish bombast with a watery guitar sound, it sounds fantastic."

I love the books that Tolkien completed to his own satisfaction, but everything else is outtakes and demos and life's too short.

(Actually, a better comparison on my part would have been those John Lennon demos that Paul McCartney gussied up and released as new Beatles songs in the 90s.)

This is all very, very true. Still it begs the question, which is more devastating? Comparison to those 90s Lennon outtakes gussied up as Beatles songs...or U2?

Granted I haven't even bothered to read Lord of the Rings so this has even less draw for me.