New Tolkien Book Next Month

[Showtime]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070325/ennew_afp/entertainmentbritain_070325214456

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."

 

[AndThePickles]

Hmm, interesting! I like Tolkien, but I wonder if this will be more of a "history book" like the Silmarillion.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

whats simiarillion?

 

[AndThePickles]

whats simiarillion?

*begins super nerdy faze*

Well, it's a pretty complicated book and I've only read it once because of that....many years ago! Pretty tedious read if you aren't a big Tolkein fan.

Basically, it's a history of Middle Earth, with little legends/stories mixed in.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

you call that a nerdy phase?

 

[AndThePickles]

THAT's how you spell "phase" I couldn't remember earlier Well just the fact that I've read it causes most people to chuckle that I know. I like fantasy books and I don't care if people call me a nerd for it.

For example, in a Lit class the other week my professor was comparing something to LOTR, and he said "Bilbo (the correct name is Frodo though of course ), Samwise....and damn, who were the other 2?" Everyone just stared at him but of course I exclaimed "Merry and Pippin!" and then they all stared at me. People should at least watch the movies!

 

[04nbod]

*begins super nerdy faze*

Well, it's a pretty complicated book and I've only read it once because of that....many years ago! Pretty tedious read if you aren't a big Tolkein fan.

Basically, it's a history of Middle Earth, with little legends/stories mixed in.

its the tales of the elves isn't it, its damn hard to get through i mean the beginning where its about songs and the creation of middle earth is just so imaginative it blows the mind

 

[Tyrinus]

Any one share with me the opinion that Tolkien is insanely overrated with an atrocious writing style?

 

[KevanG]

I like LOTR and the Hobbit... The books AND the movies... I tried reading some of the other LOTR books and I couldn't gte past the first few chapters...

 

[Matt]

Any one share with me the opinion that Tolkien is insanely overrated with an atrocious writing style?

God yes. He writers as if it is a text book. It is so tedious to get through any of his books. I forced myself through 6 chapters of Fellowship after seeing the movie and couldn't continue

 

[Tyrinus]

God yes. He writers as if it is a text book. It is so tedious to get through any of his books. I forced myself through 6 chapters of Fellowship after seeing the movie and couldn't continue

It amazes me more people haven't come to this conclusion.

 

[Addendum]

I'll just stick with the books that J.R.R. Tolkien completely wrote.

It's even worse with Frank Herbert's son.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I read the books when I was in JR. High and loved them. Then I saw the movies and loved them. And then I tried to reread the books and it was like pulling teeth. I think the books are great the first read through if you don't know the story. If you try to read them again, or read them after seeing the movies, it becomes increasingly harder.

The same goes for Silmarillion. The first time I read it it was wonderful. I've tried to reread it a few times and it's much harder. Certain stories in it are good, but overall it's just a text book. I do plan on getting this new book though. I'm very excited about this.

 

[Speedball]

YAY!!!
More pretentious crap from an author who writes like he's better than everyone else.
Sorry if I sound like I'm an ass, but I'm only voicing my opinion.

 

[Johnichi Chiba]

God yes. He writers as if it is a text book. It is so tedious to get through any of his books. I forced myself through 6 chapters of Fellowship after seeing the movie and couldn't continue

I completely agree. I tried getting into the books before the Lord of the Rings movies came out, but I just couldn't. It was torture.

 

[Addendum]

No, it's pretentious crap from his son who thinks that he's channeled his father's muse or something.

It's just an attempt to swindle money from the Tolkien fans

 

[Speedball]

No, it's pretentious crap from his son who thinks that he's channeled his father's muse or something.

It's just an attempt to swindle money from the Tolkien fans

If you want to read a good fantasy series in normal English and not Tolkiens' Holier-than-thou-English, Read George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series.
It's got political backstabbing, battles, a basis in reality while still having the fantastical element, and...oh yeah...sex.
I read the first one recently, It's about 800 pages long, and I got through it in a very short amount of time because it's a page turner.
The first book, A Game of Thrones, is going to be made into the first season of a tv series for HBO sometime next year. Each book will be the next seasons.

 

[Tyrinus]

If you want to read a good fantasy series in normal English and not Tolkiens' Holier-than-thou-English, Read George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series.
It's got political backstabbing, battles, a basis in reality while still having the fantastical element, and...oh yeah...sex.
I read the first one recently, It's about 800 pages long, and I got through it in a very short amount of time because it's a page turner.
The first book, A Game of Thrones, is going to be made into the first season of a tv series for HBO sometime next year. Each book will be the next seasons.

What! TV series? That's awesome.
I read A Game of Thrones, and I think the second book in the series, but it was such a long stretch till the next one I pretty much forgot what was happening so I haven't picked up any of the newer books. But the idea of turning that into a series is interesting indeed.

 

[Addendum]

The only fantasy I read besides the occasional reading of Lord of the Rings is Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth, and the Conan the Cimmerian tales that Robert E. Howard wrote.

Other than that, I've moved on from the fantasy genre.

 

[Tyrinus]

You should give Robin Hobb a try. She has some great trilogies out.