Description
Book SynopsisPainstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts and presented for the first time as a continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and Lúthien will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, Dwarves and Orcs and the rich landscape and creatures unique to Tolkien's Middle-earth.The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien. Returning from France and the battle of the Somme at the end of 1916, he wrote the tale in the following year.Essential to the story, and never changed, is the fate that shadowed the love of Beren and Lúthien: for Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, in deep opposition to Beren, imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. This is the kernel of the legend; and it leads to the supremely heroic attem
Trade Review‘A seamless editorial construct, the capstone to a job Christopher Tolkien began with The Silmarillion’
New Statesman
‘Critical moments are caught, as in The Children of Húrin, by Alan Lee’s nine outstanding colour plates’
Times Literary Supplement
Praise for The Children of Húrin:
‘I hope that its universality and power will grant it a place in English mythology’
Independent on Sunday
‘The darkest of all Tolkien’s tales. Alan Lee’s illustrations complement the writing splendidly’
Times Literary Supplement
