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Title: The Peoples of Middle-Earth (The History of Middle-Earth - Volume 12) by J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien ISBN: 0-395-82760-4 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co Pub. Date: December, 1996 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.75 (8 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Great stuff for the hardcore fan...
Comment: This one, 10 (Morgorth's Ring), 9 (End of the Third Age), and 5 (The Lost Road and Other Writings) are the most worthwile entries of the 12 volume series. Don't buy it for "The New Shadow", however, as it is only 20ish pages and Eldarion or Aragorn don't even come into the story...closest tie to LOTR is the brother of Bergil, son of Beregond. However, there's lots here for you Numenorian fans...full account of the Heirs of Elendil, additional background on the tale of Aragorn and Arwen, how the humans under the oppression of Sauron viewed the Numenorian ships in the 2nd age. Then you get the history of Lembas bread, some more info on the feud between the houses of Feanor and Fingolfin and why, and even some dwarf and Rohan info. The lone entry for Hobbits deals with their family trees in full, excrutiating detail, even more than the Appendicies in the LOTR. This is probably my second favorite entry overall (next to Morgorth's Ring), as it has the largest amount of interesting material in the whole series.
Rating: 5
Summary: At long last, the tale of Middle-Earth is brought to a close
Comment: But is this the end -- or only the beginning? This book, the 12th in "The History of Middle-Earth" series, wraps up the final loose ends of Christopher Tolkien's 25 year labor. Unlike many of the other titles in this series, "The Peoples of Middle-Earth" does not concentrate on a single "Age" or storyline. Instead, it attempts to answer remaining questions, correct errors and misimpressions, and provide extra bits of information about the lives and histories of the many peoples populating Middle-Earth. Of special interest are the two fragments of unfinished stories: one, dealing with the coming of the Numenorean ships to the shores of Middle-Earth (told from the perspective of the men living in desperation under the tyranny of the Dark Lord), two, dealing with the return of evil in Gondor, some 100+ years after the downfall of the Lord of the Rings. This hobbit wishes that these two stories had been finished. This book is a delight for all lovers of Middle-Earth -- Elves, Dwarves, Men and Hobbits will all find something of interest. Highly Recommended.
Rating: 5
Summary: This isn't the end, it's the beginning
Comment: Christopher Tolkien takes the reader back to the years 1950-1952 when his father was preparing the appendices and prologue for The Lord of the Rings. So much that had been written for publication was lost because the book was so big it simply couldn't all be used. So the appendices we have today were created by condensing the material originally intended for publication.
What we learn from the lengthy source material is that Tolkien really did anticipate many fannish questions and tried to answer them. A great deal of information concerning Hobbits, Elves, and the Edain (and Dunedain) was to be included. The essay "Of Dwarves and Men" also provides a fantastic study of early Second Age culture in the lands beyond the Misty Mountains. Unfinished Tales had led us to believe there was nothing more to be learned about the Second Age, but at the end of the History of Middle-earth series Christopher Tolkien unloaded a bombshell.
Peoples of Middle-earth also includes the previously unpublished opening pages for The New Shadow, the sequel J.R.R. Tolkien almost wrote to The Lord of the Rings. It begins after Aragorn has died and hints at a dark plot to overthrow King Eldarion. Sadly, Tolkien felt no passion for the story, which he deemed would be no better than a thriller. So he abandoned it just as the first taint of evil arose.
Tolkien researchers will also find that "The Shibboleth of Feanor" sets out the final and complete genealogy for Finwe's descendants, and several accompanying essays explain minor details alluded to throughout the History of Middle-earth books.
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