MS Hysteria
April 19th, 2007 by Kathleen Bolton
Tolkien’s lost work, The Children of Hurin, is finally out. Fans all over the English-speaking world have queued up for the April 17 release date. Stupidly I forgot to pre-order my copy on Amazon, but that will soon be rectified. Until I have a chance to read it myself, I’ll have to be content with some advanced reviews.
They are decidedly mixed. (For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, read the HarperCollins publisher FAQ regarding the book’s journey from desk drawer to publication.)
Andrew O’Hehir, writing in Salon, gives the 90-year-old precursor to Lord of the Rings a glowing review (free subscription required), noting that in this work, Tolkien’s worldview is less Manichean, and a meditation about man’s (and elvish) morality. “If Lord of the Rings” is a story where good conquers evil, this one moves inexorably in the other direction,” he writes.
In the TimesUK, Peter Appleyard displays more mixed emotions. “The prose is still more gesture than depth, but there is a real feeling of high seriousness. It is not a children’s story like The Hobbit, and it is much darker than The Lord of the Rings.”
That sounds promising!
I come from a background in academic history, so when I read Tolkien, I never forget that I’m reading the works of a man who fought in WW1 and survived when so many of his doomed generation did not. For me, his fictional work was his way of processing this horror. Luckily for us, it lead to an amazing work of fiction, one I can’t wait to read.
Kath, I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say about this book!
LOL, as you know, I’ll blather all about it!