The Fall of Gondolin

The third and last of the elder Tolkien’s Great Tales, following The Children of Húrin and Beren and Lúthien, as presented by his son, gives readers a final glimpse at the author’s brilliance and method through the epic tale of the man Tuor and his coming to the hidden elven city of Gondolin, last of the great elven strongholds of Middle-earth’s First Age. The younger Tolkien includes several of his father’s versions of Tuor’s tale, with different lengths and in voices ranging from archaic to modern. Tolkien devotees will relish the chance to see the story evolve as Tolkien pѐre alters names and rewrites events while preserving Tuor’s quest. All readers will appreciate the richly descriptive prose and the grand battle of the Fall. The book also includes material from elsewhere in J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings so that readers have a sense of the events that came before Tuor’s journey, as well as the War of Wrath in which Morgoth, the great enemy, was finally cast down. This work is a fitting end to Christopher Tolkien’s labors as the steward of his father’s beloved works, and is likely to be cherished by Tolkien’s many fans. (Aug.)