Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic, fantastical
Review: "The Book of Lost Tales" is a unique experience -- read it, and get to see a created mythology evolve before your very eyes. J.R.R. Tolkien created the vast backdrop of his Middle-Earth over the course of his life -- except that mythology evolved as time went on. Now the first batch of his old notes, drafts and rewrites are compiled in "Book of Lost Tales." It presents some of the material from Tolkien's "Silmarillion"... except that these stories are different. In the tradition of some old Norse myths, the story is told to a human mariner called Eriol. Eriol makes his way to Tol Eressea, an island full of Elves, and is told about their history -- the Ainur, the creation of the world, and many other stories. Some parts of "Book of Lost Tales" are almost indistinguishable from the stories in "Silmarillion." Others are drastically different: at some points Tolkien refers to the Elves as "fairies," the Dwarves are shown as evil, and legendary hero Beren was once written in as an Elf (which changes the story centering on him). But this isn't a book for newbies. Instead it's for people who read and enjoyed "Silmarillion," not just "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings." It also isn't quite as scintillating as "Silmarillion," however. Why? Because, to put it politely, Christopher Tolkien is a solid scholar, but not a very good writer. His constant analysis of Daddy's work is rather dull and long-winded, though he is to be commended for organizing and publishing them to start with. Tolkien's writing genius, however, shines in every discarded note he wrotes. His prose here is more poetic and flowing. It's a lot less mythic and more "fairy-tale-ish." And in many of the stories, he provides a lot more detail and insight than in the later drafts. "Book of Lost Tales" is strictly a treat for die-hard Tolkien fans, as anybody who isn't will be hopelessly lost. But oh, what a treat it is.
Rating: 
Summary: "Who was Iluvatar? Was he of the Gods?"
Review: "The Book of Lost Tales, Part 1" is the first of two volumes containing the very first versions J.R.R. Tolkien wrote of the legends that ultimately formed "The Silmarillion". He began writing these stories during World War I, and his quest for perfection in their form and presentation was so rigorous that he was unable to publish any version of "The Silmarillion" before his death in 1973. His son Christopher edited "The Silmarillion" for publication and followed it up with thirteen more volumes of his father's writings on Middle-earth and Valinor: "Unfinished Tales" and the mammoth twelve-volume series "The History of Middle-earth," of which "The Book of Lost Tales" comprises the first two volumes. "The Silmarillion" itself fails to appeal to many readers of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," and the thirteen tomes that followed it will have even less appeal to such readers (except perhaps for the four volumes that show how Tolkien went about writing LotR). However, for Tolkien aficionados the History series (affectionately abbreviated HoMe) is essential reading, and "The Book of Lost Tales, Part 1" is not only its beginning but one of its most important volumes. In it are found versions of the early stories of "The Silmarillion" (the birth of the Two Trees, the coming of the Elves to Valinor, the flight of the Noldoli or Gnomes, later renamed the Noldor by Tolkien, into exile, and the making of the Sun and Moon) which are far fuller than any later versions written by Tolkien, but the plots and nomenclature of which are still far from evolving into their final forms. Reading these stories is necessary to gain a full appreciation of the beauty of Valinor and of the Trees, the Elves' longing for which underlies all of Tolkien's work. Even those readers who dislike "The Silmarillion" should seek out this book in their local libraries for the sake of the first few pages of Christopher Tolkien's introduction, in which he explains the peculiar nature of "The Silmarillion" and why it inevitably has a different sort of appeal than that of "The Lord of the Rings," and thus may put off readers who enjoy the latter work. For Tolkien fans, "The Book of Lost Tales, Part 1" is highly recommended reading.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic, fantastical
Review: "The Book of Lost Tales" is a unique experience -- read it, and get to see a created mythology evolve before your very eyes. J.R.R. Tolkien created the vast backdrop of his Middle-Earth over the course of his life -- except that mythology evolved as time went on. Now the first batch of his old notes, drafts and rewrites are compiled in "Book of Lost Tales." It presents some of the material from Tolkien's "Silmarillion"... except that these stories are different. In the tradition of some old Norse myths, the story is told to a human mariner called Eriol. Eriol makes his way to Tol Eressea, an island full of Elves, and is told about their history -- the Ainur, the creation of the world, and many other stories. Some parts of "Book of Lost Tales" are almost indistinguishable from the stories in "Silmarillion." Others are drastically different: at some points Tolkien refers to the Elves as "fairies," the Dwarves are shown as evil, and legendary hero Beren was once written in as an Elf (which changes the story centering on him). But this isn't a book for newbies. Instead it's for people who read and enjoyed "Silmarillion," not just "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings." It also isn't quite as scintillating as "Silmarillion," however. Why? Because, to put it politely, Christopher Tolkien is a solid scholar, but not a very good writer. His constant analysis of Daddy's work is rather dull and long-winded, though he is to be commended for organizing and publishing them to start with. Tolkien's writing genius, however, shines in every discarded note he wrotes. His prose here is more poetic and flowing. It's a lot less mythic and more "fairy-tale-ish." And in many of the stories, he provides a lot more detail and insight than in the later drafts. "Book of Lost Tales" is strictly a treat for die-hard Tolkien fans, as anybody who isn't will be hopelessly lost. But oh, what a treat it is.
Rating:
Summary: Another superb gem in Tolkien's treasury
Review: "The Lost Tales" are the early versions of the tales which were expanded and polished to become those in the Silmarillion. It is fascinating to see the evolution of these stories. (One can only imagine the level of perfection Tolkien would have reached had he ever completely finished his epic.) The Tales give a unique glimpse into the life of Elves on Tol Eressea as the human Eriol is introduced to it. This fascinating vision of life in the Western Lands is augmented with history of the Elves as told in their own oral tradition. Both books 1 and 2 are fabulous and intriguing, answering many questions and yet engendering many others. I became so enveloped in the tales that I read both books plus "The Lays of Beleriand" all at the same time! If you are interested in the internal and external history of Middle-Earth, this is a book you cannot afford to miss.
Rating:
Summary: In the beginning. . .
Review: . . .a young soldier, fighting in the First World War, exercised his imagination beyond the realms of most mortals, and began, in this volume, the single greatest sustained work of fictional imagination of the 20th century (and possibly the 2nd millenium). JRR Tolkien truly deserves the title "Master of Middle-Earth". In this book, "The Book of Lost Tales, Part 1", the Master's son, Christopher Tolkien (himself quite a scholar in his own right) presents the very beginnings of the legends which would grow into the Silmarillion and the other great tales, songs, poems, and adventures of Middle-Earth. This work (and the volumes to follow) represent a tremendous effort of editing, sorting and categorizing -- and all hobbits have much to be grateful for in Christopher's work. In this volume, the astute hobbit will be able to identify the beginnings of the stories so well-loved in later years and the evolution of names, plots, literary devices, languages etc; as well as ideas and concepts which never quite got off the ground (The cottage of lost play) comes to mind. Altogether, a highly enjoyable -- and highly recommended volume.
Rating:
Summary: Superb...
Review: ...just VERY tedious! I am 14, and I made it thru BOLT1, but it took me a week. I can get thru LOTR in less than a wk. Anyways, if you have gotten thru the Silmarillion, you can probably make it thru BOLT1. :) It is about Eriol, a mariner, and he goes to the Cottage of Lost Play.... and a lot of the stories are comparative to Sil. :) Hope this helps.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy enterprise
Review: As customer reviews of this series are liberally sprinkled with assertions that JRR's son Christopher is driven by ego or a desire to cash in on his father reputation, it's worth pointing out that said son (and his siblings) inherited the copyright to their father's novels and have no need to "cash in." Christopher would appear to be the ideal manager of his father's manuscripts, and he's paved a responsible path through them with "The Silmarillion" and "Unfinished Tales." Should you finish the novels and the above books and want to know still more of the vast history, mythology, creative development, and languages of Middle Earth, of which TLOTRings' events are only a late chapter, you'll certainly enjoy much of this series. Tolkien's vision was vast -- too vast ever to be finished in a lifetime of an active professor. The arrangement of material across the volumes is sensible, and you can pick as choose as interest dictates. Tolkien's manuscripts have been culled, organized, and put in order for all to enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for serious Tolkien fans
Review: Book of Lost Tales 1 is a must-read for Lord of the Rings fanatics who want to learn more about the history behind each culture of Middle Earth and some of the tales mentioned in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is a compilation of stories, ranging from the creation of the world to the coming of mankind in their raw form, originally published in the Silmarillion. Each short story is followed by a Notes and Commentary section that detail name changes, differing variations of each story and a historical view of their creation. The Commentary section reveals the creative process behind each character, name, and storyline, including background information on how they were derived and why some storyline variations were discarded in favor of others. Book of Lost Tales 1 is so rich with information that it took me a bit to get read through it. But its reward is insight into how The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings came to be. I would not recommend it for the casual fan, but for those who decide to make a serious study of Tolkien's works, this book would be a great start.
Rating: 
Summary: Over analitical
Review: Christopher Tolkien seems to think that changes in syntax between released versions of the stories contained in this volume is of great signifigance and interest. Unfortunately, I found it exceedingly dry and irrelivant. The "great insights" Chris seems to discover seem much more like editing decisions that all authors must make. A simple collection of J. R. R.'s works is all I was looking for
Rating:
Summary: In The Beginning. . .
Review: Do you love the fiction of JRR Tolkien? Are you interested in the very beginning of the legends? The stories that evolved into "The Silmarillion"? Then you must purchase "The Book of Lost Tales, part 1". Here you will find, thanks to the loving research and editing of Tolkien's son Christopher, the first beginnings of the stories, legends and poems that became Tolkien's life work. Begun during the First World War, the legends occupied the remaining 55 years of Tolkien's life. You cannot begin to fully appreciate "The Lord of the Rings" without reading "The Silmarillion" -- and this volume provides the very beginning of what became "The Silmarillion".
| 
