Rating: 
Summary: One of Christopher Tolkien's best yet
Review: "The whole of Middle Earth was Morgoth's Ring."- JRR Tolkien. In the tenth volume of The History of Middle Earth the Silmarillion as we know it finally started to come into focus. Most importantly, the role of Melkor as the main source of corruption in Arda was created. I found this book easily worth the price for two chapters alone. One tells of the laws and customs of the Eldar and the other is a story called "Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth", a story telling of the spirit and "death" of elves. I would recommend this to all Tolkien fans. It is the second best volume of The History of Middle Earth, next to only the final volume.
Rating:
Summary: M's Ring is one shining gem from cover to cover
Review: "The whole of Middle Earth was Morgoth's Ring."- JRR Tolkien. In the tenth volume of The History of Middle Earth the Silmarillion as we know it finally started to come into focus. Most importantly, the role of Melkor as the main source of corruption in Arda was created. I found this book easily worth the price for two chapters alone. One tells of the laws and customs of the Eldar and the other is a story called "Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth", a story telling of the spirit and "death" of elves. I would recommend this to all Tolkien fans. It is the second best volume of The History of Middle Earth, next to only the final volume.
Rating:
Summary: One of Christopher Tolkien's best yet
Review: "The whole of Middle Earth was Morgoth's Ring."- JRR Tolkien. In the tenth volume of The History of Middle Earth the Silmarillion as we know it finally started to come into focus. Most importantly, the role of Melkor as the main source of corruption in Arda was created. I found this book easily worth the price for two chapters alone. One tells of the laws and customs of the Eldar and the other is a story called "Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth", a story telling of the spirit and "death" of elves. I would recommend this to all Tolkien fans. It is the second best volume of The History of Middle Earth, next to only the final volume.
Rating:
Summary: Late developments in the story of the Silmarillion. . .
Review: . . .plus cultural information!This book, the first of two in the "History of Middle-Earth" series dealing with later textual developments in "The Silmarillion" provides a great deal of information on how Tolkien's philosophical and theological development influenced the later aspects of this work. (As the reader should remember, Tolkien worked on these legends for more than 50 years.) However, one of my greatest delights in "Morgoth's Ring" was a lengthy essay detailing aspects of Elven culture, including information on courting, betrothal, marriage, and child-rearing. Also included is a discussion of the judgement of the Valar concerning the remarriage of Finwe of the Noldor. Throughout, the volume demonstrates that Tolkien wished to truly create a complete culture, not merely a history. A worthy addition to this series.
Rating:
Summary: Late developments in the story of the Silmarillion. . .
Review: . . .plus cultural information! This book, the first of two in the "History of Middle-Earth" series dealing with later textual developments in "The Silmarillion" provides a great deal of information on how Tolkien's philosophical and theological development influenced the later aspects of this work. (As the reader should remember, Tolkien worked on these legends for more than 50 years.) However, one of my greatest delights in "Morgoth's Ring" was a lengthy essay detailing aspects of Elven culture, including information on courting, betrothal, marriage, and child-rearing. Also included is a discussion of the judgement of the Valar concerning the remarriage of Finwe of the Noldor. Throughout, the volume demonstrates that Tolkien wished to truly create a complete culture, not merely a history. A worthy addition to this series.
Rating:
Summary: Dedicated to the promise of high fantasy and imagination
Review: Of all of the books concerning the development of the Silmarillion, I've found that Morgoth's Ring is the most compelling. The dialog between Finrod and Andreth has such depth and feeling. Never before in his writings has dialog and character development been so rich. The meaning of life/love and the despair that is underlying the story is heart rending. Her last words to Finrod about asking Aegnor to be careful just wrung my heart. I loved how she expressed the depth of her love: "I would give everything for just a year, a day, an hour of the Flame" (something close to that I think) A reader cannot understand Arwen's last words to Aragorn without reading this story or Luthien's love for Beren and its implications. One more thing, has anyone thought to reconstructing the Silmarillion and including all these stories. If I had only the time and money...
Rating:
Summary: Very poignant and moving
Review: Of all of the books concerning the development of the Silmarillion, I've found that Morgoth's Ring is the most compelling. The dialog between Finrod and Andreth has such depth and feeling. Never before in his writings has dialog and character development been so rich. The meaning of life/love and the despair that is underlying the story is heart rending. Her last words to Finrod about asking Aegnor to be careful just wrung my heart. I loved how she expressed the depth of her love: "I would give everything for just a year, a day, an hour of the Flame" (something close to that I think) A reader cannot understand Arwen's last words to Aragorn without reading this story or Luthien's love for Beren and its implications. One more thing, has anyone thought to reconstructing the Silmarillion and including all these stories. If I had only the time and money...
Rating:
Summary: Worth Reading
Review: The Debate of Finrod and Andreth is an explosive document for LOTR lovers who said JRR didn't talk about the fate of man. Well he does here. Get the book and find out what's up!
Rating:
Summary: At last, we are given insight into The Silmarillion itself
Review: The most important part of this book is the section titled "Laws and Customs of the Eldar". For the only time in his long career of writing essays and opinions essentially intended only for himself the author of The Lord of the Rings set aside story and drama to explore the social and cultural heritage of the Noldor and the Eldar in general. All the other works in this book fall into place only if the reader understands the peculiar outlook that Tolkien envisioned for the Elves. They were not truly deathless, but recognized many forms of death. And for the Elves the union of spirit and body was as intrinsic as breathing and life. All their griefs therefore proceeded from the disruption of these fundamental precepts in Aman, where such disruption should never have occurred. Though people speak highly of "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" it really has no meaning without the context provided by "Laws and Customs". A great many questions are answered in very matter-of-fact fashion by the author, often as asides. The last section, "Myths Transformed", actually leaps ahead to a period late in Tolkien's life when he began to unravel all the tales and mysteries and design a completely different cosmology. Had he finished this later work, Tolkien would have rewritten his Silmarillion completely and in doing so would have destroyed some of the most beautiful myths of our time.
Rating:
Summary: At last, we are given insight into The Silmarillion itself
Review: The most important part of this book is the section titled "Laws and Customs of the Eldar". For the only time in his long career of writing essays and opinions essentially intended only for himself the author of The Lord of the Rings set aside story and drama to explore the social and cultural heritage of the Noldor and the Eldar in general. All the other works in this book fall into place only if the reader understands the peculiar outlook that Tolkien envisioned for the Elves. They were not truly deathless, but recognized many forms of death. And for the Elves the union of spirit and body was as intrinsic as breathing and life. All their griefs therefore proceeded from the disruption of these fundamental precepts in Aman, where such disruption should never have occurred. Though people speak highly of "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" it really has no meaning without the context provided by "Laws and Customs". A great many questions are answered in very matter-of-fact fashion by the author, often as asides. The last section, "Myths Transformed", actually leaps ahead to a period late in Tolkien's life when he began to unravel all the tales and mysteries and design a completely different cosmology. Had he finished this later work, Tolkien would have rewritten his Silmarillion completely and in doing so would have destroyed some of the most beautiful myths of our time.
| 
