The Fall of Gondolin by JRR Tolkien, ⭐⭐⭐

Read in July 2020

So detailed but occasionally it felt like I was just reading a list of places and names. Plus, it was more like an academic commentary than a fantasy story. A good chunk of the book was dedicated to comparison, analysis and exploration of various versions of this tale and the editorial and writing decisions that were made. The actual story of the Fall of Gondolin only takes up about 1/3 of the whole book.

It wasn't as magical as the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings because even though Tolkien's manuscript was edited by his son, it still felt unfinished to me. I think it's a must read for Tolkienists who devour anything to do with Middle Earth lore but perhaps not for casual fans like myself

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

  Read in October 2020 Discworld grows on you. My first foray into Discworld was  The Colour of Magic  which I thought was just okay but it didn't put me off from reading more. You might think that 40+ books is a big commitment but this is the best thing: Discworld books can stand alone. Yes, there may be hints and links that hardcore fans will understand more but they will still be enjoyable for readers like me who pick up the odd book or short story in the series from time to time. When Small Gods was offered as a group buddy read, I decided that now was a good time to return to Discworld. I really liked this instalment. I had a smile on my face as I read this sparkling, sarcastic, sassy and satirical take on religion. Om and Brutha were great. Terry Pratchett is so creative and witty. I can see why many people say this is one of the best in the series. Will I dip into Discworld again? Is the Great God Om a tortoise? Because, you betcha, I'll be back some time. Om's tot...
Read more

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

  Read in April 2020 Until now, I didn't know much about Norse mythology and it wasn't a subject I would have chosen to read about. But when it was chosen as a group read and on offer, I thought I'd give it a go because I do like Neil Gaiman's work. I was pleasantly surprised by this. It's a bit dark occasionally but also incredibly vivid throughout. The thing I loved most was that the book had a tantalising, entrancing and lyrical quality and I could totally imagine it being read aloud which is kind of the point with stories like these. I also really liked that Loki was portrayed as misunderstood which is how I like my villains to be.  All in all, a great book which leaves you wanting to find out more because there is so much left to explore about the Norse gods
Read more

Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves, ⭐⭐⭐

  Read in August 2020 An interesting concept that should have been so exciting to read about but it wasn't. The plot was sometimes convoluted and characters were a bit bland. I'm not sure how much input Neil Gaiman had with the story - I suspect very little because it doesn't have the same style, feel and magic as his other books. I don't think I would have even considered picking this up if Michael Reaves was the only author listed. The book description on here describes Joey as  very average  and that is exactly how I'd categorise this book. I understand it was initially intended to be a TV project and maybe it would have been better in that format. I won't be continuing with the trilogy.  (less)
Read more