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I'm sure you know this, but to clarify for those that don't, it goes way deeper than the volume published as The Silmarillion. In The History of Middle Earth, C
by eszed 2y ago
I'm sure you know this, but to clarify for those that don't, it goes way deeper than the volume published as The Silmarillion. In The History of Middle Earth, Christopher pulled together all / most of the drafts and published those, along with notes and commentary that relate them to each other and try to put them into their linear and creative context. It got up to I think fourteen volumes, and there's probably no more-complete record of a great artist's life-long creative process. It is, as you say, a truly monumental work.
- db48x 2y agoIf only version control had been invented earlier. Some of the in–progress versions of the stories are quite hilarious. In the earliest drafts of the story of Beren and Luthien, Beren sets off to cut a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth and is more or less immediately captured by one of Morgoth’s lieutenants, Tevildo. Who is a talking cat. With a whole castle full of talking cats that mostly laze about on the terraces but occasionally waylay passersby and make them serve as scullery maids. Christopher Tolkien calls him “the appalling Tevildo”. By many changes small and great Tolkien went from Tevildo, Prince of Cats to Sauron, Lord of the Rings. If you ever write a book, keep that in mind when you hesitate to cut or rewrite what seems like your best ideas.
- eszed 2y agoI once applied for a house-share with some people who'd named one of their cats "Tevildo". I knew immediately what to talk to them about! (Unfortunately Tevildo was, indeed, appalling.)