The Lost Road and Other Writings: Language and Legend Before the Lord of the Rings (History of Middle-earth, 5) - Hardcover

Tolkien, J. R. R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395455197 ISBN 13: 9780395455197

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1987

Synopsis

At the end of the 1937 J.R.R. Tolkien reluctantly set aside his now greatly elaborated work on the myths and heroic legends of Valinor and Middle-earth and began The Lord of the Rings. This fifth volume of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien, completes the presentation of the whole compass of his writing on those themes up to that time. Later forms of the Annuals of Valinor and the Annals of Berleriand had been composed, The Silmarillion was nearing completion in a greatly amplified version, and a new map had been made; the myth of the Music of the Ainur had become a separate work; and the legend of the Downfall of Numenor had already entered in a primitive form, introducing the cardinal ideas of the World Made Round and the Straight Path into the vanished West. Closely associated with this was the abandoned time-travel story, The Lost Road, which was to link the world of Numenor and Middle-earth with the legends of many other times and peoples. A long essay, The Lhammas, had been written on the ever more complex relations of the languages and dialects of Middle-earth; and an etymological dictionary had been undertaken, in which a great number of words and names in the Elvish languages were registered and their formation explained - thus providing by far the most extensive account of their vocabularies that has appeared.

About this title

Review

‘Christopher Tolkien shows himself to be his father’s son... Tolkien devotees will rejoice’ The New York Times Book Review

From the Back Cover

At the end of 1937, J.R.R Tolkien reluctantly set aside his work on the myths and heroic legends of Valinor and Middle-earth and began The Lord of the Rings.

This fifth volume of The History of Middle-earth completes the examination of his writing up to that time. Later forms of The Annals of Valinor and The Annals of Beleriand had been composed, The Silmarillion was nearing completion in a greatly amplified form, and a new Map had been made. The legend of the Downfall of Numenor had entered the work, including those central ideas: the World Made Round and the Straight Path into the vanished West. Closely associated with this was the abandoned 'time-travel' story The Lost Road, linking the world of Numenor and Middle-earth with the legends of many other times and peoples.

Also included in this volume is The Lhammas, as essay on the complex languages and dialects of Middle-earth, and an 'etymological dictionary' containing an extensive account of Elvish vocabularies.

Edition details

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 1987
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0395455197
• ISBN 13: 9780395455197
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 455
• Editor: Tolkien Christopher