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Title: 'Tis good for people who like the Olde Englysshe epic style
Review: These are the earliest versions of the legends which were posthumously compiled as The Silmarillion. Most of the stories are MUCH more detailed than they later became, and Tolkien's style is very dense, more imitative of Old English than it later became. It is remarkable how fully Tolkien had already conceived of these legends at a very early age. Although lacking its later refinement, Tolkien's mastery of modern English as a medium for expressing the epic style of Old English works is very evident and quite enjoyable. The Fall of Gondolin and the legend of Turin Turambar are more compellingly told in their full, earlier versions. Christopher Tolkien (son of J.R.R.) deserves credit for very comprehensive annotations. I loved it, as I love all Tolkien's works.
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