I began reading The History of Middle-earth early in 2014. I thought I would approach this work in much of the same way as my previous year with weekly (as opposed to daily) posts. I found the material to be much more difficult to work with in that capacity.
Honestly, my goal in reading the HoME was to glean bits and pieces I could add to my chronological reading list. There are all sorts of problems inherent in this venture: chiefly there is a reason why certain stories and characters didn't survive in published stories. In some cases it involves my own "editorial" decision on material that I didn't write. The basis of inclusion or exclusion was to be my own personal preference.
Perhaps one day I will still try that. But I found myself, at first, trudging through the academic nature of HoME longing for bits of Tolkien's writings rather than his son's commentary. But along the way something happened. I began to appreciate the laborious nature of the Professor's writing. I began to understand the sources he drew upon to create a history, feigned though it be. I began to appreciate the brilliance of J.R.R. Tolkien. I have perhaps acknowledged that brilliance before a true respect grew in my heart.
At first I think I found myself a bit fearful that if I stopped to blog I wouldn't move forward with the readings as it was work at the beginning. Somewhere around the 8th volume of HoME I was too intrigued to stop reading.
So 2014 was not a year of falling away from Middle-earth. Rather, I was more immersed than I have been in the 13 years I've been reading. This was my 2014 reading:
- All 12 volumes of the History of Middle-earth
- A cursory glance of Unfinished Tales (I found that I had read roughly 80% of that book)
- Two volumes of the History of the Hobbit
- Letters by J.R.R. Tolkien
Well over 6500 pages of Middle-earth related material. Wow. I plan to recap differing bits and pieces in the future of this blog. Perhaps I can shed a little light on what I've learned throughout this year.
