We’re getting a new take on an ancient tale of Middle-earth! J.R.R. Tolkien’s Beren and Lúthien will be published by HarperCollins in 2017, a century after Tolkien first wrote it. Featured in The Silmarillion, Beren, a mortal man, falls in love with the elf Lúthien, thus inspiring legends and songs, as well as providing a model for the love of Aragorn and Arwen during the events of The Lord of the Rings.
According to EW:
Tolkien tinkered with the story of Beren and Lúthien several times over the years. In addition to the version that first appeared in the 12-volume The History of Middle-Earth series, the new book will feature passages from various different iterations alongside illustrations by Alan Lee. Like all of Tolkien’s posthumous publications, Beren and Lúthien is edited by the author’s son Christopher Tolkien.
And according to The Bookseller:
The story of Beren and Lúthien has evolved since it was first written in 1917, and has been reworked in various forms, including poetry. To reflect this, the new book opens with Tolkien’s original text, before including passages from later texts that rework the tale. Presented together for the first time, they reveal aspects of the story hitherto discarded.
The new book will be published on the 10th anniversary of The Children of Húrin, which was the last novel set in Middle-earth. In the meantime, you can learn more about Lúthien’s role in The Silmarillion in Jeff LaSala’s detailed look at the character’s history.
[via EW! and The Bookseller]
