New Tolkien Work To Be Published.

The Story of Kullervo by J. R. R. Tolkien, Verlyn Flieger



Is it just me or does it seem that we appear to be in a period of publishing of new books by very famous and well loved authors that were never published while the author was alive?

[murg]

Some authors are more prolific when they're dead than when they were alive.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

The Story of Kullervo by J. R. R. Tolkien, Verlyn Flieger



Is it just me or does it seem that we appear to be in a period of publishing of new books by very famous and well loved authors that were never published while the author was alive?

Not just you.

Harvard Business Review has suggestions that will be ignored:

https://hbr.org/2015/07/harper-lee-a...ave-publishing

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

The Story of Kullervo by J. R. R. Tolkien, Verlyn Flieger



Is it just me or does it seem that we appear to be in a period of publishing of new books by very famous and well loved authors that were never published while the author was alive?

This is hardly a new phenomenon when it comes to Tolkien. Tolkien produced a huge body of work during his lifetime that wasn't published, and his literary executor, his son Christopher, has been editing and publishing it for the last 40 years. Far more of Tolkien's work has been published since his death than during his lifetime.

Originally Posted by HarryT

This is hardly a new phenomenon when it comes to Tolkien. Tolkien produced a huge body of work during his lifetime that wasn't published, and his literary executor, his son Christopher, has been editing and publishing it for the last 40 years. Far more of Tolkien's work has been published since his death than during his lifetime.

I was not aware of that. Then I have never been a Tolkien fanboy. Lord of the Rings was an entertaining book, but not in my opinion in the running for greatest book ever in any list. So many of Tolkien's books may be thought of as having two authors JRR Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien, as well as in this case since the book was apparently never completed during JRR Tolkien's life an editor Verlyn Flieger as well?

So anyway those who really appreciate Tolkien may expect a new treat every few years?

[Greg Anos]

Shrug....The were publishing new Zane Grey works 20 years after his death. He was that prolific...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

So many of Tolkien's books may be thought of as having two authors JRR Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien, as well as in this case since the book was apparently never completed during JRR Tolkien's life an editor Verlyn Flieger as well?

Christopher Tolkien is now 90 years old, so I guess they needed to find a new editor .

So anyway those who really appreciate Tolkien may expect a new treat every few years?

That's certainly been the case since the late 1970s, when Christopher Tolkien edited and published "The Silmarillion". How much now remains to be published, I don't know. Most of what J.R.R. wrote was left in a fragmentary state.

[frahse]

Personally, I am happy to have more of a "true master's" work available.

The Hobbit was a truly formative book for me.

[pwalker8]

With the Silmarillion, most of the releases are either about Tolkien's academic works or a look at the growth of the LOTR/Hobbit universe. A lot of people (including myself) find that sort of stuff interesting, but it's probably not for the casual reader. This particular book should be interesting in that regard. I was, of course, aware that Tolkien used the various Nordic/Anglo-Saxon source materials (His translation of Beowulf is widely respected), but I didn't know he used the Finnish epics.

One thing to keep in mind is that much of the material released after his death is in pretty rough form. Tolkien spent years and years polishing The Hobbit and LOTR.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Christopher Tolkien is now 90 years old, so I guess they needed to find a new editor .



That's certainly been the case since the late 1970s, when Christopher Tolkien edited and published "The Silmarillion". How much now remains to be published, I don't know. Most of what J.R.R. wrote was left in a fragmentary state.

He has worked on the "book of hostages" which to a degree is fragments of work j.r.r. Tolkien wrote while working out his lotr and silmarillion manuscripts.