Beren and Lúthien

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Painstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts, this epic tale presents the story of Beren and Lúthien as a continuous and standalone narrative. It brings together fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, featuring Elves, Men, Dwarves, Orcs, and the rich landscapes of Middle-earth. Beren, a mortal man, falls in love with Lúthien, an immortal Elf. Her father, the Elvish lord Thingol, disapproves of their union and imposes an impossible task on Beren: to steal a Silmaril from Morgoth, the ultimate embodiment of evil. Undeterred, Beren and Lúthien embark on this heroic quest. Written shortly after J.R.R. Tolkien returned from the Battle of the Somme in 1916, this tale played a crucial role in the development of The Silmarillion. Christopher Tolkien extracts various versions of the story from the larger work, showcasing its evolution over the years. He presents the original form alongside later prose and verse passages, illustrating how the narrative transformed. This compilation reveals lost aspects of the story, enhancing both the events and the immediacy of the narrative, offering a fresh perspective on this Great Tale of Middle-earth.