Welcome to Litsy!

Having just read the original story, it seems a good time to re-read Tolkien's unfinished adaptation. It doesn't feel like 6 years since I first read it, though! 🤯

I'm late finishing this for the #FellowshipofTolkien group, but I finally did it! I'm sorry to say that this was not a pick for me. I enjoyed the essays, but I really didn't enjoy the story of Kullervo itself at all. Oh well!

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Kullervo

Finished today and really enjoyed it.
The story itself is kind of strange, very brutal, primitive, almost. But there are very obvious (and other not so obvious) inspirations for more then one of Tolkien's stories from the Silmarillion.

Then l really loved both Tolkien's essays on the Kalevala and Flieger's essay on Tolkien's connection to the Kalevala.

A short, very insightful book for Tolkien's enthusiasts.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Kullervo

Well, for a change... I'm utterly behind 🙄

How's everyone else?
Have you heard there's a film about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? 😱

This was quite a brutal story. There are definitely early elements of Turin and Huan from Beren and Luthien's story. I rather wish there had been a slightly more finished version but the one presented was interesting and the essays were quite insightful.
#FellowshipOfTolkien

I read the final essay by Verlyn Flieger this morning. The essay is a clear discussion of this story as a link between the Kalevala as inspiration and Tolkien‘s Silmarillion. I appreciated the book more on a second read just because of my own reading and learning in the past few years. I would still only recommend for serious Tolkien fans that have come to accept reading incomplete stories as a part of better understanding his work.

I had a supper of mini pizzas & fresh tomatoes before reading more of this book. Reading the first version of Tolkien‘s essay makes me curious about more of these stories than just this one about #Kullervo that he worked on. I also continue to be intrigued by the connections between the Kalevala, Tolkien‘s work, & Longfellow‘s Hiawatha. I had to pause & read a section of that poem tonight to consider the style.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #ReadAndEat

While this will never be one of my favorite tales by Tolkien, this is a very interesting look at an early Tolkien myth reworking that shows some obvious precursors for both the myth of Túrin and parts of the Lúthien and Beren stories. Although the original story and his reworking are very dark, you can see the seed that would germinate into other tales and the beginning of his story writing skills.

#FellowshioOfTolkien
#Kullervo

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This is definitely the part that most resembles Turin's story and where Kullervo finally shows some feeling.

It's a surprisingly brutal story, told in a very difficult prose, but l liked discovering the many connections with Tolkien's later work, some of which are very subtle.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Kullervo

Well, l must admit l didn't expect this kind of violence. I can recognise some of the elements of what will be Turin's story, especially from his homecoming to Dor-Lomin, but here really there is a blind fury at work.

I'm really curious to learn what it was that talked to Tolkien so deeply in this story, and l hope it will be addressed in the essay.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Kullervo

Kullervo is really a difficult character. One could wonder whether he has any redeeming qualities. But then, Tolkien write of many difficult characters. I wonder if this preference of him came from this story.

Wow, he really disliked Longfellow and Hiawatha, again so funny since he borrowed so heavily from this story himself for The Silmarillion. 😂

#FellowshipOfTolkien
#Kullervo

Wow… Tellervo to Tinúviel (Lúthien)… that seems so close after reading that description ?

Mielikki to Melian (except in his mythology, she‘s the one who is partially a god/spirit/Maiar)

And Tapio to Thingol/Tinwelint

… maybe

….it just seems kind of convenient that those names all start similarly ?

#FellowshipOfTolkien
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I wonder if The Giving Tree ties back to any of these early myths/stories? Or if they are just universal human themes?

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Makes me think this was what his fellow Inkling CS Lewis was going for with Narnia. 🤔

#FellowshipOfTolkien
#Kullervo

As long as I was in the essay section tonight, I went ahead and finished it out. Funny how much he seemed to dislike Longfellow borrowing from this origin material for Hiawatha (with Native American lore added in), but then borrowed heavily from it himself for The Silmarillion.

Reminds me that the best writers were still just human and quirky 😂

#FellowshipOfTolkien
#Kullervo

🤔 makes me wonder when it became known that Kalevala *may* have been collected & arranged with a purpose in mind, instead of “at face value” as new found myth. Is that when he thought 💡 eureka, I can create my own mythology for England? Who needs that old Arther legend, when I can devise my own for this island nation fighting in a Great War with many dispirit diverse allies against a great evil in a World War? 🤔
#Kullervo #FellowshipOfTolkien

Unsurprisingly, I am already well behind my own schedule for reading this book, but I have managed to get through the original translated story itself with breakfast the last few mornings. It is a fairly difficult read and leaves much untold, but it is so interesting to see early precursors of ideas Tolkien would rewrite for years to come.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Kullervo
#BookAndBreakfast #BreakfastWithTolkien

Ok… I made it through the story, notes and drafts. I‘ll start on the essays tomorrow.

So many early Túrin precursors here. Other things I was reminded of, apparently his dog could change forms into other animals, but Beren‘s just brought animal disguises. The Smith reminded me of the Dark elf Smith of the Silmarillion Eöl, and for some reason all the dancing dryads in his wife‘s song made me think of Lúthien ⤵️

#FellowshipOfTolkien
#Kullervo

I love that the names come from the superstition, basically if you name it, it‘s sure to appear! Plus the tidbit back to the Father Christmas stories!

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“Such multiple names is typical of Kalevala”. 😂 here I thought that was pure Tolkien. Maybe this is where he got this idiosyncrasy and it stuck through all of his work. So many of his later characters had so many names!

#FellowshipOfTolkien
#Kullervo

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Kullervo

I've read only the very beginning of the story yesterday. I was surprise how hard l found it. The Prose is so peculiar.
But already, so many echoes from Middle-earth 😆

I started my read of #Kullervo with the #FellowshipOfTolkien late because Saturday l had my second vaccine shot and on Sunday l was out. But l really mean OUT.

But hey, here l am now and I'm so excited.
Reading The Book of Lost Tales by young Tolkien was a revelation. This is even older -it's thought to be his first story - and l can't wait to see what it will reveal 😍

Lots of comparisons in the introduction to both Greek tragedies, Shakespeare Tragedy (Hamlet specifically), and the story of Túrin/Children of Húrin, and names that reflect maybe early Quenta language parallels, but I couldn‘t help noticing a certain magical dog that reminds me of another of Tolkien‘s famous stories, Beren and Lúthien and Huan ⤵️

So happy to be starting another Tolkien with the #FellowshipOfTolkien

Happy #FellowshipAnniversary @Daisey @JazzFeathers @BookwormAHN @wordslinger42

The Introduction starts off with explaining the importance and relevance of reading The Story of Kullervo if you‘re a Tolkien fan.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Kullervo

I‘ve read this once before in the past few years, but I am very much looking forward to rereading and discussing it with others. The actual retelling is fairly short and incomplete, but in my first reading I found it fascinating to compare to Tolkien‘s later work.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Kullervo

I can't believe the #FellowshipOfTolkien is about to celebrate its fourth year of reading Tolkien together.
We're celebrating by starting yet another Tolkien story: Kullervo, which is consider Tolkien's first story and an hispiration for his Middle-earth.

Everyone is welcome to join!

#LitsyHappenings

It‘s July, which means we‘re about to start our next Tolkien read! We‘re starting The Story of Kullervo on July 18, and anyone is welcome to join. This is considered Tolkien‘s first story. The retelling itself is fairly short, but the book also contains commentary and essays. I included the notes with each section and page numbers to match my edition.

If you want to join the #readalong, just include #FellowshipOfTolkien and maybe also #Kullervo.

#FellowshipOfTolkien

And look what arrived 😃
Only thing, l thought l bought the hardcover 🥺

For the die-hard Tolkien fan. Also of interest to anyone who likes translations from Old English or old Nordic languages.

Missed one!

Perhaps the darkest and most tragic of Tolkien‘s works, a truly gripping read!

This falls somewhere between a Pick and So-So for me. It's really interesting to see the beginnings of Tolkien's later works, specifically The Children of Hurin and Turin; however this was not an easy book to actually read. It is an unfinished worked by Tolkien, so his notes are a bit jumbled as is the story itself. It also includes his essay on the original ballad, twice (one draft & the final). I enjoyed it but it just sidnt capture me.

Overall the book was good. It was interesting because it's Tolkien's 1st known written work even if it's unfinished. If you like Tolkien and getting to understand how 1 of the greatest authors became to be then it's a must read.
It's hard to read but so worth it.

Started reading this and so far it's interesting. I feel like it's trying to tell a creation story but not. I've just started so Idk if it'll stay that way.

There's not much I can say that editor Verlyn Flieger doesn't say in her commentary. To be repetitious, this volume contains Tolkien's 41 page unfinished adaptation of an episode from the Finnish poem, The Kalevala; his draft notes and more polished notes for a presentation to a university society; Flieger's commentary and notes on those presentations; and finally her own essay on Tolkien's story and its significance for his legendarium. 👇

💟 #tolkien 💟 #fantasy 💟 #tolkienaddicted 💟

I debated between so-so & pick, but I did enjoy reading this. I would recommend finding a library copy, rather than buying, if you are a serious Tolkien fan interested in the development of his stories. The short story is an incomplete draft, but it clearly shows the origins of Tolkien's characters Turin & Huan. I also found the essays interesting.

More in Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2247654028

#LotRChapteraDay extra

While we‘re in between books for our readalong I decided to read this one I happened to find at the library. This morning I read the story (approx 35 pages) and some included plot notes. Later today I‘ll finish the essays in the book. The story is a retelling of a story of Finnish mythology and it is a draft. This is not at all a complete story, but it does show where Tolkien got the idea for his story of Turin.

#LotRChapteraDay extra

#LotRChapteraDay friends, I may not be done yet. I don‘t make it to the library often, using mainly the online resources, but today I stopped in for something else and decided to see what Tolkien was on the shelf.

The blurb describes Kullervo as “perhaps the darkest and most tragic of all J.R.R. Tolkien‘s characters” and ancestor of Turin Turambar.

Also, #Hoopla has an album entitled “Of Luthien and Beren” if you need reading music.

Just love Tolkien, and was rather excited for this find at work yesterday :) added too the pile of things I need to finish reading.

Didn't have the attention or time to really get into this one over the weekend.

Interested in reading this soon!