On August 29, Amazon Prime launched the second season of the controversial and ambiguous series «The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power». It takes place thousands of years before «The Hobbit» and «The Lord of the Rings» — in the Second Age. At that time, Sauron deceived the elves and created the rings of power with their help, and then secretly forged the One Ring. We had a review for the first season, and we will definitely have one for the second. But now, taking advantage of the occasion, I want to talk about all these Tolkien books that are available in Ukrainian. And there are a lot of them. They are all published by «Astrolabe». So today we’re going to look at what’s available to Ukrainian readers from the works of the famous English scientist and fantasy master.
«Astrolabe» publishes a lot of Tolkien books in Ukrainian, but not all of them belong to the cycle of stories about Middle-earth, or the so-called «Middle-earth legendarium». They include a biography of Tolkien, as well as a number of works nurtured by the author’s research on Scandinavian and Germanic legends.
I have to admit that I have not read all the books discussed below, but I have read most of them, and most of them two, three, or even four times. So I definitely have something to say about them.
Content
The books I’m going to talk about below are presented in the order in which they are recommended to be read. Probably, those who are familiar with Tolkien’s work, like me, for example, did not follow the recommendations exactly, but if you are going to re-read the entire «legendarium», or finish reading certain books that you will see here, then now you will know what comes first.
If you read in this order, the chronology of the universe is preserved because the «Silmarillion» describes the creation of the world and the first three Ages. The events of the «Lord of the Rings» trilogy take place at the end of the Third Age, and «The Hobbit» can be called a modern word for «prequel» to «Lord of the Rings». The other books after them are detailed versions of the plots that are described in one way or another in the «Silmarillion». Again, these are just recommendations, no one forbids you to read in any sequence, it’s just that the knowledge of the Tolkien universe will be more structured. The main thing is to read.
This book is often called the «Bible of Middle-earth history» and they are not wrong. It is a collection of many interesting stories, epics, and legends that begin with the creation of the universe. It is a detailed account of all the Ages of Middle-earth and the main events that took place in them.
«The Silmarillion» consists of many parts. It includes the Ainulindale — the story of the creation of the world mentioned above, the Valakventa — the story of the divine powers and their confrontation, the Quenta Silmarillion — the story of Fëanor and his rebellion against the gods, and the Akallabet — an account of the fall of the kingdom of Númenor. The book also includes stories about the greatest events of the Third Age, about the Rings of Power and the war for them.
«The Silmarillion» is quite easy to read, but there are so many events that it will probably be a slow read. There is so much going on on one page that your head often spins. In this way, slowly and meticulously, I read «Silmarillion» three times and I definitely advise you to pick it up at least once. This book definitely gives you a thorough knowledge of Middle-earth, explains many points in «The Hobbit», «The Lord of the Rings» and other books that will be discussed later.
It’s funny that «Astrolabe» has two editions of «Silmarillion» at once. The first one is a non-illustrated, standard format, and a colorful version with illustrations by Ted Nesmith and an updated edition.
Tolkien wrote this book for his children, but it has become popular all over the world. It is a wonderful, magical and atmospheric story about the adventures of the hobbit Bilbo, his friendship with the dwarf king Thorin, the dragon, treasure and the Battle of the Five Armies.
The book is written in a simple and accessible way. And although it seems to be written for children, this work belongs to the books that readers of all ages read. If you somehow haven’t read «The Hobbit, or To and Fro», but you like fantasy, I highly recommend it.
I am delighted with the number of editions of this book in «Astrolabe». There is a regular edition with a movie cover without illustrations, but with maps.
There is an illustrated edition with pictures by Alan Lee and another literary editor.
There is also the incredible «The Hobbit, or Journey Beyond the Misty Mountains. An illustrated anniversary edition of». Here we have illustrations by Tolkien himself and the first Ukrainian translation of this book by Mokrovolsky, which he made back in 1985. He was the first to write «hobbits». This edition has a limited edition and a certificate with a unique number and signatures of O. Mokrovolsky and O. Feshovets.
Finally, I will leave the graphic novel «The Hobbit. Graphic novel». It’s not hard to guess that this is a version of the book in the format of a painting, and it is also one of the most popular graphic novels in history.
The «Lord of the Rings» trilogy consists of the novels «The Fellowship of the Ring», «The Two Towers», and «The Return of the King». I’m not sure if these books need an introduction. These are some of the most popular novels in the history of literature, selling hundreds of millions of copies. They are the foundation of the modern fantasy genre in its broadest context, and they are books that every fan of the genre should, absolutely should, read. You’ve probably already read them, and if not, I envy you. I have read them four times and want to read them again. But still, I already know the story perfectly, what will happen, and you will just discover it for yourself, and it will be incredible.
I have to say that these are not modern bestsellers, but books from the middle of the last century. So there are many descriptions, the narrative is slow and long, there are plenty of events, as well as characters, places, and exposition. But it’s so interesting that you simply don’t pay attention to some moments, and this lameness and slowness is perfect for a thorough exploration of the world of Middle-earth, which is definitely worth it.
The «The Lord of the Rings» trilogy is released in a standard format without illustrations and with cinematic artwork. I know that not everyone likes them, but I really like them. So this is purely a matter of taste, but the books are still definitely worth your attention.
The story of Thorin and Nienor and their curse of Morgoth, as well as the battle with the dragon Glaurung, were described in «The Silmarillion». But this certainly dramatic story seemed to Tolkien and his son worthy of a separate book, so this plot was significantly expanded and released in a magnificent edition.
The general style here is the same as in «The Silmarillion, so if you liked that book, you’ll like this one. I would also like to note the larger format, incredible quality of the publication, snow-white paper, lace, drawings, and illustrations. I highly recommend it.
«The Death of Gondolin» was released in the same wonderful format. This is a story about the last elven stronghold — the city of Gondolin, located in the mountains. The events in the book take place after Morgoth’s defeat of the elven kingdoms of Nargothrond and Doriath.
The book is also a must-read for all those who have enjoyed «Silmarillion» and «Children of Gurin». It is similar in style, descriptions, and general dramatic mood. I would also like to note that it was fully completed by Christopher Tolkien, the professor’s son, because his father left several versions of it and this epic story was never published during his lifetime. But Christopher still managed, and it was the last book to be published under his editorship before his death in 2020.
«Beren and Lúthien» — a special book for Tolkien. He wrote the main story of the epic about the love between the human Beren, son of Baragir, and the elf Lúthien Tinuviel back in 1917. In this story, the author saw a complicated relationship with the father of his future wife, who was against their marriage.
The story of Beren and Lthien is included in «The Silmarillion», but Tolkien himself considered it the main epic of this book. So, it is not surprising that it was published as a separate edition with additions, comments by Christopher Tolkien, and various additional information.
Reading «Beren and Lúthien» will be more difficult than the previous two books, because it is still more of a book for Tolkien and Middle-earth fans. If you’ve read the items above and still want to learn more about the details and plots of this incredible universe, then definitely take a closer look at Beren and Lúthien. If you’ve had enough, then you can skip it.
The edition here, like the others above, is of an enlarged format, with wonderful drawings and illustrations. The paper is snow-white and has a lace, so this and other books can also be considered a collector’s item and a cool gift.
«Tales from the Dangerous Kingdom. The Illustrated Edition» — one of my favorite Tolkien books. I read it for the first time just a few weeks ago, and it is now forever in my heart.
In terms of format, — is a collection of five short stories, and in terms of style and mood, it is as close as possible to «The Hobbit». If you liked this famous work, be sure to check out «Tales». These are different stories about different interesting characters, and one of them is even about Tom Bombadil.
Also included here is Tolkien’s essay «On Magic Tales», where he analyzes creativity and more. And this is not for everyone, but I highly recommend the stories themselves.
And traditionally, this is an oversized edition, a collector’s and gift edition, of excellent quality, with a lace, white paper, fabulous color illustrations, and monochrome drawings.
«Letters from a Christmas Santa Claus» — is an atmospheric and fairy-tale book for children and adults, best read and given as a gift during the Christmas holidays. This is a collection of original letters and their drawings that J.R.R. Tolkien sent to his children every year for Christmas on behalf of the Christmas Father. They had the North Pole stamp, drawings and stories about the lives of reindeer, bears and the Santa Claus himself.
Flipping through this incredible illustrated edition, you wonder how much effort and love Tolkien put into creating a holiday for his children. It is also an additional reminder of his incredible vivid imagination and talent for storytelling. As a child, I would have gone crazy for such a letter, so I can only imagine how little Christopher and his siblings must have felt every year.
«Letters from a Christmas Father» a high-quality oversized book with many drawings by Tolkien himself, with narrations in poetry and wonderful stories. This is probably more of a gift edition because the paper is very white and of high quality. So you can not only have it in your library and flip through it on long winter evenings, but also give it as a gift to children, teenagers, and adults. I think that a person of any age, especially a Tolkien fan, will be delighted with this gift.
«The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun» — a poetic Norse legend from ancient Norwegian and Icelandic legends. It tells the story of Sigurd slaying the dragon Fafnir, the awakening of the valkyrie Brunhild, and other mythical heroes in verse. There is betrayal and love, death and rebirth, drama and adventure.
There is not much text in «The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun», at least compared to the thickness of the book. Because first we have a page in the original language, and then a translation into Ukrainian. But the poetry here is quite archaic and sometimes difficult to read and understand, so this book is definitely not for everyone. But those who like this format will definitely enjoy it.
In addition to the legends themselves, we have a lengthy introduction by Christopher Tolkien, where he talks in detail about certain aspects of the works, their history, features, etc., and also explains some elements and moments from the text. We also have separate sections with appendices and comments. They are indispensable in books with Tolkien’s name on the cover.
I would like to note the excellent quality of the publication, the paper, the cover and its design, etc. This is not a gift edition, but it can definitely be recommended for a gift to the collection of a person who will definitely appreciate it.
J.R.R. Tolkien was also interested in the legends of King Arthur, and this book is dedicated to this topic. Here, the professor rethinks the legends about the famous king himself, about Guinevere and Mordred, and other famous participants in those events.
Part of the book is taken up with Tolkien’s comments on certain places in the legend, and there are also pieces of the legends themselves, sometimes in poetic form, sometimes in prose. Of course, there are appendices, supplements, and an introduction by Christopher Tolkien, and there are also several of his essays. However, J.R.R. Tolkien himself did not finish this book, so Christopher put it together from his father’s scattered drafts, and instead of unfinished places, he added the above-mentioned reflections on these legends.
Of course, this book is also not for a wide range of readers, and not even every Tolkien fan will be interested in it. But if you are a connoisseur, and you like the philological, literary, and folkloristic aspects of the King Arthur legends, then this book is for you.
Another very specific and narrowly focused book for fans of medieval English poetry. In this edition, J.R.R. Tolkien translated ancient (1400) poems into a modern language (in his case, English), and the translator of Astrolabe has already turned them into a treasure for Ukrainians. At least for those who are in the know.
The book «Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, as well as Pearl and Sir Orpheo» includes the chivalric novel «Sir Gawain», the elegy for the death of a child «Pearl», and «Sir Orpheo». All of them are written and translated in alliterative verse, so not everyone will enjoy reading this, and not everyone will want to. But again, this is special literature for connoisseurs, and it’s great that it is in Ukrainian.
The book is beautifully published, with drawings and illustrations, white paper of excellent quality, and a comfortable binding.
Well, the last book is not even written by Tolkien, but it is about him and his life by the British biographer and radio journalist Humphrey Carpenter. I read this book twice, because even though it is a biography, the format of which does not suit everyone, I really liked it.
It is a detailed account of J.R.R. Tolkien’s life, showing him from all sides: the good and the bad, the professor and the scientist, the writer and the father, the man who makes mistakes and the respected Englishman. If you want to know what Tolkien was really like in real life, you should read this biography.
