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The Story of Kullervo
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
The world first publication of a previously unknown work of fantasy by J.R.R. Tolkien, which tells the powerful story of a doomed young man who is sold into slavery and who swears revenge on the magician who killed his father. Kullervo son of Kalervo is perhaps the darkest and most tragic of all J.R.R. Tolkiens characters. Hapless Kullervo, as Tolkien called him, is a luckless orphan boy with supernatural powers and a tragic destiny. Brought up in the homestead of the dark magician Untamo, who killed his father, kidnapped his mother, and who tries three times to kill him when still a boy, Kullervo is alone save for the love of his twin sister, Wanona, and guarded by the magical powers of the black dog, Musti. When Kullervo is sold into slavery he swears revenge on the magician, but he will learn that even at the point of vengeance there is no escape from the cruellest of fates. Tolkien wrote that The Story of Kullervo was the germ of my attempt to write legends of my own, and was a major matter in the legends of the First Age; his Kullervo was the ancestor of Trin Turambar, tragic incestuous hero of The Silmarillion. In addition to being a powerful story in its own right, The Story of Kullervo published here for the first time with the authors drafts, notes and lecture-essays on its source-work, The Kalevala, is a foundation stone in the structure of Tolkiens invented world.
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Bookwomble
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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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! 🤯

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wordslinger42
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Mehso-so

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!

JazzFeathers It is a very peculiar story indeed. 3y
20 likes1 comment
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JazzFeathers
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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#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.

Daisey Glad you had time to finish it, and I very much agree with your review as well. 3y
35 likes1 comment
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JazzFeathers
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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#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? 😱

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Finished, I was ahead this time….which is totally unusual for me. And no, I hadn‘t heard that! 3y
Daisey Finished and enjoyed it more on a second read. I had not heard about a Sir Gawain film. Intrigued! 3y
JazzFeathers @BookwormAHN l think you're finished too, right? @wordslinger42 What about you? 3y
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wordslinger42 @JazzFeathers Yes, I just finished a few days ago and posted my review yesterday 😊 This wasn't a favorite of mine, but I'm still glad we read it! 3y
BookwormAHN Right, I'm finished 😺 3y
BookwormAHN I've heard of the film, The Green Night. I'm looking forward to seeing when it comes to a streaming service or blu-ray. 3y
32 likes6 comments
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BookwormAHN
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Pickpick

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

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yes, I found it interesting, as one of the essayist or comments said, that he seemed to find stories that had a gap or missing piece and filled them. 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Which is ironic since so many of his were left unfinished… I guess that means it‘s for someone else to fill them. 3y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa It‘s funny how I always loop back to that one… 3y
BookwormAHN @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Leaf by Niggle does seem appropriate though. 3y
BookwormAHN I've always wondered what eventual changes he would have made to Silmarillion or if he would have changed LOTR like he did the Hobbit. 3y
JazzFeathers @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @BookwormAHN True, eh? Must be the reason why Tolkien's fanfic world is one of the most frequented by writers. I too write a few stories maaaaany years ago 3y
55 likes7 comments
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Daisey
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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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.

JazzFeathers I've only read Tolkien's first essay at the moment (and, oops! I haven't posted about it), but l really enjoyed reading his reasons for loving this story. Can't wait to read the rest. 3y
47 likes2 comments
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Daisey
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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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

alliworm88 Looks delicious and sounds very intriguing 3y
Daisey @alliworm88 Thanks, and it is a very intriguing read! 3y
alliworm88 @Daisey I haven‘t actually gotten around to reading any of his books but I‘ve enjoyed the movies made from his books so I imagine that the books are so much better. The book you are reading about it just seems to be much more interesting because it explains things. Love the idea. 3y
Daisey @alliworm88 Tolkien is one of my favorite authors! If you want to start with something of his that also adds extra explanation, I would recommend the tagged book. It adds notes and commentary about the story as well as illustrations from various international editions. You can read just the story or also extra notes as desired. 3y
alliworm88 @Daisey awesome thanks 3y
49 likes5 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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Pickpick

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

Daisey I very much agree with your review! I‘m not as far as I had planned, but I hope to get through some more of the essays tonight. 3y
JazzFeathers True, eh? I found the actual story so brutal that l wandered all the time why Tolkien appreciated it so much. Now that I've read the first essay, l start to see. He liked it's diversity. The fact that this stories survived the centres remaining virtually untouched by the classic and afterward Christian European culture. 3y
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JazzFeathers
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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#FellowshipOfTolkien #Kullervo

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.

Daisey It is incredibly brutal, but Tolkien still makes me feel for this character. I think that‘s one of the things in the final essay that most resonated with me. He took a very difficult character and helps the reader to feel for him by building background and reasoning for those cruel actions. In a way this also reminds me of how much I appreciate the complexity of Feanor‘s character although he makes some very bad choices. 3y
JazzFeathers @Daisey Yes, l too see the origin of so many 'difficult characters' in Tolkien stories. His fascination with Kullervo must have influenced his later preference for this kind of character. 3y
18 likes2 comments
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JazzFeathers
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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#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.

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JazzFeathers
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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#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.

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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Wow, he really disliked Longfellow and Hiawatha, again so funny since he borrowed so heavily from this story himself for The Silmarillion. 😂

#FellowshipOfTolkien
#Kullervo

JazzFeathers I haven't come to this part yet, but from this section, l wonder whether he was criticising the cultural appropriation, since one cultural heritage was grabbed and reworked and then passed for another cultural heritage. Certainly Tolkien took inspirations from many different cultural stories, but he never passed them for something else. He made them his and created something new with them. 3y
Daisey I had to go read a section of Hiawatha when I got to this part, and I am somewhat curious to read the article by John Garth that is mentioned. 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Daisey I was thinking I need to go read/re-read Hiawatha 😂 3y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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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
#Kullervo

JazzFeathers 😍 3y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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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?

#FellowshipOfTolkien
#Kullervo

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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Makes me think this was what his fellow Inkling CS Lewis was going for with Narnia. 🤔

#FellowshipOfTolkien
#Kullervo

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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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

JazzFeathers Oh my god! You're almost finished! 😱 I am so behind, instead. 3y
27 likes1 comment
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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🤔 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

JazzFeathers That's what l wondered too. I knew of the fact that love for cultural stories and folklore happened simultaneously to the rise of nationalism (which was different from what we call that today, at the beginning), and l've always found it interesting. It became something very bad, sometimes. But Tolkien proved it could also create something very good. That duality is what fascinates me. 3y
34 likes1 comment
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Daisey
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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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

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yes, very interesting. Makes me wonder what was in the original Kalevala? 3y
Daisey @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Usually I just accept translations, but seeing some of Tolkien‘s and the influence on his own original writing always kind of makes me want to read other translations for comparison. Sometime I hope we read his Beowulf and I plan to compare to Heaney‘s 3y
JazzFeathers Well, @Daisey, l'm even more behind 🙄 But l think that part of it is due to the difficulty in reading this stories. I'm fascinated with the parallels with Tolkien's later work, but it's really hard going for me. 3y
58 likes3 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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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

Riveted_Reader_Melissa But so much a pre-plottong of Turin later stories. His bruskness like Turin‘s time with the thrives, weeping sister, curses, not recognizing each other until too late, suicide by water and talking knife. Even Húrin‘s later “revenge” on everyone that didn‘t take care of his family properly and the decimation in this one…. Even the notes about whether he should meet his mother during or after and have all reveled then echoes Húrin‘s story‘s end. 3y
29 likes1 comment
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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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!

#FellowshipOfTolkien
#Kullervo

JazzFeathers I think that believe that calling the name is calling the thing is quite common in many ancient (and not so ancient) European culture. We still say that we call our own misfortune. 3y
30 likes1 comment
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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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

Daisey This is an interesting way to look at his use of so many names! I know in this story I often had to reread a section and make sure I had the right character when the name changed. 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Daisey Yes! Because they don‘t even look similar with just a shortened form nickname would in English. Elizabeth (Liz Lizzy, Beth). I always though it was odd how the elven language diverged so much since they had the same root word to start with. But he borrowed so heavily especially from the Nordic myths, this made some sense to me. Plus we already knew his elves got renamed based on situation Tinúviel & Lúthien (Nightengale & Beren‘s name) 3y
JazzFeathers The use of so many names is confusing for sure, but l love the idea of changing name depending on what life throws at you. @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Daisey 3y
25 likes3 comments
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JazzFeathers
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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#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 😆

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yes, I found it difficult too. You can definitely tell it‘s an earlier work, not even quite as streamlined as some of the unfinished tales… but yes, lots of parallels here. I can see the beginning of so much he used later. 3y
19 likes1 comment
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JazzFeathers
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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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 😍

LiteraryinPA Congrats on being vaccinated! 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa So glad you got your second shot! Glad you‘re feeling better too! 3y
26 likes2 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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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 ⤵️

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ and if I‘m remembering correctly (and depending on which version of the story) his magical speech which I believe was 3 times also - helping her escape the brothers, warning her his old master was about to attack, and bringing the disguise. I‘m surprised it wasn‘t listened in the parallels. #FellowshipOfTolkien #Kullervo (edited) 3y
Daisey Interesting point. I did think of Huan as well while reading this, so I‘m curious to see whether it seems more or less a parallel in the actual story. 3y
Daisey So . . . I did read this in 2018 but don‘t remember the specifics. I went back to look at my review and it mentions clearly seeing the inspiration for both Turin and Huan. 3y
JazzFeathers Me too, reading your excerpt, l immediately thought about Huan. 3y
42 likes4 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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BookwormAHN Glad to start back 😸 3y
Daisey Same! 3y
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wordslinger42 Same here!! 💜 3y
JazzFeathers @BookwormAHN @Daisey @wordslinger42 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Sorry gals, l missed the beginning! 😭 I had my secon vaccine shot on Saturday and was really not well for a couple of days. But now I'm back on track! 💪 How's everyone doing? 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @JazzFeathers Doing fine here, so glad you got vaccinated and are feeling better now! 3y
Daisey @JazzFeathers Glad to hear you‘ve got your vaccine! I‘ve finished the introduction and fit in just a few pages of the actual story this morning with breakfast. Not sure I‘ll make much progress in the next few days as we‘re putting in some long hours playing catch up on farm work with good weather this week. 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Daisey With summer weather, you have to work with what you get… I need a cooler evening or two to get out and just weed really badly (and that‘s just my yard, not real farm work). So good luck and hydrate a lot 3y
50 likes8 comments
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Daisey
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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The Introduction starts off with explaining the importance and relevance of reading The Story of Kullervo if you‘re a Tolkien fan.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Kullervo

JazzFeathers All set for starting tonight 😜 3y
50 likes1 comment
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Daisey
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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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

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JazzFeathers
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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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

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Daisey
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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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.

BookwormAHN Thanks 😺 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Looks great! Thank you! 3y
JazzFeathers Can't wait! 😍 3y
wordslinger42 Thank you! I'm looking forward to it 😊 3y
31 likes5 comments
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JazzFeathers
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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#FellowshipOfTolkien

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

Tamra What an adorable bag! 3y
JazzFeathers @Tamra It's a gift from a friend. From her holiday in Japan 😊 It us adorable. 3y
Freespirit Lovely pic💕 I haven‘t heard of this book! 3y
JazzFeathers @Freespirit let's Tolkien's first known work. I can't wait to read it. I'll start reading it on 18 July with the #FellowshipOfTolkien, in case you want to join 😊 3y
Freespirit @JazzFeathers I shall look forward to your review!😊 3y
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uberlibris
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
Mehso-so

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

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LRSmith
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Missed one!

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Jennymay
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Pickpick

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

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InLibrisVeritas
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Pickpick

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.

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LifeInPages
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
Pickpick

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.

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LifeInPages
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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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.

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Doppoetry
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Bookwomble
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Pickpick

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. 👇

Bookwomble I don't think it's going too far out on a limb to say that this is really going to appeal mainly to Tolkien enthusiasts (mea culpa!). But, if you've read beyond The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and on into The Silmarillion and The Children of Húrin then you likely will find something here of interest. 7y
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Raminga
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Pickpick

💟 #tolkien 💟 #fantasy 💟 #tolkienaddicted 💟

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Daisey
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Pickpick

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

Daisey Another fun fact I learned from Tolkien's essay on the Kalavela was that this collection of Finnish myth also provided inspiration for Longfellow in his writing style for Hiawatha. 7y
tpixie @Daisey !!!! 7y
56 likes2 comments
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Daisey
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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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

Lacythebookworm Great mug! 💕 7y
Daisey @Lacythebookworm Thanks! 😊 7y
ghosthost The message on your mug made me laugh. 7y
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Daisey @ghosthost 😂 Kind of made me laugh too. I have always enjoyed Tolkien and have gotten so much more from reading a chapter a day with discussion, but it's also a little crazy to think I've been reading his work on a pretty much daily basis for almost half a year. 7y
tpixie @Daisey you‘ve done a good job following through with this project!! I‘d have to quit my 3 bookclubs to manage it. Hopefully some day! 7y
Daisey @tpixie I've had to give up a few other things to keep up with it, but I've enjoyed it so much! 7y
tpixie @Daisey 👏🏻🎉👏🏻 7y
tpixie I think it‘s a great accomplishment and worth it! 7y
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Daisey
The Story of Kullervo | J.R.R. Tolkien
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#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.

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I‘m not the only one who‘s been sucked in! LOL. I haven‘t heard of the dark one, but I still have a book of Lost tales and The Atlas of Tolkien on my shelf. 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa I just looked, the other Tolkien on my shelf is 7y
Daisey @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I also have Unfinished Tales on my personal shelf and I want to read the rest of Tales from the Perilous Realm that I bought! I think The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrun is actually related to Old Norse legends and is not connected to Middle-Earth. He also wrote one about King Arthur that I did not check out today. (edited) 7y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Daisey I believe you are right, and I know he has a Beowulf too. I didn‘t know about the King Arthur one though. The rest of the Perilous Realm was very good, mostly unrelated to Middle Earth, but I quite enjoyed them. 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa I‘ll definitely keep my eyes open for the 7y
InLibrisVeritas I kind of want to continue onward as well. I have Unfinished Tales on my shelves as well, along with the first part of the Lost Tales. I'll have to try and find Kullervo! 7y
JazzFeathers Wait, wait!! If you are reading the Lost Tale, l want in!!!! I have to check which volume l have, since l only have one of the three published. Of course l'm planning to get the other two 😁 7y
JazzFeathers @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Last October my Tolkien group organised a little conference about Tolkien's inspiration. I talked about the Edda. Two other members talked about Beowulf and the Kalevala. Apparently, Tolkien was very impressed with the story of Kullervo from the Kalevala, but he didn't like hoe it was written. So he rewrote it. 7y
JazzFeathers @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Then he wrote it again to incorporate the story into Middle Earth and it became The Children of Hurin. I understand Tolkien's version of Kullervo and The Children if Hurin are very very similar 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @InLibrisVeritas The Unfinished Tales was part of my ugly cover set I bought back in HS, so I‘m definitely going to read it soonish, it‘s the last one I already own, but haven‘t read yet. I‘m pretty sure my library has some of the lost tales additions, I‘ll have to check it out. 7y
Daisey @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @InLibrisVeritas @JazzFeathers Do we all have a copy of The Unfinished Tales available that we could continue with that if there is interest? I will need to double check my edition, but I think I have the same one Melissa tagged above. I don't have the two volumes of Lost Tales but with time I could look into maybe finding them. 7y
Daisey @JazzFeathers The info about Kullervo is interesting. It seems to be fairly short, so I'm going to try to fit in reading it while I have it checked out from the library and will let you all know what I think. 7y
Daisey @Rachbb3 Thought you might want to check in on this discussion too. 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Let me know what you guys want to do, I half feel like a break, but once you stop it‘s would be hard to circle back. So I‘m up for whatever, as long as I can find the volume. And right now all the side stories are pretty fresh in my mind so it‘s a good time too. 7y
InLibrisVeritas @Daisey I'm good to go if we do Unfinished Tales. The others I could purchase on ebook, since I use text to speech anyway while at work. 7y
Rachbb3 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @InLibrisVeritas @JazzFeathers I would love to continue on with Unfinished Tales, I don't have a copy, but Amazon Prime does. 😁😉 Let me know what you all decide. Thank you for the tag @Daisey 💟 7y
JazzFeathers Just checked. I have the first volume of the Lost Tales. Would you gals be willing to wait 'till l get the Unfinished Takes? May take me a week, though... (l'm getting it from my shop) 7y
InLibrisVeritas @JazzFeathers I am, it'd be a nice little breather. I'm a go with the flow kind of person, so I'm good with it if everyone else is. Should we shoot for the week after next or push it further? (edited) 7y
Daisey I like the idea of a short break of a week or two, whatever works best for everyone. 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Works for me. Just let me know when we are starting again. I‘ll wait to start with the group. I checked in the meantime, I have the Unfinished Tales, and the Library and Hoopla both have The Lost Tales book 1 and 2, other then that I‘ll have to order them too. (edited) 7y
Daisey @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Thanks for checking Hoopla, I had forgotten to check there! I may still buy them to add to my collection but good to know I have another option. 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Daisey They had a bunch of other non-middle Earth ones too by him. The King Arthur, Beowulf, Letters from Father Christmas, and a few others. 7y
Daisey @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I wonder if some changed recently because I know I‘ve looked him up before and do not remember seeing some of those. Or maybe I was just in a different frame of mind. Either way, I marked his author page for future reference. 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Daisey Maybe all of us requesting them from the library filtered up to their selections? 7y
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JoCo1990
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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Just love Tolkien, and was rather excited for this find at work yesterday :) added too the pile of things I need to finish reading.

DebinHawaii Welcome to Litsy! 🎉👍📚 8y
Marchpane Wow that book sounds good! I need to find. And welcome! 8y
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review
ElizabethAndino
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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Bailedbailed

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

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lydiathegrey
The Story of Kullervo | J. R. R. Tolkien
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Interested in reading this soon!