Tolkien's Requiem: Concerning Beren and Lúthien (ISBN 9780592744543) is a 74-page book written by John Carswell, the owner of TrueMyths.org. It serves as a basic introduction to The Silmarillion and a study specifically of "Of Beren and Lúthien" - written in 2014, and published in paperback by True Myths Press.
Synopsis
The purpose of the book is to introduce or reintroduce to J.R.R. Tolkien's tale of Beren and Lúthien, give exposition on the fundamental conflicts of the First Age that proceeded their time, and illuminate the "Tolkienian concepts" of escape, recovery, consolation, and eucatastrophe.
As the book's subtitle would not suggest, the first half chiefly concerns Morgoth and Ungoliant's destruction of the Two Trees of Valinor and the deeds and flaws of Fëanor relating to the Silmarils. Carswell examines the many manifestations of evil and corrupted self-loves that take prominence in those tales, comparing Morgoth and Ungoliant's motives for their causing destruction, Ungoliant to Gollum, Fëanor to Morgoth, Morgoth to the Dragons of the Third Age, and Gorlim to the failure of Frodo at Mount Doom.
Following this, the tale of Beren and Lúthien is studied. Carswell concludes towards at the end that the love of Beren and Lúthien "puts right" the catastrophe of the destruction of the Two Trees.
Table of contents
- Preface
- A Brief Introduction to Certain Names
- The Seed of Middle-earth
- Fëanor, Melkor, and the Tragedy of the Two Trees
- Further Dyscatastrophes
- The Eucatastophe of Beren and Lúthien
- Consolation
- Postscript
- Works Cited