Beren and Lúthien Audiobook By Christopher Tolkien, J. R. R. Tolkien cover art

Beren and Lúthien

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Beren and Lúthien

By: Christopher Tolkien, J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Timothy West, Samuel West
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About this listen

Presented for the first time on audio, the epic tale of Beren and Lúthien will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves, Men and Orcs and the rich landscape unique to Tolkien’s Middle-earth in this unabridged recording read by critically acclaimed father and son, Timothy and Samuel West.

Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, was deeply opposed to Beren, and imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien.

Undaunted by Lord Thingol’s challenge, Beren and Lúthien embark on the supremely heroic attempt to rob Morgoth, the greatest of all evil beings, of a Silmaril, one of the hallowed jewels that adorn the Black Enemy’s crown.

The tale of Beren and Lúthien, which was written shortly after J.R.R. Tolkien returned from the Battle of the Somme in 1916, was an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion. In this book Christopher Tolkien has extracted the various versions of Beren and Lúthien from the comprehensive work in which they are embedded.

To show something of the process whereby this Great Tale of Middle-earth evolved over the years, he tells the story in his father's own words by giving, first, its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts that illustrate the narrative as it changed. Presented together for the first time, they reveal aspects of the story, both in event and in narrative immediacy, that were afterwards lost.

©2017 HarperCollins Publishers Limited (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
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Critic reviews

"A seamless editorial construct, the capstone to a job Christopher Tolkien began with The Silmarillion." (New Statesman)

Featured Article: Who Is J.R.R. Tolkien? Celebrating the Incomparable Creator of Middle-earth


J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings epic, has an annual day devoted to reveling in his books. Established by the Tolkien Society in 2003. Tolkien Reading Day is held each year on March 25—the date marking the downfall of the terrible Dark Lord, Sauron (the Lord of the Rings). Before you dive into re-listening to your favorite passages, why not take learn more about the writer, scholar, linguist, and visionary behind the fantasy phenomenon?

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What listeners say about Beren and Lúthien

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Love this!

I love hearing the progression of this story and the different iterations that were made throughout Tolkien’s life. It also shows all of the work that Christopher had to put into the Silmarillion to get a final story.

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3 people found this helpful

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Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a totally beautiful book! This is quite an interesting and powerfully romantic. I definitely recommend it!!!!!!

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Once again he does it!

Amazing story told in an anthology format with multiple versions like legends told so you get a broader picture of the thoughts that went into this story. So much more hopeful then Children of Hurin!

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I leave this. Even better than expected!

I am a big Tolkien fan and love how he writes. The notes by Christopher Tolkien are relevant and interesting., adding another layer to the book. The narration also enhances the story - really well done.

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great and bad same time!

how to explain the parts that were excellent great poetry, but unfortunately it felt a lot like a book report at other parts. If you love Jared talking to work, I recommend it, I just I don't know

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Good listen if a bit scattered in presentation.

While narration was very listenable, the story was a little unreachable as it has been too many years since I was a more enthusiastic fan of The Sillmarilion.

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More like a thesis reading rather than a story

Don't get me wrong , the information presented here are great and you gain great insight about the myth of Beren and Luthien and how it came to pass BUT it is not -at least for my taste- a good audiobook in a sense that there is a lot of "commenting" by Cristopher rather than actual storytelling. I picked this up (and was very excited) after listening to The Children of Hurin audiobook and was a bit dissapointed as I expected a bit more. But it is great!

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Beren and Luthien

it's great I love these books, very much and I want to hear more about the characters alit more.

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Maybe not for everyone but definitely for me!

Listening to the same story retold and it's various forms as it shaped and grew throughout the years may sound repetitive. There are some elements in the retellings that are phenomenal and I am so glad I took the time. I struggled as a teenager with the poetic form of the Lays of Beleriand, as an adult and a lover of poetry I was enthralled at this retelling.

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Fantastic Look Into The Evolution Of The Tale

While not for everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The two narrators did a wonderful job going back and forth between Tolkien's writing and his son's editorial notes. Beren and Lúthien has always been one of my favorite tales of Middle Earth, and I enjoyed getting a look behind the scenes on how it developed over the years.

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