The Story of Kullervo is now available for pre-order from Harper Collins in the UK for £16.99
If anyone needs a copy ordered and sent on, let me know.
Kullervo son of Kalervo is perhaps the darkest and most tragic of all J.R.R. Tolkien’s 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 himself said 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’. Tolkien’s Kullervo is the clear ancestor of Túrin Turambar, tragic incestuous hero of The Silmarillion. In addition to it being a powerful story in its own right, The Story of Kullervo – published here for the first time with the author’s drafts, notes and lecture-essays on its source-work, The Kalevala – is a foundation stone in the structure of Tolkien’s invented world.
I asked Verlyn whether this was going to be any different than the version that she published in Tolkien Studies, and she said that other including the essay that she included in Green Suns and Fairie, it will be identical. I'll probably still get a copy eventually, but I'm not in a hurry, since I already own and have read it.
If you haven't already read the version in Tolkien Studies, it definitely is worthwhile to have, I will say that.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
The articles and press releases I read initially said August 27 for UK (Harper Collins), October 27 for US (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), but all of a sudden some have stated that US will be April 5th, 2016. Amazon also lists it as such, and Houghton Mifflin's Tumblr has April as well. Some websites have also 'corrected' the UK's Aug. 27 release into Oct. 27 along with the US = April info, but Amazon has "International Edition" (HarperCollins), October 15, along with Aug. 27 down next to "publisher" in Product Details. Meanwhile, Amazon.UK is still listing the HarperCollins publication on Aug. 27.
Perhaps this means HarperCollins will publish it in the UK on Aug. 27, it will be available for international shipping on Oct. 15, and HMH will be releasing their own American edition in April? There's some inconsistency between websites.
Thanks for the additional information, Tyrhael. I had not heard about the delay, and was still thinking it was October 27. That's a bit disappointing!
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
I got my copy from Amazon.UK a week or so ago. I enjoyed reading it. The text of the story seemed quite mature even though he wrote it pre-War. Some of the early Silmarillion texts didn't seem this well done. It was entertaining and I enjoyed it more than Sigurd or Arthur.
I thought it was worth publishing and I'm happy I bought it from Amazon.uk even though it was kind of pricey.
I'm glad you liked it! I enjoyed what I read in Tolkien Studies, as well as the essay in Green Suns, and I agree with your opinions pretty much across the board. I'll definitely be picking it up once it is available through Amazon.com, though since I have read it already I didn't deem it necessary to go out and grab it from Amazon.uk.co
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Part of me would like to argue with that characterization, but it really is pretty indisputable.
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"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
