In this 9th installment of the History of Middle-Earth series it focuses on the last few chapters of Return of the King.
In the drafts it turns out the hobbits are excited to see their old friend like, Jeremy, Ciszimo and Cousin Pimple! There's also a character called Took Brandybuck as well.
However, this novel drags a lot in the end. After Christopher finishes the Lord of the Rings drafts he doesn't have that much else to offer.
There's a LONG story about "The Notion Papers Club" which has nothing to do with Middle Earth. Just another writing from his father. It literally takes up have the pages in the novel. After that, there's another rehash from the 1st age that mentions Sauron as a servant for Morgoth who had "eyes" everywhere but the story isn't about Sauron nor is it focused on him so it reads like filler to pad his page count.
The BEST thing about the book is the "lost" chapter to Reurn of the King which has a NEW ending to the novel.....and it's great.
It ends years later as Sam is grown up and is reading the Red Book to his children (for the third time) He does a "where are they now" segment as he anwers his kids questions on the various characters from the story.
As they go to bed his little girl asks if he will also have to travel to the Grey Havens one day since he held the ring albeit for a short time. Sam responds that would be the case but not for a very long time. As he closes their door it says Sam sits in home....listening to the call of the ocean.
WOW.
Absolutely love that ending too! Very good stuff and if nothing else makes this book worth the read!
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