The Fall of Gondolin: A Christian Perspective

The Fall of Gondolin is a book by J.R.R. Tolkien. It was edited and published by his son, Christopher Tolkien. The book is a tale about Tuor, who Ulmo, the god of waters, tasks with warning the King of Gondolin to prepare to fight against Melkor and send messengers to Valinor to ask the Valar for pardon and to help in the fight against Melkor. The book also tells of the sad events that fall upon the hidden kingdom of Gondolin. Christopher Tolkien compiles the different versions of the tale written by his father within the book and provides details and notes concerning the works.

I enjoyed the prose Tolkien used in the story, and it made me want to live in Middle-Earth. I also enjoyed characters such as Idril and Tuor. Idril is one of the wisest characters in the story, for she senses danger approaches and encourages Tuor to prepare for it. Tuor is wise in that he listens to Idril and does as she asks. I liked reading the different versions of the tale that Tolkien wrote and the depth of the lore within the story. There was suspense when Tuor and his family were in danger and there were sad moments because of the misfortune that falls upon Earendel and his family in The Conclusion of the Quenta Noldorinwa.

One thing I disliked was that I sometimes mixed up the characters Tuor and Turgon because their names were similar, but that was fine because I eventually sorted things out.

In the story, Turgon is so comfortable within Gondolin and so confident in its secrecy and strength that he does not heed Ulmo’s words, which has devastating consequences. From a Christian perspective, this could represent or be comparable to what can happen when we ignore what God says to us because we are too comfortable where we are, physically or spiritually. If we do not do what God tells us to do, then we will face negative consequences for it. For example, when the Israelites rebelled against God out of fear of the Canaanites and spoke of going back to Egypt, He did not allow them to enter the promised land and killed the spies who had come back with bad reports (Numbers 14:1-25). We should not be complacent. Instead, we should move forward in our walk with God. It is best to listen to God and obey His commands even though we may feel uncomfortable going outside our comfort zone. God has better plans for our lives than we do, and His thoughts are of peace, not of evil (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV).

In conclusion, I enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to teens, adults, and people who enjoy Tolkien’s work.