Beren and Lúthien is one of the most important stories in The Silmarillion, the mythology created by J. R. R. Tolkien after his return from the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The story centers on the love between Beren, a mortal man, and Lúthien, an immortal Elf. Because Lúthien’s father opposes their relationship, he gives Beren an impossible task: to steal a Silmaril from Morgoth, the greatest evil being,In this book, Christopher Tolkien brings together different versions of the tale written by his father over many years. By presenting both the original and later versions, he shows how the story evolved and reveals details that were lost in later retellings.