David Day is one of the more
imaginative Tolkien annotators ever to be published. Some
scholars hold that his work is completely without
merit because he makes up his facts and includes many
misleading details. He is constantly
hammered by
Tolkien researchers on the Internet. What he does bring to the
realm of
Middle-Earth commentary, however, is an imaginative retelling of Tolkien's
mythology. It's unique, if not
legitimate. He lacks Tolkien's
style and
depth, but many people have enjoyed Day's books through the years despite their
inaccuracy.
These books make good conversation pieces (coffee-table books) and are interesting in their own right, but the reader should beware. Where Tolkien only hints on things, Day makes up a whole story.