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Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth (Unfinished Tales)
A New York Times bestseller for twenty-one weeks upon publication, UNFINISHED TALES is a collection of narratives ranging in time from the Elder Days of Middle-earth to the end of the War of the Ring, and further relates events as told in THE SILMARILLION and THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The book concentrates on the lands of Middle-earth and comprises Gandalf's lively accoun...more
Paperback, 480 pages
Published
September 19th 2001
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(first published 1980)
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This is simply a moneymaking scheme. After the success of the Silmarillion, the Tolkien state has published all notes that were in a more or less readable state. This is the only one I bought (besides Chidren of Hurin, which probably has much in common with the bigger part of this book).
I do not think Professor Tolkien would have liked to have these drafts and notes published. Many of them are even obsolete, as he built up and discarded elements in his mythic construct.
Th...more
I do not think Professor Tolkien would have liked to have these drafts and notes published. Many of them are even obsolete, as he built up and discarded elements in his mythic construct.
Th...more
Soy un super fan de "El señor de los anillos" y de Tolkien. Sin duda, los "Cuentos Inconclusos" enriquecen mucho la saga y te dejan con una sensación alucinante, preguntándote "¿Lo inventó todo Tolkien o de verdad sí existió la Tierra Media?"
Eso sí, estos cuentos son para especialistas, no sólo fans. Están llenos de referencias a los libros, fechas, nombres en diversas lenguas, sean élficas o "Dúnedáin", además de referencias geográficas e históricas, fec...more
Eso sí, estos cuentos son para especialistas, no sólo fans. Están llenos de referencias a los libros, fechas, nombres en diversas lenguas, sean élficas o "Dúnedáin", además de referencias geográficas e históricas, fec...more
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This is the first work that showed us how Tolkien's obsessive perfectionism was a double-edged sword. On the one hand it gave us the wonderfully deep world and implied distances of _The Lord of the Rings_; and on the other hand it left us with a jumble of tales in various states of revision and development that had to be compiled by Tolkien's son Christopher into some form as _The Silmarillion_...a jumble of tales that, if they had been finished, would have given us a truly staggering body of wo...more
Inhalt:
In vier Teile geteilt, enthält dieses Buch Einträge über jedes Zeitalter, die alle entweder mit dem Silmarillion, dem Hobbit, oder dem Herrn der Ringe zusammenhängen. Von Tuor, über die Geschichte Númenors, bis hin zur Geschichte um den einen Ring findet sich hier alles genauer erklärt bzw. zum Teil vollendet und/oder ausgebessert wieder.
Meinung:
Dieses Buch ist vom Stil her eine Mischung des Silmarillions und dem Herrn der Ringe, doch ist es nicht wirklich schwer den H...more
In vier Teile geteilt, enthält dieses Buch Einträge über jedes Zeitalter, die alle entweder mit dem Silmarillion, dem Hobbit, oder dem Herrn der Ringe zusammenhängen. Von Tuor, über die Geschichte Númenors, bis hin zur Geschichte um den einen Ring findet sich hier alles genauer erklärt bzw. zum Teil vollendet und/oder ausgebessert wieder.
Meinung:
Dieses Buch ist vom Stil her eine Mischung des Silmarillions und dem Herrn der Ringe, doch ist es nicht wirklich schwer den H...more
For this, I interrupted my run through the unread Tanya Huff on my shelf--'cause all apologies to Ms. Huff and all, but Tolkien trumps her, and I'd gotten into quite the mood to check me out some of the Tolkien material I'd never read once I heard that The Children of Húrin was coming out. So I went and picked up a copy of Unfinished Tales to see what it had to offer.
If you're looking for a complete and cohesive narrative, this isn't it. Unfinished Tales is exactly what the title adver...more
If you're looking for a complete and cohesive narrative, this isn't it. Unfinished Tales is exactly what the title adver...more
I have noticed that the further one drifts from an author's masterpiece the less impressive they become, and for Tolkien that is very evident. While I consider his masterpiece to be The Simarilion (even though it was not actually completed by him) may others look to The Lord of the Rings. Granted, it is a brilliant trilogy, though ever since the films were released their appeal has dropped somewhat in my opinion.
Unfinished Tales is basically a collection of stories that Tolkien never manag...more
Unfinished Tales is basically a collection of stories that Tolkien never manag...more
Until the publication of The Children of Hurin a few years ago, Unfinished Tales was the third piece of the Middle-earth trilogy. Paired with The Lord of The Rings and The Silmarillion it was a bit of a third wheel; comprised of various stories in different states of completeness with some editorial comments by Christopher Tolkien needed to bridge the gaps and contradictions left by the myriad versions Tolkien authored of most of these stories.
Unfinished Tales actually includes my fav...more
Unfinished Tales actually includes my fav...more
J.R.R. Tolkien's Unfinished Tales is a terrific book for diehard Tolkien fans, in particular, fans of The Lord of the Rings who have not yet read The Silmarillion. Ever wondered what were the exact events that caused Isildur to lose the One Ring? Or the origins of Wizards? Or what Middle-Earth was like during its First Age? Unfinished Tales helps to shed light on the complex creation of Middle-Earth and the many tales and legends that relate the events in its long and largely tumultuous history....more
This book is for the nerdiest of Tolkien nerds. I enjoyed it. There were some chapters that I skipped over because I had no interest in them.. I don't really care about Eorl and I don't really care about the fields of Celebrant, but almost everything else was fantastic. The most dissappointing chapter that I read was "Galadriel and Celeborn," and that's only because it was one of the least finished by Tolkien.
Some poeple say this book was put out there for money, but I dis...more
Some poeple say this book was put out there for money, but I dis...more
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Only for those really interested in Tolkien's writings. I am very into history and enjoy reading it, even when it is fictional. This adds a good deal of clarity to a number of events that were going on during and before the War of the Ring. I like it because it shows how Tolkien say that events do not happen in a vaccuum, which is important when you have a story so large, in a world so unique and with so many characters. These tales were not really meant to be published, it was more Tolkien fill...more
While this book is invaluable for fleshing out aspects of Middle Earth not included in Tolkien's main body of published works for those interested in finding out what the author thought about certain aspects of his sub-creation (or how his thinking changed over time), it is largely an academic work.
Christopher Tolkien seems to have dedicated as much time to studying his father's work as his father dedicated to writing it, and as a result fans of Tolkien have relatively easy referenc...more
Christopher Tolkien seems to have dedicated as much time to studying his father's work as his father dedicated to writing it, and as a result fans of Tolkien have relatively easy referenc...more
Its a really good long look at the history and tales of middle earth, but i found myself skating through things a little too much. I enjoyed the last half of the book most as it dealt with names and places and events i recognised and were familiar with.
The style is, of course, not as fluid as the main three books and is probably best read if you have read and an enjoyed the silmarillion. Its fascinating to see the depths to which Tolkien can go into Middle Earth and its history and y...more
The style is, of course, not as fluid as the main three books and is probably best read if you have read and an enjoyed the silmarillion. Its fascinating to see the depths to which Tolkien can go into Middle Earth and its history and y...more
There were parts I liked, and there were parts I didn't like, so a 2 star review is a compromise. I didn't really want to know more about the brother and sister who marry and conceive a child not realizing they're brother and sister (blech). He slays a dragon then kills himself trying to retrieve his sword, then the dragon tells her the truth about her identity before he completely dies and she throws her pregnant self in the river. Ahh!
The story about the Numenoreans was interesting...more
The story about the Numenoreans was interesting...more
I struggled through this in elementary school, and didn't really get it, which says much about its overall readability and straightforwardness. That aside, My preteen self decided to buck up and try again. Totally worth it for the burgeoning geek that was growing within me.
After having immersed myself in the world of Tolkien via "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", this book cemented my fascination with Middle-Earth and it's complex mythology. I read it so l...more
After having immersed myself in the world of Tolkien via "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", this book cemented my fascination with Middle-Earth and it's complex mythology. I read it so l...more
Another surprise present from my lovely wife. Before I started reading I thought it would be about slogging through the First Age chapters before getting to the good stuff on the Third Age – with Tolkien I read everything, even the appendixes. However, I was surprised – the First Age chapters were actually very enjoyable and the Third Age parts were not as good. Having said that though, the best story in the book is the background to the Hobbit. I still think it was amazing that the whole future...more
ketemu di raknya inlaws. bole unfinished?
Some really interesting tales in this book with a huge amount of Middle Earth history and backstory. I loved the tale from Numenor "The Mariner's Wife" which was an absolutely fascinating insight into that island society.
The history of the wizards was also interesting, especially discovering that they were embodied Maiar from Valinor sent by the Valar to work against the evil of Sauron.
If you are interested in the history of Middle Earth, I would highly recomme...more
The history of the wizards was also interesting, especially discovering that they were embodied Maiar from Valinor sent by the Valar to work against the evil of Sauron.
If you are interested in the history of Middle Earth, I would highly recomme...more
A great read for Tolkein fans -- I found it much more readable than other geeked out timelines found in the Similarion, etc.
Highlights for me were: Gandalf's story of the events in "The Hobbit," and details about the Nazgul's chase for the Ring; also, lots of details about the Palinitri and the Istar (Gandalf and his ilk); and more about Gondor and Rohan's history.
Christopher Tolkein seems to do a very detailed job of explaining when it is his father's words, ...more
Highlights for me were: Gandalf's story of the events in "The Hobbit," and details about the Nazgul's chase for the Ring; also, lots of details about the Palinitri and the Istar (Gandalf and his ilk); and more about Gondor and Rohan's history.
Christopher Tolkein seems to do a very detailed job of explaining when it is his father's words, ...more
Andrew
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of The Silmarillion
Shelves:
tolkein
This book is similar to the Silmarillion, but with much less polish. Where the Silmarillion was (I think) mostly completed before JRR's death, the tales in this collection were all 'unfinished.' In some cases the stories were complete narratives, but only sketched by the elder Tolkien in the form of rough outlines. In other cases they were unfinished in the sense that they just abruptly end at some point half way through the narrative
If you haven't read the Silmarillion, you should...more
If you haven't read the Silmarillion, you should...more
This book contains many stories and details of Middle-Earth that were expanded on or published for the first time, including, from the First and Second Ages: Tuor and Turin, Numenor, and Celeborn and Galadriel. However, my favorite part of this book is the "behind-the-scenes" details it provides on the Third Age:
The Quest of Erebor, where Gandalf explains how grand events in Middle-Earth led him to arrange for Bilbo's adventure in The Hobbit
The Hunt for the Ring, describing...more
The Quest of Erebor, where Gandalf explains how grand events in Middle-Earth led him to arrange for Bilbo's adventure in The Hobbit
The Hunt for the Ring, describing...more
This has some of the glimmers that The Silmarillion possesses, but is assuredly a book of "Unfinished Tales" and thus losses the breadth and power that is typical of Tolkien. On the other hand, the fact that Tolkien was this detailed and circumspect about everything in Middle Earth is a little frightening and awe-inspiring.
I would find it hard to pick this book up and read it cover to cover for a second time. It works better as an appendix for the world of Middle Earth,...more
I would find it hard to pick this book up and read it cover to cover for a second time. It works better as an appendix for the world of Middle Earth,...more
http://nhw.livejournal.com/787532.html[return][return]I'd been putting off reading for years, fearing that it would be as big a disappointment as The Silmarillion. But in fact, taken on its own merits, there are some excellent bits here. The first half of the book, which is basically three chunks of narrative which didn't quite make it into The Silmarillion, is especially good, although the very first part, a lovely description of Tuor's journey to Gondolin, is a bit short on narrative action.[r...more
I really enjoyed some aspects of this book - learning some of the backstory to 'The Hobbit' and more about the wizards in particular - but it wasn't straight prose which annoyed me a little at times. Christopher Tolkien (J.R.R.'s son) has interspersed many of the later parts of the stories with commentaries on the unfinished nature of each and versions which contradicted each other or things related in other tales. This got a little annoying at times and I think it might have worked better put a...more
This collection of "lost tales" just offers a more in-depth look at some of the specific events, characters, and history outlined in "The Silmarillion." Most of the narratives are fragments of larger stories, but they offer details that aren't available in any of the longer published narratives. It will only be of interest to those fans of Tolkien who like to debate all the fine points and mysteries hinted at in "The Lord of the Rings"--like who the other wizards w...more
I'll start out by saying that I found the style of writing in The Silmarillion hard going at points. When I started reading Unfinished Tales I though that this was going to be another hard slog. I was pleasantly surprised.
The first section of the book is hard going but when you get further in the style changes to that more like you find in The Lord of the Rings. I found the essays about the Palantiri and the Istari excellent. The story about the Battle of the Fords of Isen is a must...more
The first section of the book is hard going but when you get further in the style changes to that more like you find in The Lord of the Rings. I found the essays about the Palantiri and the Istari excellent. The story about the Battle of the Fords of Isen is a must...more
LOVE Christopher Tolkien's editing and comments. Keeps things smooth and clear. This is an easy read. As each segment of an unfinished tale is its own chapter, you can easily skip around. Some of it is just purely dreadful in getting through. Tolkien digresses often in his storytelling and doesn't come up for air when it gets that thick and entangled. Too complicated and uninteresting to read all the way through. Could not get through every chapter (am still reading it). But I absolutely...more
if you LOVE lotr and have an innate interest in history and simply knowing 'why things are', then this will be gold for you. if you LOVE lotr and don't really care what went on before it, stay away. this is by all rights a sister book to silmarillion, which is pretty much a straightforward history book. i love it, but i'm a nerd like that.
this was much easier to read than the silmarillion and filled in a lot more history and legend relative to the lord of the rings (rather than the more ancient history found in the silmarillion).
the one thing that impressed me most about this book was that according to tolkien "there is hardly any reference in the lord of the rings to things that do not actually exist on its own plane (of secondary or sub-creational reality)." the note continues to mention an abstract referen...more
the one thing that impressed me most about this book was that according to tolkien "there is hardly any reference in the lord of the rings to things that do not actually exist on its own plane (of secondary or sub-creational reality)." the note continues to mention an abstract referen...more
Okay. This book offers a lot of info. for those of you who live and breathe Tolkien tales. If you're only mildly interested in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, don't bother reading this book. However, if you're facsinated by the trilogy, this is a must-read for you. It tells the back-story of several major characters.
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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE, was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the high fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford from 1925 to 1945, and Merton Professor of English language and literature from 1945 to 1959. He was a close friend of C. S. Lewis...more
More about J.R.R. Tolkien...
Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford from 1925 to 1945, and Merton Professor of English language and literature from 1945 to 1959. He was a close friend of C. S. Lewis...more
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