A review by sonofthunder
Unfinished Tales, by J.R.R. Tolkien

4.0

How shall I describe this one!? Well I've had this book for years but never quite summoned up the fortitude to dive deeper into Tolkien lore. Really, this book isn't as bad as I thought it would be though. Put together by Christopher Tolkien after his father's death, this is really almost like additional appendices to Lord of the Rings and/or the Silmarillion. Some things that were told in the Silmarillion are told in greater detail here (for example, the tale of the children of Hurin) and some things that were only hinted at in other texts are laid bare here. Especially some of the chapters at the end were much enjoyed by me for further coloring in the stories we read in the Hobbit and in Lord of the Rings. There is a story that gives some more backstory before Gandalf and the dwarfs invade Bilbo's home. There is a story that gives all the details prior to the death of Isildur and the losing of the ring! There is a story that gives great context to the struggles of Rohan at various periods (even as late as the battle at the Fords of the Isen that we only see the after-effects of in Lord of the Rings). Now I'm summarizing far too much! But this book is one that only a Lord of the Rings nerd could love, to be sure. Apparently I am that nerd. This book is heavily end-noted, and I couldn't help but read every single one of them. Because so many of these stories and writings were not quite finished or even contradictory of other things Tolkien wrote, Christopher does a good job of guiding the reader to understand some of the authorial thought process. It's a peek behind the curtain! And I loved it. Again, it's a bit dry, so definitely not for the faint of heart. But if you love all things Tolkien, this is well worth the read. So many nuggets and pieces of lore that I'd never heard before...this book will retain a place of honor on my fantasy shelf! My favourite chapter...? Possibly one that was set in the Second Age...a tale of ancient Numenor, a chapter called "Aldarion and Erendis". An amazing glimpse into Numenor, I simply loved this tale that I had...somehow never heard of before? A tale of a mariner and his wife, a tale of love found and love lost, a tale full of slowly growing dread and tragedy yet still somehow holding notes of beauty throughout the melancholy. Definitely not a happy story, but I still much enjoyed this read. For that story alone, this book is worth the read!