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Description edit see section history

An extraordinary discovery is waiting for you on these pages. Mythic lore and forgotten legends unearthed by Christopher Tolkien from his father's archives unveil never-before-told stories of the three ages of ancient Middle-earth.

Summary edit see section history

Unlike The Silmarillion , for which the narrative fragments were modified to connect into a consistent and coherent work, the Unfinished Tales are presented as Tolkien left them, with little more than names changed (the author having had a confusing habit of trying out different names for a... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Unlike The Silmarillion , for which the narrative fragments were modified to connect into a consistent and coherent work, the Unfinished Tales are presented as Tolkien left them, with little more than names changed (the author having had a confusing habit of trying out different names for a character while writing a draft). Thus some of these are incomplete stories, while others are collections of information about Middle-earth. Each tale is followed by a long series of notes explaining inconsistencies and obscure points.

As with The Silmarillion, Christopher Tolkien edited and published Unfinished Tales before he had finished his study of the materials in his father's archive<citation needed>. Unfinished Tales provides more detailed information about characters, events and places mentioned only briefly in The Lord of the Rings . Versions of such tales including the origins of Gandalf and the other Istari (Wizards), the death of Isildur and the loss of the One Ring in the Gladden Fields, and the founding of the kingdom of Rohan help expand knowledge about Middle-earth.

Of particular note is the tale of Aldarion and Erendis, the only known story of Númenor before its fall. A map of Númenor is also included in the book.

Characters edit see section history

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First Sentence edit see section history

Rian, wife of Huor, dwelt with the people of the House of Hador; but when rumour came to Dor-lomin of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, and yet she could hear no news of her lord, she became distraught and wandered forth into the wild alone.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Introduction
Part One: The First Age
1. Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin
2. Narn I Hin Hurin
Part Two: The Second Age
1. A Description of the Island of Numenor
2. Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife
3. The Line of Elros: Kings of Numenor
4. The History of Galadriel and Celebron
Notes
Appendices
Part Three: The Third Age
1. The Disaster of the Gladden Fields
Notes
Appendices
2.Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan
Notes
3. The Quest of Erebor
Notes
Appendix
4. The Hunt for the Ring
Notes
6. The Battles of the Ford of Isen
Notes
Appendix
Part Four
1. The Druedain
Notes
2. The Istari
Notes
3. The Palantiri
Notes
Index

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 21 of 23 in Middle-Earth. (universe)

Preceded by The Children of Húrin, and followed by The End of the Third Age.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. J. R. R. Tolkien (Author)
  2. Christopher Tolkien (Editor)

Other Contributors:

  1. Sash Uusjärv (Translator)
  2. Kristina Uluots (Translator)
  3. Ove Hillep (Translator)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1980
ISBN: 0395299179
Page Count: 472

Classification edit see section history


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