Reviews

Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth by J.R.R. Tolkien

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valeria_anedda's review against another edition

4.0

GDL Storia di Arda

Il libro contiene dei racconti bellissimi e anche un'accozzaglia di brevissimi racconti che ho trovato abbastanza lenti e noiosi e, soprattutto, che lasciano molte domande senza risposta. Sono anche presenti molte incongruenze rispetto ai romanzi principali, perché è evidente che si tratta di appunti e bozze in via di revisione. Interessanti i commenti di Christopher Tolkien che è incredibilmente puntuale nel descrivere la provenienza di ogni scritto e i possibili intenti di suo padre.
Contiene moltissime informazioni sulla Seconda Era (che è quella su cui si sa meno) e ampliamenti sulla Terza Era, che viene poi ben approfondita ne Lo Hobbit e ne Il Signore degli Anelli.
Consigliato solo agli appassionati di Tolkien.

brandoneckroth's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative slow-paced

4.25

First of all, so much appreciation and respect for Christopher Tolkien. I was impressed with what he did in The Silmarillion, but Unfinished Tales took his important role in Tolkien's universe to another level. Weaving illegible manuscripts, jottings, and passages into beautiful narratives diving even deeper into the history and tales of Middle-Earth and Númenor. Although incredibly dense at times, this felt like such an important read, allowing me to grasp an even greater understanding and respect for Tolkien's legendarium. I will most likely be coming back to this again in years to come.

sataanaperkele's review against another edition

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informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

sweetbriar15's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

siraels's review against another edition

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4.0

4 stars

Reading this was quite interesting, even though it was not as good as Silmarillion. It gave us a bigger insight into the world of Middle Earth, maybe a bit confusing since the stories were unfinished (hence why it's called Unfinished Tales) but I didn't mind at all. I really liked the fact that it included all three ages of the world and some of the stories were new, some already had a glimpse in Silmarillion. Otherwise, I loved getting to know more about this world, even though I still miss the origin of the Hobbits.

queerofthedagger's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

This is, of course, no complete and on-going narrative, but rather a careful collection and editing of fragments and - as the title suggests - unfinished stories. I think if you're not deeply invested in every minutae of Middle-earth lore it might be hard to get through, but personally, I had a blast. It also has to be said just what excellent work Christopher Tolkien did in the editing and collection, and how it is all presented. The sheer love and devotion shines through in every footnote.