A review by ceallaighsbooks
Unfinished Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“But the last-comer was named among the Elves Mithrandir, the Grey Pilgrim, for he dwelt in no place, and gathered to himself neither wealth nor followers, but ever went to and fro in the Westlands from Gondor to Angmar, and from Lindon to Lórien, befriending all folk in times of need. Warm and eager was his spirit (and it was enhanced by the ring Narya), for he was the Enemy of Sauron, opposing the fire that devours and wastes with the fire that kindles, and succours in wanhope and distress; but his joy, and his swift wrath, were veiled in garments grey as ash, so that only those that knew him well glimpsed the flame that was within.”

TITLE—Unfinished Tales
AUTHOR—JRR Tolkien, notes & intro. by Christopher Tolkien
PUBLISHED—1988 (orig. 1980)
PUBLISHER—Ballantine Books (orig. George Allen & Unwin)

GENRE—fantasy
SETTING—Arda
MAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—intricate fantasy worldbuilding (including mythology, history, culture, & philosophy), Faith vs. Fear, sass level = 🔥, fantasy creatures (including elves, dwarves, hobbits, maiar, valar, orcs & others), songs & poetry, love and family, betrayals & tragedy, passion & desire, Nature, maps, Fate & Eru’s Vision, beautiful writing

WRITING STYLE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CHARACTERS—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STORY/PLOT—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

PHILOSOPHY—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Through darkness one may come to the light.”
PREMISE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
EXECUTION—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (lol I think CT got a little notes-obsessed towards the end, some of that stuff probably could have been edited into the main text parts imo 😂)

“‘…But dismiss me now, if you will, and I think that men will not blame you. Yet dare I not to hope that your love will prove stronger to endure even than fair oiolairë?’
‘So it does prove indeed,’ said Erendis. ‘It is not yet chilled to the death, Aldarion. Alas! How can I dismiss you, when I look on you again, returning as fair as the sun after winter!’
‘Then let spring and summer now begin!’ he said.
‘And let not winter return,’ said Erendis.”

My thoughts:
I hadn’t read UNFINISHED TALES since highschool so when #TheFellowshipOfTheReaders discord group picked it for their first read of 2023 I decided to join them! It was so fun reading UT right after finishing THE SILMARILLION fresh off the release of the RINGS OF POWER tv show. Every time I visit and revisit any Tolkien’s works or fan fiction / other adaptations of his work, I learn something new or see something from a new perspective than I had previously.

On this reading I was particularly interested in reading about the Istari and hunting for any and all mentions of Círdan. However I also very much enjoyed the different insights into Túrin’s life than what was given in THE SILMARILLION, the history of the Drúedain, and more of the behind-the-scenes details and information from THE HOBBIT (The Quest of Erebor) and THE LORD OF THE RINGS (The Hunt for the Ring) stories.

“When you think of the great Battle of Pelennor, do not forget the Battle of Dale. Think of what might have been. Dragon-fire and savage swords in Eriador! There might be no Queen in Gondor. We might now only hope to return from the victory here to ruin and ash. But that has been averted—because I met Thorin Oakenshield one evening on the edge of spring not far from Bree. A chance-meeting, as we say in Middle-earth.”

I would recommend this book to readers who have already read at least THE LORD OF THE RINGS but possibly also THE SILMARILLION. *However* you could also just read certain parts of the book entirely out of order. So if you’ve read THE HOBBIT and/or THE LORD OF THE RINGS, you could just read the parts featuring the characters from those stories. I’m pretty sure that’s what I did before I read it the whole way through for the first time. (I picked all the Galadriel & Gandalf parts to read. 😂)

This book is best read with the understanding that there are a *lot* of endnotes and that they are all very interesting and add a lot of extra and important context and substance to the stories.

“‘…Well,’ said Gimli, ‘I am glad to have heard the full tale. If it is full. I do not really suppose that even now you are telling us all you know.’
‘Of course not,’ said Gandalf.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Further Reading—
Here’s just my recommended reading order for Tolkien’s Middle-earth-related works:
  • THE HOBBIT
  • THE LORD OF THE RINGS
  • THE ADVENTURES OF TOM BOMBADIL
  • THE SILMARILLION
  • UNFINISHED TALES
  • BEREN AND LÚTHIEN
  • THE CHILDREN OF HÚRIN
  • THE FALL OF GONDOLIN
  • THE FALL OF NÚMENÓR
  • HISTORY OF MIDDLE-EARTH (A 12-book series)—This can be read at any point after finishing THE LORD OF THE RINGS, in any order, tbh