A review by dorynickel
The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two by J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien

3.0

There are some really cool story components that make for great reading but just didn't fit into the eventual state of the legendarium (e.g., the Cool Cats, Turin's afterlife). I think I actually liked this version of Beren and Luthien better, but Children of Hurin and Fall of Gondolin less, than the Unfinished Tales versions. This book also demonstrates Tolkien's gift for imagery, where even his early drafts contain captivating images that stick in the reader's mind (and were often retained in later versions).
Also, if you're interested in the Tolkien legendarium as a mythology for England, this is the book for you. I've always found this idea intriguing, and I appreciate the work Christopher did to synthesize dozens of scraps of paper into a holistic history, even if that does result in reading a lot of Christopher's analysis when I'd rather be reading J.R.R.'s prose.