Are There Any Unfinished Stories In Unfinished Tales?

Question

Theo · Answer

Yep, 'Unfinished Tales' is packed with stories that stop just as they get good. My favorite is the bit about the disaster of the Gladden Fields—it’s this intense, almost cinematic scene where Isildur’s trying to escape with the One Ring, but the narrative cuts off right as the orcs attack. There’s also a lot about the early days of Gondor and Rohan that feels like the first chapter of something epic. It’s like Tolkien handed us a puzzle with half the pieces missing, but somehow, that’s part of the magic.

Theo · Answer

Reading 'Unfinished Tales' feels like walking through a museum of Middle-earth’s lost possibilities. One of the most intriguing fragments is the alternate version of Cirion and Eorl’s oath—it’s got this ceremonial grandeur, but the text breaks off before the climax. Then there’s the material about the Palantíri, which dives into their origins and uses but leaves so many questions unanswered. Even the notes on the Wizards (like Radagast’s backstory) are tantalizingly brief. What’s cool is how these snippets connect to 'The Silmarillion' and 'Lord of the Rings,' filling in gaps while creating new ones. It’s not a book for tidy endings; it’s for fans who love digging into the process, the maybes, and the mysteries. Sometimes I wish Tolkien had finished them, but then we’d lose the fun of speculating!

Benjamin · Answer

Oh, absolutely! 'Unfinished Tales' is basically a treasure trove of 'what ifs.' Take the story of the Druedain, for example—these mysterious forest-dwellers get a few pages of background, but their full history feels like it’s just out of reach. Or the battle descriptions, like the detailed account of Isildur’s death at the Gladden Fields, which suddenly ends mid-action. It’s frustrating in the best way because the writing is so vivid that you can almost see the rest playing out in your head. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve reread those sections, trying to piece together my own version of how things might’ve gone. The book’s full of these half-told gems, and that’s what makes it so special—it’s not polished, but it’s raw and real, like Tolkien’s thoughts spilled onto the page.

Emma · Answer

Unfinished Tales' is such a fascinating read! It's like peeking into Tolkien's workshop, where he left behind these incredible fragments that hint at whole worlds untold. The book itself is a compilation of narratives that J.R.R. Tolkien never fully completed, ranging from expanded lore about Númenor to deeper dives into the Istari (like Gandalf and Saruman). Some stories, like 'The Tale of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin,' feel almost complete but stop abruptly, leaving you craving more. Others, like the notes on Galadriel and Celeborn, are more like sketches—rich with ideas but not fleshed out into full tales.

What I love about it is how these unfinished pieces add layers to Middle-earth. They’re not just drafts; they’re glimpses into what could’ve been. For instance, the story of Aldarion and Erendis gives us a tragic romance set in Númenor, but it cuts off before resolving fully. It’s bittersweet—you get this beautifully detailed setup, then… silence. Christopher Tolkien’s commentary helps, but it’s still a tease. That’s the charm, though. It makes you imagine the rest yourself, like a collaborative project with the author.

Are There Any Unfinished Stories In Unfinished Tales?

4 Answers

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