Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Ever wonder why Gandalf chose Bilbo to join Thorin's quest in The Hobbit? Or what Aragorn was talking about when he mentioned the "Kings of Númenor"? The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings frequently mention events or characters from earlier periods of Middle-earth history. It turns out that those references actually referred to stories J.R.R. Tolkien had written but not published. In 1977, his son Christopher Tolkien published The Silmarillion, a collection of tales set during the First and Second Ages. However, Tolkien wrote many versions of these stories, some longer and more detailed than what appeared in The Silmarillion. To appreciate the full scope of Tolkien's subcreation, we need to look at his rough drafts as collected in Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth. To call the Unfinished Tales a collection of rough drafts is misleading. Tolkien's rough drafts are more polished and engaging than the final works of most fantasy authors. Nevertheless, the stories in this volume were never completed, much less publishable. Christopher Tolkien provides helpful commentary situating these stories within Tolkien's legendarium. The stories provide some fascinating background material, but it's important for readers to realize that not all of these stories fit comfortably within the Middle-earth canon. Some details contradict Tolkien's published works. As such, the best way to appreciate the Unfinished Tales is to view it as an exploration of Tolkien's storytelling. The section on the First Age contains the stories of Tuor and Túrin. Tuor is a human tasked with delivering a message to the Elven King Turgon of Gondolin. The story in Unfinished Tales primarily covers Tuor's journey to Gondolin. Tolkien is a master at describing geography and conveying the arduous nature of travel in a premodern setting. He never completed this more detailed version, which is a shame because the fall of Gondolin is one of the most epic battles in Tolkien's works. Morgoth, the dark lord of the First Age, had multiple dragons and Balrogs in his army! The "The Children of Húrin" story is one of my favorites not just in this book, but in all of Tolkien's works. Morgoth curses Húrin's family, including his son Túrin. Túrin finds himself in a Shakespearean struggle against fate. Yet, in Tolkien's world, men have free will, so the story sets up a subtle tension between Túrin's doom and Túrin's choices. In addition, the story has dragons, incest, brigands, and even talking swords. Although the Unfinished Tales version of the story is not complete, it provides much more detail than the Silmarillion version. Fortunately, Christopher Tolkien adapted this version into a complete novel in 2007, so I would recommend readers read The Children of Húrin to get the best experience. The Second Age focuses on the Kingdom of Númenor. The Silmarillion contains more information about the fall of Númenor, a story that echoes the myth of Atlantis. Unfinished Tales focuses on the earlier kings. "Aldarion and Erendis" is an fascinating romance, especially compared to Tolkien's more famous Beren and Lúthien story. Aldarion, heir to the Númenórean throne, falls in love with Erendis. However, Aldarion also loves the sea and sailing. Naturally, this creates tension in their marriage. This is the only love story I can recall that does not follow the pattern of Beren and Lúthien, and indeed almost comes across as the polar opposite of their relationship. Aldarion serves as yet another example that not all of Tolkien's heros are idealized archetypes. There have never been - and likely will never be - any authorized film adaptations of these stories. However, artists have been depicting these stories for decades. In particular, I recommend Ted Nasmith's portfolio, which was featured in the companion book Tolkien's World and influenced my images of the characters and landscapes. The Slaying of Glaurung, by Ted Nasmith The Third Age will probably be of most interest to fans of The Lord of the Rings. It explains the fate of Isildur, last king of Gondor, and origins of Kingdom of Rohan. Perhaps the most fascinating part is "The Quest of Erebor," essentially an attempt to retcon The Hobbit with LOTR. As written, the former book is simply a light-hearted adventure story, whereas the latter is a serious epic. The two stories don't always fit seamlessly. Why, for example, did Gandalf waste his time with Thorin's quest for gold when he was also concerned with Sauron's return to power? In "The Quest of Erebor," Gandalf explains that he wanted to prevent Smaug from allying with Sauron and attacking Rivendell. Thus, he used the Dwarves to strike a covert blow against the enemy. Like many fans of The Hobbit, I have mixed feelings about "The Quest of Erebor." It has a tendency to minimize the joy and serendipity in Bilbo's journey as told in the original novel. I'm not quite convinced that Gandalf was really that foresighted, especially as in The Hobbit he doesn't appear to connect Thorin's quest with the larger struggle against Sauron. However, Peter Jackson apparently saw this story as a missing link between the two stories and used it to bridge his Hobbit and LOTR trilogies. The Hobbit films are heavily influenced by Gandalf's account and reflect the tone of this version more than anything found in the book. Indeed, one of the tracks on the Desolation of Smaug soundtrack is titled "The Quest for Erebor." The final section of Unfinished Tales contains a mix of background material on the wizards and palantír, among other things. The section on wizards is particularly interesting. Not only do we learn more about Radagast, we also learn more about Saruman's fall. Again, parts of it contradict Tolkien's published works, as well as his later letters (for example, Tolkien later concluded that perhaps Radagast hadn't quite failed in his mission). Unfinished Tales isn't for casual Tolkien fans. Nevertheless, it provides fascinating insight into the Middle-earth subcreation and shows why Tolkien was such a master at fantasy literature. Next week, I cover The Book of Lost Tales, Part I, which includes more of Tolkien's early writing.