Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth (J.R.R. Tolkien)

In Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth, Christopher Tolkien presents a collection (sometimes edited) of his late father's writings on these regions. Per him, this "book is no more than a collection of writings, disparate in form, intent, finish, and date of composition (and in my own treatement of them), concerned with Numenor and Middle-earth." Further, "many of the pieces in this collection are elaborations of matters told more briefly, or at least referred to, elsewhere . . ." This new version, a reprinting (the original was published in 1980), contains wonderful full-color plates of illustrations by the three most famous illustrators of Tolkien: Alan Lee, John Howe, and Ted Nasmith. The tales herein are separated by the Age in which they take place (per Tolkien's timeline):

First Age Tales:

- Of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin

- Narn I Hin Hurin

These are covered in The Fall of Gondolin and The Children of Hurin, respectively.

Second Age Tales:

- A description of the island of Numenor

- Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife

- The Line of Elros: Kings of Numenor

These are covered in The Fall of Numenor.

- The history of Galadriel and Celeborn

Third Age Tales:

- The disaster of the Gladden Fields [where Isildur lost the One Ring]

- Cirion and Eorl and the friendship of Gondor and Rohan

- The Quest of Erebor

- The Hunt for the Ring

- The Battles of the Fords of Isen

These give interesting backstory/context to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Part Four:

- The Druedain

- The Istari

- The Palantiri

These gave backstory to the titled topics. The Druedain are a race (very short, but not Dwarves or Hobbits) that dwindled and may have disappeared by the Third Age. The Istari are the wizards who came to Middle-earth; Gandalf and Saruman being the most known. The Palantiri are the seeing stones mentioned in The Lord of the Rings.

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Delving into Tolkien's legendarium is at once enjoyable and confusing. He often had many (and sometimes contradictory, or at least wildly varying) versions of tales, so it can be hard to follow along or reconcile a given tale with other knowledge. I read about 40% of this, being familiar with the remainder. I would have found these tales, frankly, pretty boring only ten years ago. Now, especially with Rings of Power out (and much-discussed/maligned), I did take a heightened interest, even as the variations made me hold not too closely to any one telling. I enjoyed fleshing out the events and locations mentioned in The Lord of the Rings the most.

Rating: B+