Why Are they "Unfinished"?
 

The Unfinished Tales, that is. I have never had the opportunity to read them, but the other night someone who had said something about "I like the story of..." and I thought, "But how could you like a story with no ending?" [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] Do the stories in UT have endings, or what?

Some have endings, some don't... but why would someone like a story for it's ending?
I like the UT too, but because of the information about M-e that is in it.

greetings,
lathspell

Heh--yes, that was silly, wasn't it? Don't know why I said that....just wanted to know why they were the "Unfinished" Tales, and now I know. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

This is very neet.I will be reading the book now.

I would like to as well, once I find a copy. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]
So, then, UT is a history of Middle Earth in a way--or are they supposed to be "ME 'fiction'"?

They can also be considered to be called unfinished because JRR Tolkien never finsished them. He just had bits and pieces written down. Christopher Tolkien is the one that took the fragments and filled in the missing pieces, publishing them in the unfinished tales.

Gwindor [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

Hm. Thank you for the extra information, Gwindor. Wonder where I can find a copy....
[img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Samwise, click here.

Of course!
Thank you, Rimbaud.....er...Amazon. http://www.plauder-smilies.de/sad/annoyed.gif [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] Oh, well. Maybe I'll find it somewhere else. http://www.plauder-smilies.de/sad/confused3.gif

Why do you need to find it somewhere else?

Amazon only takes credit cards, which I don't have.
[ August 19, 2002: Message edited by: Samwise ]

Surely your parents would pay for it if you paid them? If not, would they write a check? You can get used versions off of eBay for much less.

Yes, and if the buying off the internet thing just doesn't work for you, I am sure you could find them at any big book store such as Barnes and Noble, or Borders Bookstore. just call around.

Gwindor [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

Soitenly. Thank you.
[LIST][*]Story"]http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/187925]Story Board[/URL][*]Sam and Frodo[*]Poetry

Unfinished Tales
 

I was really happy when I spotted a paperback of Unfinished Tales on one of those book-racks that was by the checkout at a grocery store. It was early 1981 and I had sort of drifted away from Middle Earth after slogging through the Silmarillion in 1977, then having adulting hit me in the face all in one week in July 1978 (I got my first fulltime corporate job after finishing tech college, and found out my girlfriend was pregnant).

Getting that paperback set me back on the trail into Middle Earth, and led to re-read the trilogy again. A lot of the chapters were like 'bonus material' for Lord of the Rings (Gladden Fields, Fords of Isen to name a couple). They were 'unfinished' as they were likely bits not included in publication. That and the professor had a day job and as we all know, time is limited.