Unfinished Tales

J. R. R. Tolkien

May 2021 · HarperCollins · Narrated by Timothy West and Samuel West

About this audiobook

JRR Tolkien’s legacy of short stories which inhabit the realm of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, on audio for the first time.

Unfinished Tales is a collection of narratives ranging in time from the Elder Days of Middle-earth to the end of the War of the Ring, and provides those who have read The Lord of the Rings with a whole collection of background and new stories from the twentieth century’s most acclaimed popular author.

The book concentrates on the realm of Middle-earth and comprises such elements as Gandalf’s lively account of how it was that he came to send the Dwarves to the celebrated party at Bag-End, the emergence of the sea-god Ulmo before the eyes of Tuor on the coast of Beleriand, and an exact description of the military organization of the Riders of Rohan.

Unfinished Tales also contains the only story about the long ages of Numenor before its downfall, and all that is known about such matters as the Five Wizards, the Palantiri and the legend of Amroth. The tales were collated and edited by JRR Tolkien’s son and literary heir, Christopher Tolkien, who provides a short commentary on each story, helping the reader to fill in the gaps and put each story into the context of the rest of his father’s writings.

Ratings and reviews

Listening to Timothy and Samuel West is like hearing the stories told straight from Christopher Tolkien himself. Unfinished Tales is a wonderful addition to the Tolkien universe.

Gracias Christopher por brindarnos este maravilloso regalo en forma de memorias que tu padre imaginaba y escribía a raudales. Gracias por no dejar que ésta obra maestra de tu padre quede en el baúl del olvido para la eternidad. Gracias por todo el inmenso esfuerzo que has tenido que hacer para recopilar las historias de la tierra media que tu padre idealizó.

Excellent narration of the tales. Highly recomended!

About the author

J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into almost 70 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.