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Unfinished Tales Of Númenor And Middle-earth
J.R.R. Tolkien

Unfinished Tales Of Númenor And Middle-earth

Quick Answer

"Unfinished Tales Of Númenor And Middle-earth" is an optional companion work. It can be read at any time, though it is usually best enjoyed after reading the first few core novels of the The Great Tales of Middle-earth & Canonical Background.

Quick Verdict

🟡 Optional side story — not required for main plot

❓ Can I skip this book?
✅ Yes — Optional

This is a side story that can be safely bypassed without losing any context for the main series.

Verdict Insight: This is a comprehensive collection and bundle of the J.R.R. Tolkien's works. It typically offers significantly better value than buying the titles individually.

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2012480 ppOptional Side Story
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.
Next Recommended Book

Fall Of Númenor

Book #6 of 6 in Series

Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Order

Preserves character reveals and plot twists exactly as the author intended.

Chronological Order

May spoil surprises but improves timeline clarity for deep lore fans.

Order Confidence

high Confidence

Why this order?

Our team of curators analyzes publication history, author interviews, and internal narrative continuity to establish the definitive reading sequence. This ensures zero spoilers and maximum narrative impact.

Why This Order Is Confusing

Many reading lists for The Great Tales of Middle-earth & Canonical Background conflict because early publishers often labeled short story collections as standalone novels, or rearranged internal chronologies for marketing. This guide follows original author intent and narrative continuity to settle the debate for good.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I skip reading Unfinished Tales Of Númenor And Middle-earth?

This is a side story that can be safely bypassed without losing any context for the main series.

Can I read Unfinished Tales Of Númenor And Middle-earth before The Fall Of Gondolin?

Yes. Unfinished Tales Of Númenor And Middle-earth is an optional side story and can be read at any time without spoiling the main series plot.

Is Unfinished Tales Of Númenor And Middle-earth required reading for the The Great Tales of Middle-earth & Canonical Background?

No, it is a companion work that enriches the lore but is not essential to the central storyline.

What comes after Unfinished Tales Of Númenor And Middle-earth in the reading order?

The next recommended book after Unfinished Tales Of Númenor And Middle-earth is Fall Of Númenor (Book #6).