In 1980, following the publication of

which revealed Tolkien’s mythological vision informing the background of his much loved works

and

, his son Christopher Tolkien edited and prepared for publication the volume

.

provided additional glimpses into Tolkien’s imaginary world and enlarged readers’ understanding of the “mythology” of Middle-earth. It also marked the beginning of one of the most unusual publishing feats of twentieth-century literature: the publication of

, twelve volumes of Tolkien’s writings which were never finished or prepared for publication in his lifetime, presented in a roughly chronological order. With the addition of

1663 words

Citation: Fimi, Dimitra. "Unfinished Tales". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 January 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8558, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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