Unlike The Silmarillion, for which the narrative fragments were modified to connect into a consistent and coherent work, the Unfinished Tales are presented as J. R. R. left them, with little more than names changed (the author having had a confusing habit of trying out different names for a character while writing a draft). Thus some of these begin or end awkwardly, while others are simply collections of "factual" information about Middle-earth. Each tale is followed by a long series of notes explaining inconsistencies and obscure points.
Unfinished Tales sold rather well, considering that it was a minimally-edited collection of posthumous works, and its success no doubt suggested embarking on the more ambitious work collectively titled The History of Middle-earth.
The First Age:
The Second Age:
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