Ever since writing has been known to man, literature as become an extremely important part of everyday life, even for those who aren’t writers. Literature allows people to express their thoughts and feelings, and then have others read them, take it in, and draw their own conclusions and thoughts.
As a writer myself, it’s definitely hard to walk away from something that I am writing that isn’t quite finished. However, from centuries ago on up to today’s society, there are some authors who weren’t able to finish a piece of their literature, whether it be due to death or some other circumstance. Here’s a list of top 10 pieces of literature that were never completed.
5. Sanditon – Jane Austen
Not only is she a well-known female British author, Jane Austen is also known for being one of the first women to express feminist ideas. Austen set out to write a book titled The Brothers, which was then changed to Sanditon after her death in 1817. The story tells of people in England attempting to create a seaside town named Sanditon, while attempting to grab the interest of others through letters and word of mouth. Authors and critics praise the unfinished novel, expressing that Austen was given only six months to live and was gravely ill, but was still able to create an idea for a novel that was new, innovative, and fresh.
4. The Mysterious Stranger – Mark Twain
A great American author, Mark Twain definitely made his footprint in history with the many novels other pieces of literature he wrote. Mark Twain set out to write The Mysterious Stranger, but decided to create three different versions of the story, none of which were even completed. Each story revolved around Satan as the man character. The version of the book that was the most substantial told of Satan’s youth and adventurous ways in an Austrian village. It also speaks of a sinless nephew of Satan, but the book ends quickly with Satan entertaining an Indian prince. The book ends in the middle of a scene, suggesting that Twain possibly wanted to abandon the novel.
3. The Mystery of Edwin Drood – Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens is definitely well known for his literature, most notably Hard Times, A Christmas Carol, and Oliver Twist. However, before his death, Dickens started on another novel called The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which was to depict a tale of mystery and murder that revolved around a man named John Jasper who falls in love with a student of his named Rosa Bud. However, Bud is set to be married to Drood, and on goes the story. However, the novel was never finished, but portions of the text were shown to Queen Victoria, but the ending was never revealed.
2. Kubla Khan – Samuel Coleridge
Kubla Khan by Samuel Coleridge differs from the others on the list. The poem, named after a well-known Chinese and Mongol emperor, was said to be the vision of an opium-induced dream, hence also being called A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment. The poem tells of the mighty emperor and creates a very suspenseful atmosphere, which is amplified by the fact that the poem has no ending. Many believe that the poem is the result of hallucinations due to taking opium. In any case, the poem was never finished, as Coleridge said that the idea came to him in a vision but he was not able to finish the poem before his vision vanished.
1. Canterbury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales are most definitely a classic piece of British literature. Written in the 14th century by Geoffrey Chaucer, the Canterbury Tales tells of numerous stories and accounts from different pilgrims who set out on a pilgrimage from Southwark in order to arrive at Canterbury Cathedral to visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket. Told in Middle English, the tales point out likes and flaws of each pilgrim, conclusively showing the problems of society during this time. However, Chaucer was only able to finish 24 out of the 124 tales he planned to write due to his death in 1400.
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