Buzz
This collection features not only works that have been entirely lost due to the passage of time and neglect, but also those left incomplete by their authors, sparking curiosity about their potential conclusions. The pieces are presented in chronological order.
10. Works by Aristotle Aristotle
Aristotle stands as one of the most pivotal figures in Western philosophy, being the first to establish a comprehensive system that spanned morality, aesthetics, logic, science, politics, and metaphysics. His contributions to the physical sciences had a lasting influence on medieval thought and shaped the Renaissance, though his ideas were eventually overshadowed by modern physics. Today, only about a third of Aristotle's works have survived.
9. The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer
This collection of stories, some of which are original and others inspired by existing tales, is framed within the context of a group of pilgrims journeying from Southwark to Canterbury to visit Saint Thomas Becket’s shrine at Canterbury Cathedral. 'The Canterbury Tales' stands as one of the most revered examples of Middle English literature, even though Chaucer only completed 24 out of the 124 tales he had originally intended before his death in 1400.
8. Love's Labour's Won William Shakespeare
This entry is somewhat controversial. There are those who believe that 'Love's Labour’s Won' was the original title of a surviving Shakespeare play, but the majority opinion suggests that it was a distinct work that has been lost to time. For years, it was believed that 'Love’s Labour’s Won' was merely another name for 'The Taming of the Shrew.' However, in 1953, a title listing revealed it as part of a group of 'already published' plays, which included both 'The Shrew' and 'Love’s Labour’s Won.'
7. Sanditon by Jane Austen
In 'Sanditon,' Austen delves into her fascination with how a society is verbally constructed, using the metaphor of a town and its forming families. Originally titled 'The Brothers' after the Parker brothers in the story, the manuscript was renamed 'Sanditon' after Austen’s death in 1817. She passed away before completing the novel, leaving behind a fragment that, though small, showcases Austen’s trademark wit and the novel’s remarkable innovation.
6. The Magic Harp by Wolfgang von Goethe
Intended as a continuation of Mozart’s famous opera, “The Magic Flute” (Die Zauberflöte), Goethe worked on his version between 1794 and 1796 before ultimately abandoning the project. Had it been completed, it may have rivaled “Faust” in greatness. Though it isn’t mentioned on Wikipedia, Stuart Kelly’s book notes: “Goethe appeared intent on surpassing Mozart’s spectacular stage effects: the Queen of the Night enters amidst ball lightning and St. Elmo’s fire.”
5. Memoirs - Lord Byron
On 17 May 1824, after Lord Byron had passed, publisher John Murray took part in one of literature’s most infamous acts. Byron had given Murray the manuscript of his personal memoirs to publish at a later time. However, along with five of Byron’s friends and executors, Murray made the decision to destroy the manuscripts, fearing their scandalous contents would tarnish Byron’s reputation. Only Thomas Moore opposed the burning of the two volumes, which were destroyed in a fire at Murray’s office. The details of those memoirs remain lost, leaving us without insight into Byron’s thoughts, his poetry, or his life beyond what we already know.
4. The Mystery of Edwin Drood - Charles Dickens
This novel, brimming with intrigue, murder, and questionable characters, was left incomplete following Dickens’ death in 1870. In a twist of fate, just months before passing away, Dickens had offered to reveal the ending of the story to Queen Victoria, but she declined, preferring not to spoil the mystery for herself.
3. Double Exposure - Sylvia Plath
Following Sylvia Plath's suicide in 1963, her estranged husband, Ted Hughes, assumed control of her estate and unpublished writings. He destroyed many of the journals and letters that Plath had written in her final months. One nearly finished novel, titled “Double Exposure” or “Double Take,” centered on a wife, her husband, and his mistress, and was likely a semi-autobiographical account of Plath's tumultuous relationship with Hughes. According to Hughes, the manuscript mysteriously “disappeared” before 1970.
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2. Works before 1922 - Ernest Hemingway
Though Ernest Hemingway had always been a dedicated writer, he had published little before 1926. In 1922, while Hemingway's first wife, Hadley, was traveling across Europe, she carried with her a trunk containing all of Hemingway’s works up until that point. Unfortunately, the trunk was stolen, taking with it a novel based on Hemingway's experiences during World War I.
1. The Mysterious Stranger Mark Twain
Mark Twain, one of America's most renowned authors, worked on three different versions of 'The Mysterious Stranger,' none of which were completed. The story consistently centers around the character of Satan. The first major draft is called 'The Chronicle of Young Satan' and depicts the adventures of Satan, the innocent nephew of the biblical Satan, in a small Austrian village during the Middle Ages. The narrative abruptly halts during a scene in which Satan entertains a prince in India, implying that Twain left the story unfinished before it could reach its conclusion.
