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EllethValatari
04-04-2009, 10:18 AM
I, like many other young Tolkien fans, am wondering what order is best in which to read the books I own. I have already read the Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, and the Simarillion. I want to read the Simarillion again, and I have many other books I want to read in addition to it. In what order should i read the following?

The Simarillion
The Histories of Middle Earth (all of them)
The Children of Hurin
Tales From the Perilous Realm
Attalus
04-04-2009, 11:47 AM
Unfinished Tales is a delight if you want to know more about Galadriel and Celeborn, what the Wraiths did before they got to the area outside Rivendale, and other toothsome goodies. You may find the Silmarillion, um, difficult in the early going. I know I did.
The Dread Pirate Roberts
04-04-2009, 07:54 PM
I second the recommendation for Unfinished Tales. The only story in it that I don't like is Aldarion and Erendis. Everything else in it is gold.

Since you've already read the Big Three, order really doesn't matter much for the rest. I wouldn't attack HoME cover-to-cover. I'd read it piecemeal based on what your favorite stories are.
Gordis
04-05-2009, 03:14 AM
I second the recommendation for Unfinished Tales. The only story in it that I don't like is Aldarion and Erendis. Everything else in it is gold.
That is exactly my favorite story in UT! :D Well, maybe after the "Hunt for the ring."
Attalus
04-05-2009, 11:17 AM
That is exactly my favorite story in UT! :D Well, maybe after the "Hunt for the ring."Gordis, it's always about you and the other eight. :p
Gordis
04-05-2009, 01:43 PM
Gordis, it's always about you and the other eight. :p:D
It is a single story there is about me and the other eight...:rolleyes:
EllethValatari
04-05-2009, 04:22 PM
okay, so I'll get the unfinished tales...what I was really asking about was in what ORDER to read them, not what to read. What do you think?
Gordis
04-05-2009, 06:09 PM
okay, so I'll get the unfinished tales...what I was really asking about was in what ORDER to read them, not what to read. What do you think?

You mean the 12 volumes of HOME? Depends on what you are interested it.

If you are a Silm fan, read Lost Tales and Lays of Beleriand...

If you are a LOTR fan, read volumes 6-8 where there are LOTR drafts and HOME 12 where there are the drafts for the Appendices.

Home X (Morgoth's Ring) for me was the most difficult to struggle through, but it you do read it, you will learn a lot about ME metaphysics, fea and hroa, origin of Orcs, customs of the Eldar, Death and resurrection etc.
The Dread Pirate Roberts
04-06-2009, 09:55 AM
Read in the order of your interest, as has been said. Don't go cover-to-cover in any of the supplementary materials. Decide what you want to read about, then go there.
Attalus
04-06-2009, 11:40 AM
Read in the order of your interest, as has been said. Don't go cover-to-cover in any of the supplementary materials. Decide what you want to read about, then go there.I agree. You will get bogged down and not finish any of them. In the Sil '77 and HoME, go to the Table of Contents and read what interests you. As Dr. Johnson said: " A book may be good for nothing; or there may be only one thing in it worth knowing; are we to read it all through?"
Boswell: Life

And: "Alas, Madam! How few books are there of which one can ever possibly arrive at the last page"