# Which book to read next???



## Lord Aragorn (Dec 27, 2001)

I recently finished reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit. For Christmas I recieved quite a few J.R.R. Tolkien books: The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and the entire Histories of Middle Earth collection. I was just wondering if any of you could perhaps advise me on which to read first, if any would be more useful to do so as to provide better understanding or something along those lines. Thank you for any advise!


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## chrome_rocknave (Dec 27, 2001)

Well, I don't know what to tell you..but...

I've only read LOTR and the Hobbit thus far but I'm going to read the Silmarillion next


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## Lord Aragorn (Dec 27, 2001)

That's what I was thinking, either The Silmarillion or Unfinished Tales seemed like a logical next step, but I wasn't sure which would be best.


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## Beorn (Dec 27, 2001)

Sil, UT, Book of Lost Tales I & II, Home


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## The Phony Pope (Dec 29, 2001)

Read the Silmarillion definately. I read the HIstory of Middle Earth books after I read the Silmarillion, and I think that worked out the best. I think the best History of Middle Earth book is the Lays of Beleriand, because it has the battle between Morgoth and Fingolfin, and it also has the description of the fall of Gondolin


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## Lantarion (Dec 29, 2001)

I read the books in the order
1. The Hobbit
2. The LotR
3. The Sil
4. Unfinished Tales

I may get round to reading all of the books in the HoMe, but not anytime soon.


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## Eonwe (Dec 29, 2001)

I remember browsing the Sil first, I got it at a used book store back in the '70s not long after it came out. So I read

1) Hobbit and some of the Sil
2) LOTR and some of the Sil
3) Most of the Sil
4) Unfinished Tales and the Sil
5) Book of lost tales I and II (boring) and the Sil
6) start again at #1

my favorite is the Sil, but it is difficult for me to read it straight through. Often while I read the Hobbit or Lotr I go back to the Sil to get the background info.


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## Melian (Dec 29, 2001)

I think Pontifex gave you the most proper plan,so follow it and meanwhile,don't forget to ask the Forum for clarification sometimes


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## Earnil (Jan 6, 2002)

May I suggest you read them in this order.

The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings
The Silmarillion
Unfinished Tales
The History of Middle Earth


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## BluestEye (Jan 6, 2002)

*The Silmarillion definitly!*

Well, you've already got the same list in any reply to your question, but I'll give a short explanation why I think the Sil is best for you to read before UT and HoMe... or the Book Of Lost Tales I and II....
First of all, the Sil was brought to light soon after JRR Tolkien died, and it was the first book by JRR that his son, Christopher Tolkien editted. The following books came only after the Sil and they were written in a way that, in my opinion, you must read the Sil first to understand them. They expand the stories that are told in the Sil. This is my opinion, of course, and so I recomend you to read the Sil by it.

BluestEye


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## Earnil (Jan 7, 2002)

And perhaps after you have read all of these in the order you so wish to do, then may I suggest you read The Letters of J.R.R Tolkien to finish off the whole series of books.


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## singleton (Jan 31, 2002)

read the Silmarilion first


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## Nazgul_Lord (Feb 2, 2002)

Silmarillion


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## Lord Aragorn (Feb 2, 2002)

Aren't we picky today? hehe. Anyway, thanks for all the advice everybody. I've finished reading The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales since I started this thread. I think now, after reading UT and The Sil especially, I'm going to read through The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings again. After that I think I will work through The Histories of Middle-Earth at a leisurely pace. Thanks for all the advice though.


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## Elbereth (Feb 9, 2002)

I actually just went through the same dilema as you, Lord Aragorn.

I had just started reading the Tolkien series last month.

I started with LOTR, then I read the Simarillion, then I just recently finished the Hobbit, and now I am just starting the Unfinished Tales. It is kind of a weird progression through middle earth...but it's working for me. I think I'll start on the History of Middle Earth series after the Unfinished Tales and then start all over again.


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## Beleg Strongbow (Feb 10, 2002)

This is the order i would read ALL the books in
1 HOBBIT
2 LOTR
3 SIL
4 LOTR
5 UT
6 HOME
7 SIL
8 LOTR
That is what i would do if you want to learn alot about M.E.
Hope it helps.


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## Lord Aragorn (Feb 10, 2002)

I would read LoTR again, after you are finished with UT. I found that after I had read The Sil and UT, I found LoTR to be all the better, because there are a lot of references to people, stories, and places that are mentioned in The Sil and UT. I just finished my second reading of LoTR, and I thought it was even better than the first time through due to a better understanding of ME in general.


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## Greymantle (Feb 13, 2002)

I'll say it again! I really can't wait until someone new to Tolkien makes themself read the Hobbit, the Sil, and most of HoME _before_ reading LotR. Tolkien gave us the end of the story before the beginning and the middle, which in some ways works fine... but in other ways, it would be such a tremendous experience to read LotR and actually understand the true magnitude of the story. The real identity of Olorin, Galadriel's story, the true horror that is Sauron, what Tolkien actually means when he talks about "an army arrayed in majesty and power like something out of the Elder days"..... wow! This is all, obviously, quite unrelated. Just my rambling. 
I STILL haven't finished UT. Got it a month or so back.... it's tremendous, I just have been really short of time. Can't wait to get through it.


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