# What Should I Read to Enrich a a Hobbit and LotR Re-read?



## ColtranesSound (May 24, 2020)

Hey all, I’m just finishing my first read through of the Silmarillion, and then I’m gonna do a re-read of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Before I start the re-read, I’m planning on reading the section in Unfinished Tales on the quest of Erebor. Anything else I should read to enrich this read through?


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 24, 2020)

I'd certainly also recommend the sections of UT on "The Hunt for the Ring" and "The Battles of the Fords of Isen".

And "Cirion and Eorl".

And, well, the rest of the book.


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## Alice (May 24, 2020)

I think, the best way to enrich reread of Tolkien's books is to read his biography (besides his books itself, of course)


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## Elthir (May 24, 2020)

Before I opened this thread I thought Enrich was a name with a german sounding ending.


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## Ealdwyn (May 24, 2020)

ColtranesSound said:


> Hey all, I’m just finishing my first read through of the Silmarillion, and then I’m gonna do a re-read of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Before I start the re-read, I’m planning on reading the section in Unfinished Tales on the quest of Erebor. Anything else I should read to enrich this read through?


How familiar are you with TH and LotR? _The Tolkien Companion_ (Wayne Hammond, Christina Scull) would be good to read side by side. I'd also recommend Karen Wynn Fonstad's _Atlas of Middle-earth_.


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## Deleted member 12094 (May 25, 2020)

Hi ColtranesSound,

After reading the Silmarillion, and since you also know what's ahead with your re-read of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, I'd say the quest of Erebor in UT is a fine choice before you take on TH again. That adds some colours...!

Regarding the (wise) advice from SES above about UT "Cirion and Eorl", "The Hunt for the Ring" and "The Battles of the Fords of Isen": I would advise you to read these as follows:

"The Hunt for the Ring": after you finish "The Shadow of the Past" and before you re-read "Three is Company"
"Cirion and Eorl": before you start "The Riders of Rohan".
"The Battles of the Fords of Isen": after you finish "The King of the golden Hall" and before you re-read "Helm's Deep".
Beware: all of the mentioned UT stories are "spoilers" in LotR! Therefore, these recommendations are ok for you, but they are certainly not meant for those who read LotR for the first time.

Waw - if you are going to follow all of this advice, you'll spend quite some time filling up these inactive Corona-times! At least have some cultural intake, so right you are: enjoy!


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## Starbrow (May 25, 2020)

I would also recommend the Annotated Hobbit edited by Douglas Anderson. There's lots of interesting information, including the original chapter on how Bilbo found the Ring.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 25, 2020)

Yes that too!

Lots of good background information.


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## TrackerOrc (May 25, 2020)

Or you could just continually read and re-read LoTR?  There's an awful lot of stuff in there!


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## ColtranesSound (May 25, 2020)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> I'd certainly also recommend the sections of UT on "The Hunt for the Ring" and "The Battles of the Fords of Isen".
> 
> And "Cirion and Eorl".
> 
> And, well, the rest of the book.


Thanks, I plan on reading all of UT during/after I re-read these, definitely excited for it!



Starbrow said:


> I would also recommend the Annotated Hobbit edited by Douglas Anderson. There's lots of interesting information, including the original chapter on how Bilbo found the Ring.


Thanks, I'll check that out!



Merroe said:


> Hi ColtranesSound,
> 
> After reading the Silmarillion, and since you also know what's ahead with your re-read of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, I'd say the quest of Erebor in UT is a fine choice before you take on TH again. That adds some colours...!
> 
> ...


Thanks, that sounds perfect, I'll definitely do that.



Ealdwyn said:


> How familiar are you with TH and LotR? _The Tolkien Companion_ (Wayne Hammond, Christina Scull) would be good to read side by side. I'd also recommend Karen Wynn Fonstad's _Atlas of Middle-earth_.


I think I'm semi-familiar, definitely need a re-read. I have _Atlas of Middle-earth_ So I'll definitely refer to that periodically. I'll think about picking up the companion, thanks!


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 25, 2020)

BTW, Elthir: you should carry The Hobbit with you (the book, I mean). That way, if you meet one, you can experiment.


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## Elthir (May 26, 2020)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> BTW, Elthir: you should carry The Hobbit with you (the book, I mean). That way, if you meet one, you can experiment.




Goo?


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 26, 2020)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> if you meet one


I know -- I should have said "Ein".

Sorry.


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## Elthir (May 26, 2020)

Ah. I get it now! 

Gaga gogoo [translation: huzzah]!


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 26, 2020)

Richtig.

Hussar!


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## Deleted member 12094 (May 26, 2020)

Dear participants to this discussion:

If you have some occult encrypted language to share with others who are around here don't understand, you'll make them feel ignorant.

No disrespect meant - I said what I thought now. I did not appreciate.

ok?


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 26, 2020)

Sorry, Merroe!

Sometimes Elthir and I find it necessary to communicate in a code that only we can understand.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 26, 2020)

Correction: for "only", substitute _"not even"._

Sorry for the correction.


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## Elthir (May 26, 2020)

Sorry!


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 26, 2020)

Oops -- I meant "_un_necessary".

Sorry for the incorrect correction.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 26, 2020)

Let me try to make amends thus:

After your reread, plus all the recommendations given previously, if you would like to dig into the nuts and bolts of the creation of LOTR, I'd certainly suggest The History of The Lord of the Rings volumes from HoME. I, at least, find the opportunity of seeing Tolkien's mind at work fascinating.


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## TrackerOrc (May 26, 2020)

Have just ordered the History of the Lord of the Rings HoME volumes, plus UT. I'll still regard them as secondary to LoTR obviously, but I imagine there'll be a wealth of information to bolster the Tolkien published works.


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## Elthir (May 27, 2020)

For myself, I wasn't expecting HOME to ever include the textual history of _The Lord of the Rings_, and while I enjoyed these volumes (after first "refusing" to read them), especially the Epilogue and "all things" Glorfindel and Galadriel, so far, I don't find myself returning to them as much as the other "Silmarillion" based volumes.

And if I don't find my HOME 1 soon, I'm contacting Interpol!


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 27, 2020)

Fair enough, and there's much of interest, given that the published Silmarillion left out a great deal. 

It's just that my primary interest has always been in the one masterwork published during the author's lifetime, and seeing how it developed is something I find fascinating.

In particular, how, despite the many detours, dead ends, bactracking, and stumbling through seemingly insurmountable knots, Tolkien _always _ended by making the best choice * -- even when he didn't "want to". I was reminded of something said by critic Northrop Frye: "The poet doesn't revise because he likes it better, he revises because it _is _better".

Also fascinating for me is the way in which the story came to be shaped; or perhaps, considering the evidence that the author was often groping in the dark, it would be more accurate to say: "how it shaped itself" into the carefully constructed structure we have.

* I can't resist noting how often, whenever a choice of dialogue or incident presented itself in the film version, PJ used the one Tolkien rejected. This happened often enough that I began to suspect deliberate policy.


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## Elthir (May 27, 2020)

Oh I certainly agree with that interest S-eS (in the shaping of Tolkien's master work), which is why I gave in to my initial reluctance. And it was fascinating no doubt. At first, I didn't want to read this section of HOME to "protect" my internal view and love for Middle-earth . . .

. . . but then I realized, even my mind should be nimble enough to handle "going behind the curtain" here, so to speak, and yet keep my internal Middle-earth . . . _all sun and sea and shadows and fear and simple Hobbitry, and gems left on bridges, and gold and silver, and hope and resilience, and loyalty, sacrifice, and the sons of Men on grey horses, and the long beards of Dwarves, and the deep eyes of Ents, and Elves Sir, there are Elves! And quick-witted Wizards, and badger-hills, and eagle-mountains, and strange woods with grey limbs against blue skies . . .

. . . and on and on . . . and on! Down from the door where it began!_

Yikes. Almost broke into song there!

And I don't sing well 🐾


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## Ealdwyn (May 27, 2020)

Elthir said:


> . . _all sun and sea and shadows and fear and simple Hobbitry, and gems left on bridges, and gold and silver, and hope and resilience, and loyalty, sacrifice, and the sons of Men on grey horses, and the long beards of Dwarves, and the deep eyes of Ents, and Elves Sir, there are Elves! And quick-witted Wizards, and badger-hills, and eagle-mountains, and strange woods with grey limbs against blue skies . . .
> 
> . . . and on and on . . . and on! Down from the door where it began!_
> 
> Yikes. Almost broke into song there!



I almost broke into song too! 😍


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 27, 2020)

Me too.

Awwk!


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## Elthir (May 27, 2020)

I'll let "Enrich" sing my part. This is how I imagined him.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (May 27, 2020)

We should form a trio!


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