# best companion pieces to read



## cart (Jul 19, 2022)

edit: what do i mean by companion piece? (i forgot when i made this post that you lot are very particular about things being defined very clearly if my "feanor is the best elf" post has taught me anything).. what i mean is any work be it by Tolkien, his son or some third party that would increase my appreciation the primary works and the world they lie within.. i first excluded the notion of his letters as i felt i already had a good idea of the bones that made the broth but didn't want a magnifying glass of these bones.. but im starting to suspect that if I do wish to read more.. i have likely already crossed that line or would need to...)

I've done some searches and am wary of online recommendations though trust the opinions of any of you. If you are aware of a thread or some other source that has a list/s of books I would be much obliged. I'll quickly list what it is i have though if any have a particular reference.

LOTR, H, S, HoME, unfinished tales of numenor and ME, complete guide to middle earth, Fornstad's atlas of ME
and what I won't consider: Works of David day (and hopefully I can avoid any controversy and just leave it at that)

(I would and should just get the Great Tales of ME boxed set with Beren and luthien, children of hurin, etc.. but i just can't bring myself to spend any amount of money on something that is packaged so unappealingly) 😂 I know it's a bit silly.. but man from the book covers to the box.. it's as appealing as a hairless cat. And other iterations I can't justify spending some 70-80$ usd because they simply didn't print very many of them thus making them exclusive deluxe copies...

Hantanyel órenyallo!


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## Elbereth Vala Varda (Jul 19, 2022)

cart said:


> (I would and should just get the Great Tales of ME boxed set with Beren and luthien, children of hurin, etc.. but i just can't bring myself to spend any amount of money on something that is packaged so unappealingly) 😂 I know it's a bit silly.. but man from the book covers to the box.. it's as appealing as a hairless cat. And other iterations I can't justify spending some 70-80$ usd because they simply didn't print very many of them thus making them exclusive deluxe copies...


It is not the outside that matters! The treasure lay within the books!


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## Starbrow (Jul 19, 2022)

Do you have _The Annotated Hobbit? _by Tolkien and Douglas A. Anderson. It has some great information and the original version of Riddles in the Dark chapter.


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## cart (Jul 20, 2022)

Elbereth Vala Varda said:


> It is not the outside that matters! The treasure lay within the books!


I know I know.. and I have had it in my shopping cart like 5x.. but I just can't bring myself to spend money and support such ugly depictions. 🤮 If I can grab them used for 1/2 the price then I will.... and burn any slipcovers and the box.


Starbrow said:


> Do you have _The Annotated Hobbit? _by Tolkien and Douglas A. Anderson. It has some great information and the original version of Riddles in the Dark chapter.


No I don't but since I have just read S, LoTR and H within the past month... I'm looking a bit outside of the three atm.


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## cart (Jul 20, 2022)

Elbereth Vala Varda said:


> It is not the outside that matters! The treasure lay within the books!


OK.. literally right after I replied to your comment I just got what i was looking for and got the 3 for under $30.. so hard to complain

And while I told myself I was never going to make this purchase as I didn't want to "view the bones that made the broth with a magnifying glass" got
_The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien_ along with the _Shaping of Middle Earth_

So that's 5 books in 5 minutes.. always good to be browsing Amazon at 2am.

I guess there is only so much you can really buy until your into basically art work books and encyclopedic type works..

Though I doubt this will hold me over till the _"fall of numenor" _releases so I am still very much open to suggestions.

I do have a question about his translation of _Beowulf_.. I have read Beowulf and as someone who has only basically read some harry potter books and Tolkien in terms of fiction their whole life preferring non-fiction to near exclusion.. I found that to be a difficult read. I can't imagine I read Tolkien's translation.. and just looking at amazon i'd guess i read a Penguin Classics translation (as they also produce alot of philosophy books for very cheap so i'm just guessing i went with a publisher i haven't had issues with.) Is there any reason to prefer Tolkien's translation over others?


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## Elbereth Vala Varda (Jul 20, 2022)

cart said:


> OK.. literally right after I replied to your comment I just got what i was looking for and got the 3 for under $30.. so hard to complain
> 
> And while I told myself I was never going to make this purchase as I didn't want to "view the bones that made the broth with a magnifying glass" got
> _The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien_ along with the _Shaping of Middle Earth_
> ...


Good for you! The books are always amazing! How exciting! I save up tons of money just to buy my Tolkien books. 



cart said:


> I do have a question about his translation of _Beowulf_.. I have read Beowulf and as someone who has only basically read some harry potter books and Tolkien in terms of fiction their whole life preferring non-fiction to near exclusion.. I found that to be a difficult read. I can't imagine I read Tolkien's translation.. and just looking at amazon i'd guess i read a Penguin Classics translation (as they also produce alot of philosophy books for very cheap so i'm just guessing i went with a publisher i haven't had issues with.) Is there any reason to prefer Tolkien's translation over others?


I've heard that the penguin classics is a good version. 

Why Tolkien? BECAUSE! It's TOLKIEN!


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