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12-01-2006, 05:47 PM | #1 |
Sapling
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In what order to read the writings of Tolkien
Just wondering the opinions regarding the order in which to best read Tolkien's tales? I have read the Hobbit numerous times, and some of LOTR. I own the Book of Lost tales 1 and 2.
I would like to read everything, just cannot figure out where to start. I read R.A. Salvatore, and they are pretty easy to determine, but with Tolkien, I am not sure. Thanks in advanve for your thoughts. |
12-01-2006, 10:06 PM | #2 |
High King at Annuminas Administrator
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First - finish LOTR. Then - read the Appendices in the back of LOTR.
Next - "The Silmarillion". After that - you should definitely read "The Letters of JRR Tolkien" and "Unfinished Tales" - some will recommend one first, some the other. A Tolkien bio may also be helpful. "Book of Lost Tales" is one of the 12-volume "History of Middle Earth" (HoME, for short) - which you should only dig into after reading that other stuff. As you go through LOTR, you're welcome to post your thoughts in our "LOTR Discussion Project" - a subforum of this LOTR Books forum. Happy Reading! And welcome to Entmoot. Hope you keep coming around!
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12-01-2006, 10:14 PM | #3 | |
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12-01-2006, 10:42 PM | #4 |
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Well I think I was ver fortunate to have started at the very beggining with the silmarillion. Then I read the hobbit, then the lord of the rings. All in chronological order according to the stories of ME.
I think it gave me a huge advantage, because I did not have the idea that sil was just a back story, as it seems to so many do. But the main breath and soul of the stories of ME. It really put everything else in it's proper perspective.
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12-01-2006, 10:55 PM | #5 |
Sapling
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Thanks for the quick replies. I think I will finish the trilogy and appendices, then tackle the sil.
I am looking forward to delving into the 12 book history of ME so I need to start hitting the trilogy hard. |
12-03-2006, 01:57 AM | #6 | |
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12-03-2006, 10:23 AM | #7 |
High King at Annuminas Administrator
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I read them in that order for one re-reading. It was actually my first reading of "The Silmarillion" - and it was a nice way to have all the historical stuff in mind while reading the later books.
I think I would have had difficulty keeping interest though - if I had just read "The Silmarillion" first - without the introduction of "The Hobbit" and LOTR. But not to knock it.
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12-16-2007, 02:54 PM | #8 |
Sapling
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I recommend to read The Hobbit first, then LotR and only then Simarillion. Silmarillion is a bit tough because there can be four names in three different languages in the same sentence and it is not as fluent readind as the two others. I read LotR first in 1978 while in high school in finnish (translations were made from 1973 on). I have also bought them as audio books in english and especially Silmarillion is much easier to adapt that way. Great listening while driving 50 minutes to work. My all time favourite is the BBC's 1980s dramatized 13 episode radio play of LotR. Movie's Bilbo Ian Holm is playing Frodo and his son Harry is the crying Eleanor!
The finnish translation of LotR was done from the 1966 edition. Could anyone tell what changes and corrections Tolkien made for that edition compared to the first edition in 1954.
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12-17-2007, 07:01 AM | #9 | |
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02-07-2008, 06:18 PM | #10 |
Enting
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Hello
I read The Hobbit first and then the LOTR. I read The Silmarillion after that and I was going to start on the other stuff, but I became so obsessed with The Silmarillion that I read it again, lol.
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