Forums:Where to start with books?

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Hi everyone,

I'm really interested in reading Tolkien's books from the begging to the end, but after doing a little research there seems to be a decent amount of books to read and was wondering what specific order to read them in?

Thanks —Unsigned comment by C6ZR1 (talk • contribs).

I would recommend the following order (with regard to Middle-earth-related stuff):

• The Hobbit
• The Lord of the Rings:
  • The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Two Towers
  • The Return of the King
• The Silmarillion
• Unfinished Tales
• The Children of Húrin

If you get to the end of the above and want even more then check out The History of Middle-earth series and The History of The Hobbit. Others may have different suggestions, but I hope this helps!-- KingAragorn  talk  contribs  edits  email  23:22, 2 January 2013 (UTC)

I would suggest a slightly different order. Start with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, then:

• Appendix A and Appendix B
• The Third Age portions of Unfinished Tales
• The Third Age portions of The Silmarillion
• The First Age portions of The Silmarillion
• The Ainulindalë chapter of The Silmarillion
• The rest of The Silmarillion' and Unfinished Tales (though you can skip the long letter at the beginning for now) and if you're interested, the other Appendices.

I'm specifically choosing this method because it expands what you already gleaned in earlier writing. There's a gap in style between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but it can be bridged. But if you then start at the beginning of The Silmarillion, it's almost biblical in style, and quite a tough chew. Of course, you can try it, but if you get stuck, just skip it and return to it later. --Ederchil ^{(Talk/Contribs/Edits)} 23:34, 2 January 2013 (UTC)

Depending on your level of interest in Tolkien's legendarium and your interests as a reader, I'd say don't be afraid of picking up The Silmarillion first. It reads more like an encyclopedia entry, not like a novel, but it can be very interesting, and it can provide a deeper perspective into the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. If you like it, go ahead and read Unfinished Tales, Book of Lost Tales etc. If you don't like it, put it down and pick up The Hobbit --Shadrak 20:54, 19 September 2013 (UTC)