KellyC

This question is aimed at mostly die-hard or very knowledgeable Tolkien fans/experts. Let's get the obvious out of the way first. The LOTR movies rocked and I want to read the books, BUT his other works as well. Herein lays my problem: which of his work would be a good start if I want to appreciate Tolkien's work to its full extent. I'm thinking it's a toss up between The Hobbit and The Silmarillion, but not so sure.

Another problem, I did some browsing on Amazon and saw that there were several editions of each of his work by different publishers. Some got good reviews, some got negative reviews due to misprints, poor editing, typographical errors and such. I, being a newb, have no idea which edition would have those to avoid because some of them don't even have reviews or have mixed reviews.



Many thanks!

__________________
Him: Ok, I have to ask, what do you believe?
Me: Shit happens.

Jinn

I definitely think the Hobbit would be a better choice as an into book than the Silmarillion, but I know nothing about the modern publishers..

__________________
"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

jorgelito

Either one is good but I would lean towards the Hobbit. I would also pick up the "Middle Earth Atlas". It helps give you an orientation of the geography and stuff.

Save your money and go to the local library to check out the books.

Enjoy man!!

kurty[B]

The Hobbit is my favorite of Tolkein's work. Compared to the movies the written LOTR is much much better, and intriquing. It has been a very long time since I have read Silmarillion, and to be honest I cannot remember the main plot points (will have to go to the library and pick that up now).

They are all fun reads, as far as the different publishers. I am no expert, but I would trust my librarians opinion on the publishers to point me in the right direction.

Hektore

The Hobbit is one of my favorite books. I don't think the atlas will be necessary, most copies of the Hobbit that I've seen have a rough map that does well enough to get your oriented. As far as what version, I would say it's not going to matter tremendously, just try to find an older version. In my experience many of the newer crappier versions popped up when the movies came out so anything before then I don't imagine would be terrible.

__________________
The advantage law is the best law in rugby, because it lets you ignore all the others for the good of the game.

Lizra

I'm a Tolkien geek, that's how I got into message boards!
As far as reading the fabulous books, I too reccomend starting with the Hobbit....it's easy, fun.
Then do the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's long, and intense.
If you are into knowing more after that, try the Sil....but it is in a different writing style, dry, rather like a history book....yet the stories it gives of the history of middle earth and all the peoples is incredible.
The atlas is a good idea if you are into that sort of thing!
The library is also a good idea....so you can get the hardbacks. While The Hobbit is a quick read.....The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King are lengthy suckers, better to have the larger size of a hardback.
The Barrow-Downs is a good (geeky) Tolkien Forum.

__________________
Happy atheist

Elphaba

If I had read The Silmarillion first, I don't think I would have gone on to read his other books. The Hobbit is the prelude to the Trilogy and as others have said, it is an enjoyable read.

__________________
"You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to." Molly Ivins - 1944-2007

Charlatan

it all depends on what kind of reader you are.

the hobbit is really written for kids. the story is simple and not all that challenging.

lotr take some work. the books are long and the beginning of fellowship can drag a bit (takes years and year to leave the shire).

the silmarillion is not an easy read at all. i would recommend you definately read it last. it gets very dry in places as the narrative strays into the history of middle earth, sometimes in very boring ways.

personally, i would read lotr first, then the hobbit and then the Silmarillion. but only read the Silmarillion if you are a completionist.

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

Frosstbyte

Lizra is absolutely right. Hobbit->LotR->Sil is the way to go. Tolkien's critics call the writing in Lord of the Rings dry. If you find yourself struggling to get through that, you will not have very much fun embarking on a trip through elven history in Sil. Now that I read this thread, it's been quite a while since I've read them. Going to have to do something about that. Good luck!

Atropos4

I would definately start with The Hobbit. For me the beginning of it was a boring read but it picks up after a bit. I'm glad I read that first when I first got my hands on Tokiens work. The Hobbit is like a prequel to the trilogy. Follows how the Baggins ended up getting the ring in the first place. When I read it I realized I had seen a cartoon movie when I was just a small kid. I bought it for my collection and it's worth a watch.

__________________

Bill O'Rights

Another vote for The Hobbit.

I never made it through The Silmarillion. It...was...just...so...dry. One day, maybe I'll finish it.

__________________
"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony

"Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus

It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.

desal75

I would most definately read The Hobbit first. I have read LOTR 3 or 4 times but Sil was tough for me (maybe because I have read so many history books).

Its just so cool to read the Hobbit and then meet back up with Gollum in LOTR. Sil is amazing the way it lays forth an entire history and language for a world Tolkien invented.

__________________
The Man in Black fled across the desert and the Gunslinger followed.

KellyC

Ok, it seems pretty unanimous that The Hobbit would be a better choice so I'll start with that. If The Silmarillion is like a history book then it should be fine with me since I read history text books for fun any way. *KellyC is a history geek*

I'll also ask the librarian for some suggestion on the publishers/editions but I'll most likely buy the book from the stores to avoid the hassles of going to and from the library to borrow and return and due dates and overdue fees and other crap. It's just better to own than to "rent."

By the way, has any one read The Histories of Middle-Earth? The reviews on Amazon say that it's pretty tough to tackle. Any thoughts? I know I'm getting ahead of myself on this but I thought I'd ask any way.


Oh, and are there any comments on his other, lesser known works?

__________________
Him: Ok, I have to ask, what do you believe?
Me: Shit happens.

Charlatan

Save the Silmarillion, the Lost Tales and all of the other histories until after you have read the Hobbit and LOTR.

It's difficult to appreciate them without first having the more fully realized stories. The reason they are a little bit harder to read isn't so much that they are just dry, it's that they stories and notes that Tolkien had that he never finished writing. His son brought them together the best he could.

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

mixedmedia

I say jump right into The Lord of the Rings trilogy. But be prepared for it to take over your life for a couple of weeks. And then mourn its absence for a few days when your done.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

onodrim

Everyone is right on in saying save The Silmarillion for last. Even if you are a history fan, it's just not a great introduction to the series. The writing style is very different, and since it takes place in a different age, it only mildly relates to the age of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. As for where to start, Charlatan gave some good advice. Personally I would also start with The Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit is great, it's just written for a younger audience so it doesn't engage me as much.

Unless you want to be a true Tolkien expert in every sense of the word, I would stay away from The Histories. They make The Silmarillion look like the most exciting piece of literature ever written. Unless you enjoy reading encyclopedia's for fun, I wouldn't recommend them.

As for his other works, I really enjoy his translation of Sir Gaiwain and the Green Knight.

__________________
"The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there’s little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides"
-Carl Sagan

n0nsensical

I agree with the majority; it's a natural progression in style and difficulty that way. if you couldn't get through the hobbit, you won't make it through lotr; if you couldn't get through lotr, you won't make it through the silmarillion; and if you couldn't get through the silmarillion, you won't get through the rest.

Seems like each subsequent work is written and edited assuming you know the events of the previous ones. its like the star wars movies, the 3 prequels assume you've seen the original 3, and if you didn't know what happens in the later movies you'd miss out on a lot of references.

Elphaba

Absolutely! I reread LOTR every ten years or so, and I gain something more from the Trilogy with each reading. If LOTR engages you now, I promise it will continue to do so as your world view changes over time.

__________________
"You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to." Molly Ivins - 1944-2007

Lizra

Oh Boy, does that sound like a great idea!

__________________
Happy atheist

stevie667

The hobbit was the first book written, and is designed as a childrens book.

Between writing that and the LOTR, Tolkien started writing what would become the silmarillion, but was made by his publishers to finish writing LOTR.

After that, he went back to writing all the histories of middle earth, which he never finished, the silmarillion and other middle earth texts were published posthumously by his son.


Read: The Hobbit, LOTR, The silmarillion, Unfished Tales.

Those books, in that order, will give you the best summary of the entire Tolkien universe. I'm reading several other books by his son, christopher tolkien, which contain all the various drafts, and analysis of. Its really inspiring to see where tolkien came from in his ideas, and how he got to the final product. Some of the initial stuff is so wildly different from the finished stuff you have to read it to believe it.

My collection is published by Harper Collins, but i'm in the UK, so i don't know if they publish elsewhere. Get the most recent release, but that goes for most books.


Edit: The tale of Beren and Luthien in Unfinished Tales is one of the most amazing peices of literature i've ever read, you can feel exactly the emotions Tolkien felt for his love in his words, and his absoloute skill as a writer. Brought a tear to my eye.

__________________
Office hours have changed. Please call during office hours for more information.

Charlatan

I agree... If only Tolkien had started writing all of this when he was younger we would have had so much more to read.

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

FoolThemAll

Feel free to ignore this opinion, as it is NOT coming from a Tolkien fan...

Read the Hobbit if you must. Then just watch the Lord of the Ring movies. They're not without their flaws, but they're preferable to an epic three-volume history textbook.

From the descriptions in this thread, I shudder to imagine what the Histories must be like.

__________________
I wonder if we're stuck in Rome.

Charlatan

Indeed, feel free to ignore the above...

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

snowy

Agreed. Definitely start with the Hobbit, and then on to Lord of the Rings. The Silmarillion is like the Bible of Middle-Earth. Sometimes it feels like a long list of who-begat-who.

As for editions, go to your local used bookstore and peruse their shelf of Tolkien books. You'll find an edition you're satisfied with, and for a good price. It will also give you a chance to look at the other books, like the Lost Tales and the Histories.

I currently own the Lost Tales, the Silmarillion, the Hobbit, two three-book editions of the Lord of the Rings, and a compendium edition of the Lord of the Rings. I'm trying to build a collection of Tolkien books.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

spindles

Mine and my wife's versions of the LOTR are both Harper Collins (though mine is in three volumes and hers is one volume). It has illustrations by Alan Lee (who worked as a consultant on the films). Saruman's tower in the movie was based on his earlier drawings.

My hobbit is a paperback I bought for $2 in a second store eons ago.

I don't own the Silmarillion (I borrowed my brother's copy, so I've at least read it!)

I'd start with the Hobbit and then do LOTR and then Silmarillion. If you are a quick reader, you'll do the Hobbit in a weekend, so it shouldn't detract from the LOTR which is the main book. I'd only read Sil if you really had to...

'Thag you very buch'

__________________
who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

stevie667

They're very interesting, but you need to be interested in the universe that tolkien created to like them, not just the stories.

__________________
Office hours have changed. Please call during office hours for more information.

KellyC

So...as advised, I'm starting with The Hobbit. I ordered the hardcover, illustrated version by Alan Lee last week, got it yesterday and finished Chapter one before bed time. What a beautiful book!!! I enjoyed it for the most part thus far. The thing that I don't get is the (bracketed comments) in the book. I see that on almost every page. To be honest, it's throwing me off a little. Is that how Tolkein intended it or some smart ass editor thought it would be a good idea to put commentaries smack dab in the middle of a sentence, paragraph, page?

Edit: Some examples.

On page 8, half way down
"When he got back Balin and Dwalin were talking at the table like old friends (as a matter of fact they were brothers)."

Page 16, Thorin said:

"We are met to discuss our plans, our ways, means, policy and devices. We shall soon before the break of day start on our long journey, a journey from which some of us, or perhaps all of us (except our friend and counselor, the ingenious wizard Gandalf) may never return. It is a solemn moment. Our object is, I take it, well known to us all. To the estimable Mr. Baggins, and perhaps to one or two of the younger dwarves (I think I should be right in naming Kili and Fili, for instance), the exact situation at the moment may require a little brief explanation-"

Page 20
"There is one point that you haven't noticed," said the wizard, "and that is the secret entrance. you see that rune on the West side, and the hand pointing to it from the other runes? That makes a hidden passage to the Lower Halls." (Look at the map at the beginning of this book, and you will see there the runes in red.)

__________________
Him: Ok, I have to ask, what do you believe?
Me: Shit happens.

telekinetic

There aren't any bracketed comments in my Hobbit.

__________________
twisted no more

stevie667

It looks like you got a 'special' edition that tells you absoloutly everything!

__________________
Office hours have changed. Please call during office hours for more information.

Hektore

I have two versions of the book, both of which have the same comments. Somebody who is a larger fan that I could maybe verify this, but I seem to recall that Tolkien revised the book once or several times, maybe that is the difference.

__________________
The advantage law is the best law in rugby, because it lets you ignore all the others for the good of the game.

Lizra

That kind of stuff never struck me as odd...it's just part of the narative, sort of filling you in on the inside "comedy", tongue in cheek.
I have a 1966 hardback edition. (It has that gorgeous green, blue, and black print of the Lonely Mountain on the cover) It was $3.95!
Anyway...those comments are just in parenthesis, and seem/are a part of the story, they never stuck out as odd to me.
The whole story is rather amusing, because Bilbo is funny, a mind your own business, upstanding gentleman hobbit..... getting caught up in a dragon hunting burgluring adventure...hell, hobbits and dwarves are funny anyways...in a small smiling way.

__________________
Happy atheist

epoxy27

Not having enough time to read anymore, i started with an abridged adiobook version of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. After getting through the abridged LotR, i decided to do the unabridged audiobook.... boy was that a monster. It took quite some time, but i really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the new one to be released as an audiobook.

Astrocloud

Anyone read Farmer Giles?

It's done in a single afternoon.

Deltona Couple

I am curious. Why would you recommend reading lotr BEFORE the hobbit? I feel the hobbit is what introduced us to Middle Earth, and set the basis for lotr. Or am I missing something?

__________________
"It is not that I have failed, but that I have found 10,000 ways that it DOESN'T work!" --Thomas Edison

Hektore

Not that I can speak for Charlatan, but I look at LoTR as the real story. The Hobbit is sort of an easy reading prologue to LoTR. It gets you into it, as a first chapter would, but isn't really the meat or point of the story; all that comes later, in LoTR. Is it weird to say I like the prologue more than the actual story?

__________________
The advantage law is the best law in rugby, because it lets you ignore all the others for the good of the game.

Laugh-O-Matic

Start with Hobbit (I seem to be quoting almost everyone here). The LOTR is a drag to complete - got over that ordeal years back - since it goes into details, and basically sketches the entire journey, the outcomes, the battles et al. And in any case, The Hobbit is more 'light', and considerably more humorous and smaller than the rest.

__________________
How you bore me, Florrie,
With those eyes of vacant blue;
You'll be very sorry, Florrie
If I marry you.
Though I'm easy-goin', Florrie,
This I swear is true,
I'll throw you down a quarry, Florrie,
If I marry you. - Saki.