help with reading order of supplements

grundoon · 01-25-2005, 11:44 PM

would like some guidance to the order in which the supplementary volumes (simarillion, beleriad, book of lost tales, etc.) should be read. thanx!

BeardofPants · 01-25-2005, 11:56 PM

Best order that I found was (assuming you've already read Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit):

Silmarillion
Tolkien's Letters
Unfinished Tales
Histories of Middle-Earth: Vol X, XI, and XII
Histories of Middle-Earth: Vol I-IX

inked · 01-26-2005, 12:08 PM

Yes, essentially publication order for those of us who had to await their arrival in that fashion!

***Earniel*** · 01-26-2005, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

*Histories of Middle-Earth: Vol X, XI, and XII
*Histories of Middle-Earth: Vol I-IX

You'd recommend reading first HoME X to XII before the others? Why? *just wondering as still being on HoME VII*

***Sister Golden Hair*** · 01-26-2005, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EÃ¤rniel

You'd recommend reading first HoME X to XII before the others? Why? *just wondering as still being on HoME VII*

IIRC, BoP read the HoMe series, all 12 in order. That is not a must though, since the HoMe revolve around different Ages and go between the old and new mythology. For instance: if you read Morgoth's Ring and War of the Jewels, volumes 10 and 11, they only deal with the later Silmarillion. You have, I think, 5 volumes that deal with the LotRs, and then volumes 1, 2, and 3 that are the old mythology. So, the order doesn't matter much. They all deal with different things and Ages.

Outside of that, and to answer the original poster, most find the best order to be:

The Hobbit
The LotRs
The Silmarillion
Unfinished Tales
The Letters of Tolkien
The HoMe series- in no particular order.

One thing that many find very rewarding is to read the LotRs again, after the Silmarillion.

Manveru · 01-26-2005, 06:41 PM

ya i read the hobbit, lotr, silmarillion, unfinished tales, and started the HoME series (in order). while reading lotr a couple more times. it worked well for me so it should work well for u too

***Valandil*** · 01-26-2005, 06:55 PM

For when you get to HOME (definitely AFTER: Hobbit, LOTR, Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales & Letters), here's a suggestion I lifted from a board called 'The Tolkien Forum', where, as you see, it was first made by a member named 'Grond':

Quote:

Furthermore, our fellow member Grond came up with an excellent idea on how to read the the whole series: Read it "backwards"! Start off with HoME XII - The Peoples of Middle-earth. Then continue as follows:
HoME X - Morgoth's Ring
HoME XI- The War of the Jewels
HoME VI - The Return of the Shadow
HoME VII- The Treason of Isengard
HoME VIII- The War of the Ring
HoME IX - Sauron Defeated
HoME V - The Lost Road
HoME IV - The Shaping of Middle-earth
HoME I - The Book of Lost Tales, part 1
HoME II - The Book of Lost Tales, part 2
HoME III - The Lays of Beleriand

So - to translate the Roman numerals, he would take you in the order; 12, / 10, 11, / 6, 7, 8, 9, / 5, / 4, / 1, 2, 3.

I own and have read just over half of #12... concentrating on my areas of interest.

BeardofPants · 01-26-2005, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EÃ¤rniel

You'd recommend reading first HoME X to XII before the others? Why? *just wondering as still being on HoME VII*

Yes, I read them mostly in order (didn't really ever finish reading the LOTR histories; read the first two, gave up... too boring). The reason is that if you're interested in what the Sil has to say, the latter HoMEs act as an extension to the Silm whereas the earlier ones are only interesting to see how Tolkien formulated his universe, i.e., they're only really good for providing an evolutionary development of Middle-Earth. See what I mean? In other words, the latter HoMEs are good for facts about ME, the earlier ones aren't...

BeardofPants · 01-26-2005, 07:09 PM

Oh, and I still maintain that reading them in order is best if you really want to see the development of ME.

And I sincerely think that reading Letters before Unfinished Tales is best. Tolkien explains quite a few things about his universe that may help when reading UT.

Last Child of Ungoliant · 01-26-2005, 09:26 PM

i have done this order
hobbit
lotr
sil
ut

dont have letters or home

grundoon · 01-26-2005, 10:17 PM

wow! thanx for the many suggestions. very interesting. i will 'read and heed'! best wishes to all entmooters. grundoon

***Valandil*** · 01-27-2005, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

And I sincerely think that reading Letters before Unfinished Tales is best. Tolkien explains quite a few things about his universe that may help when reading UT.

I don't even remember which of those two I read first. I read them pretty close together. I guess I think of UT after Sil because it's more 'stories' - but you might be right.

***Earniel*** · 01-27-2005, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

Yes, I read them mostly in order (didn't really ever finish reading the LOTR histories; read the first two, gave up... too boring). The reason is that if you're interested in what the Sil has to say, the latter HoMEs act as an extension to the Silm whereas the earlier ones are only interesting to see how Tolkien formulated his universe, i.e., they're only really good for providing an evolutionary development of Middle-Earth. See what I mean? In other words, the latter HoMEs are good for facts about ME, the earlier ones aren't...

Yes, I understand, thank you.

I was just wondering why you would suggest that particular order. I may reconsider the order I'm reading them in, then.

Are HoME X, XI and XII stand alone volumes, or do they sort of follow like HoME I and II, and VI and VII do?

BeardofPants · 01-28-2005, 01:06 AM

They all build upon each other, but certainly, the latter ones are more "stand-alone".

ElemmÃrÃ« · 01-31-2005, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

Yes, I read them mostly in order (didn't really ever finish reading the LOTR histories; read the first two, gave up... too boring). The reason is that if you're interested in what the Sil has to say, the latter HoMEs act as an extension to the Silm whereas the earlier ones are only interesting to see how Tolkien formulated his universe, i.e., they're only really good for providing an evolutionary development of Middle-Earth. See what I mean? In other words, the latter HoMEs are good for facts about ME, the earlier ones aren't...

I thought that HoMe III was pretty useful, actually. Well... if you can deal with poetry, I suppose. I haven't read all of it yet... *horribly unmotivated*

I can see where you're coming from with reading X, XI, and XII first, though. Even if I, well, haven't.

BeardofPants · 01-31-2005, 02:29 AM

Yeah, the lays were pretty good (one of my favourites in fact), but as far as fact finding goes, it's harder to sift through the lay format, AND the names/stories aren't exactly settled at that period in time either. There's still a lot of shifting around of names, plots, etc.

ElemmÃrÃ« · 01-31-2005, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

Yeah, the lays were pretty good (one of my favourites in fact), but as far as fact finding goes, it's harder to sift through the lay format, AND the names/stories aren't exactly settled at that period in time either. There's still a lot of shifting around of names, plots, etc.

Heh. The stories aren't exactly in order either. At least.... I don't remember Fingolfin fighting Morgoth in the middle of the story of Beren and LÃºthien.

All the same, my guess is that the Leithian is pretty finalised there (with the exception of ThÃ»). As opposed to the Children of HÃºrin.

Hm. That's funny... my copy as a crease in the spine and constantly opens to Leithian IX!

Embladyne · 01-31-2005, 03:31 PM

I have a habit of reading several books at one time, and so, since I had read the Hobbit, LOTR, and the Silmarillion all at least once before, I recently read UT and parts of LT in cunjunction with a rereading of the Silm. I found that to be the most interesting and helpful way of reading some of the stories. The rest of HOME I'll read in the order I can get my hands on it.

***RÃan*** · 01-31-2005, 07:34 PM

I agree with several here that reading HoME 10, 11, and 12 (affectionately referred to here as MR, WOTJ, and POME) is better than reading the earlier HOMEs first. But that's because I like the First Age

The only exception would be to read BoLT 2 fairly soon, too, (HOME 2) for the Fall of Gondolin - superb!

I never got into the LOTR HoMEs, with Trotter and all that ... but I love the Lays of Beleriand (HOME 3), even tho I don't like poetry in general very much.

ItalianLegolas · 01-31-2005, 07:36 PM

[QUOTE=RÃ*an]
I never got into the LOTR HoMEs, with Trotter and all that ... QUOTE]

I agree, I feel its kind of boring ot read a story that I have already read with tons of little side-notes, and a few different plot elements

01-25-2005, 11:56 PM	#2
BeardofPants the Shrike Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA <3 Posts: 10,647	Best order that I found was (assuming you've already read Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit): Silmarillion Tolkien's Letters Unfinished Tales Histories of Middle-Earth: Vol X, XI, and XII Histories of Middle-Earth: Vol I-IX __________________ "Binary solo! 0000001! 00000011! 0000001! 00000011!" ~ The Humans are Dead, Flight of the Conchords

01-26-2005, 12:08 PM	#3
inked Elf Lord Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: sikeston, MO, usa, earth, sol Posts: 3,114	Yes, essentially publication order for those of us who had to await their arrival in that fashion! __________________ Inked "Aslan is not a tame lion." CSL/LWW "The new school [acts] as if it required...courage to say a blasphemy. There is only one thing that requires real courage to say, and that is a truism." GK Chesterton "And there is always the danger of allowing people to suppose that our modern times are so wholly unlike any other times that the fundamental facts about man's nature have wholly changed with changing circumstances." Dorothy L. Sayers, 1 Sept. 1941

01-26-2005, 06:41 PM	#6
Manveru Elven Warrior Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 256	ya i read the hobbit, lotr, silmarillion, unfinished tales, and started the HoME series (in order). while reading lotr a couple more times. it worked well for me so it should work well for u too __________________ Earendel arose where the shadow flows At Ocean's silent brim; Through the mouth of night as a ray of light Where the shores are sheer and dim He launched his bark like a silver spark From the last and lonely sand; Then on sunlit breath of day's fiery death He sailed from Westerland

01-26-2005, 07:09 PM	#9
BeardofPants the Shrike Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA <3 Posts: 10,647	Oh, and I still maintain that reading them in order is best if you really want to see the development of ME. And I sincerely think that reading Letters before Unfinished Tales is best. Tolkien explains quite a few things about his universe that may help when reading UT. __________________ "Binary solo! 0000001! 00000011! 0000001! 00000011!" ~ The Humans are Dead, Flight of the Conchords Last edited by BeardofPants : 01-26-2005 at 07:13 PM. Reason: grocer's apostrophe... How did that get there?? I ain't mine!! I swear it's not mine!!

01-26-2005, 10:17 PM	#11
grundoon Sapling Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2	help with reading order of supplements wow! thanx for the many suggestions. very interesting. i will 'read and heed'! best wishes to all entmooters. grundoon

01-25-2005, 11:44 PM	#1
grundoon Sapling Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2	help with reading order of supplements would like some guidance to the order in which the supplementary volumes (simarillion, beleriad, book of lost tales, etc.) should be read. thanx!

01-26-2005, 09:26 PM	#10
Last Child of Ungoliant The Intermittent One Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: here and there Posts: 4,671	i have done this order hobbit lotr sil ut dont have letters or home

01-28-2005, 01:06 AM	#14
BeardofPants the Shrike Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA <3 Posts: 10,647	They all build upon each other, but certainly, the latter ones are more "stand-alone". __________________ "Binary solo! 0000001! 00000011! 0000001! 00000011!" ~ The Humans are Dead, Flight of the Conchords Last edited by BeardofPants : 01-28-2005 at 01:07 AM.

01-31-2005, 02:29 AM	#16
BeardofPants the Shrike Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA <3 Posts: 10,647	Yeah, the lays were pretty good (one of my favourites in fact), but as far as fact finding goes, it's harder to sift through the lay format, AND the names/stories aren't exactly settled at that period in time either. There's still a lot of shifting around of names, plots, etc. __________________ "Binary solo! 0000001! 00000011! 0000001! 00000011!" ~ The Humans are Dead, Flight of the Conchords

01-31-2005, 03:31 PM	#18
Embladyne Honourary Elitist Inklette Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: between the mountains and the sea Posts: 704	I have a habit of reading several books at one time, and so, since I had read the Hobbit, LOTR, and the Silmarillion all at least once before, I recently read UT and parts of LT in cunjunction with a rereading of the Silm. I found that to be the most interesting and helpful way of reading some of the stories. The rest of HOME I'll read in the order I can get my hands on it. __________________ Even on the pinnacle of a palace a crow does not become an eagle. My DA page

01-31-2005, 07:34 PM	#19
*RÃan* Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Not where I want to be ... Posts: 15,254	I agree with several here that reading HoME 10, 11, and 12 (affectionately referred to here as MR, WOTJ, and POME) is better than reading the earlier HOMEs first. But that's because I like the First Age The only exception would be to read BoLT 2 fairly soon, too, (HOME 2) for the Fall of Gondolin - superb! I never got into the LOTR HoMEs, with Trotter and all that ... but I love the Lays of Beleriand (HOME 3), even tho I don't like poetry in general very much. __________________ . I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ã‘Ã¡ Ã«?* Ã³Ãº Ã©Ã¤ Ã¯Ã¶Ã¼ Ã–Ã± Ã‰ Ãž Ã° ÃŸ Â® Ã§ Ã¥ â„¢ Ã¦ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lÃ³mÃ«! AurÃ« entuluva!

01-31-2005, 07:36 PM	#20
ItalianLegolas Tolkien-aholic Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: somewhere in the solar system... more specifically NJ... Posts: 712	[QUOTE=RÃ*an] I never got into the LOTR HoMEs, with Trotter and all that ... QUOTE] I agree, I feel its kind of boring ot read a story that I have already read with tons of little side-notes, and a few different plot elements __________________ What was lost is now found.

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