A Study on Tolkien

EllethValatari · 04-20-2010, 08:44 PM

One of my goals in life (to complete before I graduate from High School) is to do a comprehensive study on Tolkien and his works. I will be following in the footsteps of Michael Ward, the author of Planet Narnia, who did a study on C.S. Lewis. An outline of my study is the following:

1. Read every work that Tolkien/C. Tolkien has ever written (and been published)
2. Do a comprehensive study of Tolkien's life
3. Again read every work that Tolkien/C. Tolkien has ever written (and been published)

As you can see, this study will most likely take a couple years (considering I'm a student), and I'd like some advice from experienced Tolkien readers/studiers as to what order to read Tolkien's works in. Here is a list of the more common books that I have acquired:

The Histories of Middle Earth
The Unfinished Tales
Tales from the Perilous Realm
The Monsters and the Critics
Tree and Leaf
The Children of Hurin
The Simarillion
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Roverandom
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudruin
The Lord of the Rings (already read)
The Hobbit (already read)

Can anyone recommend the best order in which to read these books? I plan on reading them all over the summer...
Thanks for the help!

04-20-2010, 08:44 PM	#1
EllethValatari Elven Warrior Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: United States Posts: 401	A Study on Tolkien One of my goals in life (to complete before I graduate from High School) is to do a comprehensive study on Tolkien and his works. I will be following in the footsteps of Michael Ward, the author of Planet Narnia, who did a study on C.S. Lewis. An outline of my study is the following: 1. Read every work that Tolkien/C. Tolkien has ever written (and been published) 2. Do a comprehensive study of Tolkien's life 3. Again read every work that Tolkien/C. Tolkien has ever written (and been published) As you can see, this study will most likely take a couple years (considering I'm a student), and I'd like some advice from experienced Tolkien readers/studiers as to what order to read Tolkien's works in. Here is a list of the more common books that I have acquired: The Histories of Middle Earth The Unfinished Tales Tales from the Perilous Realm The Monsters and the Critics Tree and Leaf The Children of Hurin The Simarillion The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien Roverandom The Legend of Sigurd and Gudruin The Lord of the Rings (already read) The Hobbit (already read) Can anyone recommend the best order in which to read these books? I plan on reading them all over the summer... Thanks for the help! __________________ Elleth Valatari "We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbour, while materialistic 'progress' leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil." — J.R.R. Tolkien

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