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!

EllethValatari · 04-20-2010, 10:56 PM

Oh, and I forgot to ask: do you have any suggestions as to what books I might add to this list?

***Earniel*** · 04-21-2010, 06:01 AM

After LoTR and the Hobbit, I would look to the Silmarillion. Many find it a tough work to get through as it is not as much a story as thousands of years of history chopped up in chapters. Unfinished Tales and the Children of Húrin deals with material from LoTR and the Silmarillion so it should be read afterwards. Letters can also be read at this moment, most of the material deals with LoTR. The History series is possibly even drier to read, as these books deal with many drafts and scraps that Tolkien wrote about the published materials. The series is a study of Tolkien's Middle-earth writings all on it's own.

The Monsters and the Critics, Tree and Leaf, Roverandom, the Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun are non-Middle-earth works and can be read whenever and in what order you prefer. You can also consider Fin and Hengist, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which I do not see included in your list.

You also might look into Tolkien's own art, like the artwork he did for the Hobbit, or the Father Christmas letters. He was quite skilled, in my opinion.

And if you're looking at Tolkien's life, I would suggest also including a biography. Humphrey Carpenter's biography of Tolkien is usually regarded as pretty good.

All in all, I think you're a bit too ambitious if you're planning to read all this over summer. It's a lot and not always easily readable.

GrayMouser · 04-30-2010, 05:13 AM

I would add a few studies of Tolkien's works- "The Road to Middle Earth" and Tolkien: Author of the Century", both by Tom Shippey, are good.

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

04-20-2010, 10:56 PM	#2
EllethValatari Elven Warrior Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: United States Posts: 401	I forgot to add... Oh, and I forgot to ask: do you have any suggestions as to what books I might add to this list? __________________ 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

04-21-2010, 06:01 AM	#3
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	After LoTR and the Hobbit, I would look to the Silmarillion. Many find it a tough work to get through as it is not as much a story as thousands of years of history chopped up in chapters. Unfinished Tales and the Children of Húrin deals with material from LoTR and the Silmarillion so it should be read afterwards. Letters can also be read at this moment, most of the material deals with LoTR. The History series is possibly even drier to read, as these books deal with many drafts and scraps that Tolkien wrote about the published materials. The series is a study of Tolkien's Middle-earth writings all on it's own. The Monsters and the Critics, Tree and Leaf, Roverandom, the Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun are non-Middle-earth works and can be read whenever and in what order you prefer. You can also consider Fin and Hengist, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which I do not see included in your list. You also might look into Tolkien's own art, like the artwork he did for the Hobbit, or the Father Christmas letters. He was quite skilled, in my opinion. And if you're looking at Tolkien's life, I would suggest also including a biography. Humphrey Carpenter's biography of Tolkien is usually regarded as pretty good. All in all, I think you're a bit too ambitious if you're planning to read all this over summer. It's a lot and not always easily readable. __________________ We are not things.

04-30-2010, 05:13 AM	#4
GrayMouser Elf Lord Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Ilha Formosa Posts: 2,068	I would add a few studies of Tolkien's works- "The Road to Middle Earth" and Tolkien: Author of the Century", both by Tom Shippey, are good. __________________ Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep. Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man; But will they come when you do call for them? "I like pigs. Dogs look up to us, cats look down on us, but pigs treat us as equals."- Winston Churchill

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