Correct order to read Tolkien's books?

Cromulent · 2 Apr 2019 at 15:32

I have the following books but not having read them all for years I have no idea which order I should read them in.

The books I have are as follows:

The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings
The Silmarillion
Children of Huren
Beren and Luthien
The Fall of Gondolin
Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth.

If there are any Tolkien fans out there that could point me to the correct reading order, I would appreciate it. I'm planning on doing an epic reading marathon to get through them all.

G-MAN2004 · 2 Apr 2019 at 15:53

http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/952-Tolkien-Reading-Order.php

VincentHanna · 2 Apr 2019 at 15:59

I read the Hobbit on holiday about 5 years ago.

It was ok, but it's clearly aimed at a kids/young adults.

Cromulent · 2 Apr 2019 at 16:06

G-MAN2004 said:
http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/952-Tolkien-Reading-Order.php

Awesome. Thanks.

VincentHanna said:
I read the Hobbit on holiday about 5 years ago.

It was ok, but it's clearly aimed at a kids/young adults.

Yeah, I've read The Hobbit before, but I feel like reading all of the books from scratch again. It has been a good 15 years since I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and I've never read any of the other books, so I want to sit down and read them one after another in order. I do remember loving The Lord of the Rings and thinking they had missed out loads in the films, so I want to go back and re-experience them.

Vampyre · 2 Apr 2019 at 20:17

VincentHanna said:
I read the Hobbit on holiday about 5 years ago.

It was ok, but it's clearly aimed at a kids/young adults.

If I remember correctly it was written for his kids.

Bubo · 3 Apr 2019 at 08:47

I have had 3 goes at reading The Silmarillion over the years. Make it a bit further each time but never past half way. It is like a Haynes manual.

signs · 3 Apr 2019 at 12:08

[ It is like a Haynes manual.[/QUOTE]

Yeah perfect description

Shamikebab · 3 Apr 2019 at 12:59

Love the Silmarillion, History of Middle Earth are the tough books to read, even I couldn't get through them.

Quartz · 3 Apr 2019 at 13:02

Bubo said:
I have had 3 goes at reading The Silmarillion over the years.

It's a collection of tales. To be read as a dipping book, not as a novel.

Cromulent · 3 Apr 2019 at 15:28

Shamikebab said:
Love the Silmarillion, History of Middle Earth are the tough books to read, even I couldn't get through them.

I really want to get the History of Middle-Earth books but the deluxe edition costs about £120 so I need to save up for it. Once I've got that I'll own all of the books.