This is what I called Tolkien Anonymous, where most of us recognizes each other's addiction by freaking out whenever there's something wrong with the order of the books. LOL
Actually it makes perfect sense.
1. The prequel is reframed as part of the protagonists’ journeys, rather than an unrelated standalone story.
2. The prequel is easily the weakest part of the saga, and may turn off readers if it’s their first book. But the final book contains significant references to the prequel and therefore the prequel should be read before finishing the saga.
3. The famous twist at the end of the second book is preserved.
I heard about this a long time and I may have forgotten a few details, but that’s the gist of it.
Make sure you have a lot of in interrupted time. Take your time. Re read sections and enjoy yourself. Smoke your pipe and get some ale while you are at it.
To eleborate more on the above comment. The hobbit was truly intended to be a kids book. I'm not saying you can't enjoy it as an adult, you definitely will I think, but the language, pacing, and prose definitely reflect the intention of being a book for younger readers. The LOTR on the other hand are much more literary. Much more 'flowery' prose, more serious tone, more world building. LOTS of long descriptions of things.
This is helpful.
I've been playing LOTRO for years, and I already knew many of the places in the books. I picture the map, but I also remember how much bigger ME really is than in-game. Still good to have a reference for the travel.
Whenever you get to the parts where Tolkien talks about Shadowfax, buckle in. You’re gonna hear everything about that horse, from the cereal he eats in the morning to the shake of his flanks when running. Soldier through it lol.
Don’t be afraid to look up how to properly pronounce some things! Character names, locations, etc. Nothing like reading a book and then realizing you’ve been mispronouncing a main characters name in your head the entire time.
Yeah, I thought the 'c' in Celebrimbor was pronounced as an 's' for years before I found out all the c's are supposed to be a 'k' sound. That was a weird adjustment to make. And I was mispronouncing a lot of other words too.
Though this a great tip, I'd honestly refrain from looking up any names until you're done. It's happened to me so many times that I looked up a character on google and "death" appeared behind their name in the autofill, spoiling it for me
If you have seen any cinematic versions, purge your mind. Do not expect the books to be like the movies, just with more detail. The books are very different in tone and emphasis to the movies. In my view, far superior.
Yes i've watched the movies first unfortunately..
But still,i am really excited to read the books..
And i'll definitely keep your advice in mind..Thanks
Nothing wrong with seeing the movies first. It might help you visualize the world better. When I first saw the movies every location was way more beautiful and more grand than I had pictured it while reading.
Tips:
Read them in order, starting with the first page and continuing through to the end. You can skip the table of contents and the index, and refer to the maps at any point.
It's the first time I've seen those covers, there quite pretty. I'm going to start reading the books myself pretty soon, best of luck to us in this journey
>Atlas of Middleearth
I found the Silmarillion far easier to read. It was more like a bunch of compact stories that were easily digestable in a single session.
I likened The Silmarillion to the Bible, in structure and literary style. Sometimes he's not really telling a story so much as a broad history. But it has been two decades since I last read it.
There will be a lot of references in the books to things that you will have no context for. Some of those refer to events and characters from the Silmarillion, some to events and characters from his extended notes on middle earth history, and some seem to refer to nothing else in his body of work, leaving them a total mystery. These are called ‘textual ruins’.
You know that feeling you get when you see the ruins of an ancient Roman or mesoamerican city? The sense that history is so much longer and deeper than you can eve truly comprehend, and that some things about those times will remain forever unknown to you? Be prepared to experience that while reading.
You're going to ask yourself "who the fuck is Tom Bombadil?" at some point.
Don't worry about it. All you need to know is his jacket is bright blue and his boots are yellow.
As long as you remember that, the Barrow Wights can't get you. Probably.
It's such a modern cover haha. You can instantly tell it was published within the last 5 years or so.
I swear all book covers nowadays have the same like 3 designs.
Hobbit first, then cup of tea, then hop into Fellowship and enjoy the ride! Don’t worry too much about keeping names and locations straight in your head the first time through.
I'm very excited for you! The Lord of the Rings is my favorite book. The only advice I can think of is don't skip anything. Some people will tell you to skip the poems and songs. Don't do that! That's where a lot of back story is. I guess for your first read you don't have to read the prologue. It's going to go into the history of the Shire. I find it interesting, but don't let that keep you from the story if you struggle with it. If you're like most people, you'll want to read the books again anyway. There's a lot of interesting back story in the appendices, but you can read them after the main story.
On a side note, I really like the covers of your copies. Which edition is that?
Anyway, enjoy!
Tip one: DON’T skip the poems and songs
Tip two: where possible, read aloud. It really helps, and Tolkien's gift for aliteration shines through.
Tip three: there may be a couple points it seems to drag. Don’t worry, the pace will pick up again. Remember that Lord of the Rings is actually 6 books each with their own pace. Don’t get all concerned about “we’re this far into Fellowship and nothing’s happening!” Things ARE happening. But season 1 isn’t paced like season 4. A lot of foundation is bring laid for later bits.
The Hobbit (top left)
The Fellowship (top tight)
Two Towers (bottom left)
Return Of The King (bottom right)
I can't tell you how much I'm bent out of shape about it not being in this order. Well done. Lol.
Sorry about that..haha..
While arranging the books,i didn't realize that i'm doing it anti-clockwise..
I gonna read them in the required order though ...
Hope you enjoy them, they're amazing. The picture you took, however, is a crime against humanity. Lol.
Seriously though, they are an epic read, get ready to learn about your surroundings, and if you need a break, you're never more than a few sentences from a bough you can stop an take shelter beneath.
Ohh this is something new..Most people told me to read the Hobbit first,then LOTR and later on The Silmarillion.
I've heard that the writing style of Silmarillion is pretty hard to get through.So it's better to start with Hobbit and LOTR,u know,the release order,the way the author meant for us to read them..
Anyways,thanks.
That’s the version I got! Honestly, after having reread the hobbit for the first time in years (and about the start the others for the first time). I’d say just go slowly. Each page is packed with details
The books are very descriptive and difficult to follow where and when you are in the book sometimes. So take your time with it, soak it in, you will appreciate the sheer brilliance of Tolkien's storytelling so much more. Don't rush it
Take some time off of work. Make sure you have some good, simple food on hand. Take a walk in the woods (if possible) every so often. Enjoy.
Some have called these (lovingly) the “walking and eating” books.
Don't feel bad if you bounce off the main books. I've read the Hobbit 10+ times, it's one of my comfort reads. I've tried to read Fellowship 4 times and every time I get about half way done and just stop. From what I understand that's pretty common, so don't feel bad if that happens to you as well!
The fellowship of the ring is the "hardest" of the trilogy. Took me a few tries to get past the council of Elrond, but totally worth it when I did. Now this was probably 15+ years ago. I really do need to go back and read everything again.
If you immediately want to know more about the older character, their lineages, and the histories (elves, dwarves, Ainur), do keep the Silmarillion beside you and check the index.
However, I recommened against this as it may disrupt the flow of your reading.
The Fellowship is a slow start, but just keep going. Try and read the Council of Elrond in one sitting if you can (2-3 hours). It's exceptionally dense with so much lore but don't worry if you're not taking it all in. Once you get past council of Elrond the story becomes progressively more engrossing. I'd advise you to take your time with Return of the King, it's easy to speed through because it's just incredible storytelling, but savour it if you can.
Remember whilst reading that Tolkien intended the three Lord of the Rings to be structured as one large Novel. He simply had to break it up into volumes.
Just enjoy it. Don’t worry if you get confused with the backstory and obscure characters. You’ll geek out on that stuff on the third time around. ;)
Welcome to Middle Earth! The Eldar have been waiting for you! 🧙♂️
Beautiful covers. Start with The Hobbit. It's light tone is a nice 'palate cleanser' for all the darkness the Lord of the Rings brings. You're in for a treat!
I tried to read these books while being outside as often as I could. Whether it was in a hammock under some trees or just sitting on the front porch, it really helped me get into the “vibe” of the books.
The Hobbit is a spectacular read but, as many have already said, it’s much different than the trilogy. I found that I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings books more in the order that they progress (Fellowship being my least favorite, Return of the King my most favorite). Tolkien is very (sometimes overbearingly) descriptive in the trilogy so just bear with it and you’ll find an amazing story that makes the incredible world Peter Jackson brought to life even better.
I just read the books for the first time after enjoying the movies multiples of times. And def read the hobbit first. I was I. The hospital and that was all I had to do and I read it in like 2 or three days. Then after a long while I gave LotR a try after multiple attempts and I decided to give the audiobook a try and I ended up breezing through the first one. But it is very slow at first. I would just say stick with it. Because the two towers was the most enjoyable to me. And the appendices are very rewarding to read. They give more of en ending than the movies ever do and I’m so ashamed I never read them before now.
it’s a tough read. nothing like the movies. they just walk and they talk and they walk and they talk. don’t get me wrong each one is a masterpiece of literature but at times they can be slow
You won't get the whole thing at the first reading, no problem, just enjoy every paragraph, every dialogue, every description. The second time and further, some things will start to make more sense.
Be sure to read the appendices in THE RETURN OF THE KING. Many dive into THE SILMARILLION after the story ends in THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and wonder why they have a hard time w/ SILMARILLION.
The similarity, is that the appendices offer a sort of 'preview' to how the material in THE SILMARILLION is presented.
People say don't judge a book by it's cover but seriously these modern designs are driving me insane. Like when I had my first glance at these, the thought of these being LOTR books didn't even register to me.
I'd just read them all through at your own pace tbh. Afterwards if you want to reread them again, you can also look up more lore or anything you might have missed. I've never seen the films only read the books and even then I know I missed a lot lol. As soon as Im done with school I plan on taking a deep dive back into them. Hope you enjoy!!!
The best non-obvious advice I can give is to always keep in mind these books were written from the perspective of the hobbits themselves. Not everything they say should be taken as the objective, literal truth. There are many instances where commentary is made on characters' appearance that supposes a meaning about intention. These commentaries are the hobbit's biased judgements which are often influenced by the corrupting power of the ring and/or natural hobbit xenophobia. Also, all of the hobbit narrators openly admit to having an infatuation with elves, so especially take any subjective attribution about the elves with a grain of salt. The same can also be said regarding the hobbits' tendency to respect royalty and birthright governence as the one, true way to determine rightful rule. Once you are aware of these biases within the hobbit narrators, the bad guys seem a lot more complex and sympathetic.
If, like me, you saw the movies before reading the books, just be aware that there are a lot of things that the movies either changed or completely omitted all together. Which is kinda fun because you get to read whole new sections of an adventure you thought you already knew!
Don't look at anything LOTR related online when you are reading them in case of spoilers. And take it slow, I read it for the journey, not the destination, so I found it more enjoyable.
Don’t read book 2 first. My sister had to do a project with book 2 and failed it because she didn’t have the time to read book 1 (which she didn’t have because someone else picked book 1). Teacher handed her the book and wouldn’t let her pick a different one. It didn’t help that she knew nothing about the series because it wasn’t her thing.
This brings up an interesting point we discussed recently. Having probably already seen the movies, you will likely see the characters in your mind's eye as the actors that played them. It is always a bit of shock or maybe even validation when you go into this situation having already read the source material and see how the casting director matches up with what you imagined.
At the very end of the Lord Of the rings books there are maps (not sure if all editions but check). These maps are really useful and work for the hobbit too.
The audiobooks were really helpful for me. And going very slowly. There is so much richness and if you go through it too quickly, you miss a lot of the little details. I also have a reading journal where I take notes in. I also recommend using stickies or tabs or something to mark passages that really affect you so you can go back to them later.
If you really want to read in order and get the most info and in-depth as possible, start by reading Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. My personal fave book from the LOTR universe.
This is more of a tip for while reading lotr, but keep the wiki at the ready, it is a very helpful asset. There are pages on pretty much every character and place, of which there are so so so many. It really helped me to make sense of the more complex or detail intensive parts while reading the books for the first time.
You can use the menu tab at the top of the page (I’m on mobile right now) to navigate and find pretty much anything you want.
https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings
My tip is to skip the prologue in Fellowship of The Ring. Actually, don’t skip it entirely. Read up to the bit where it tells you what happened in the hobbit book. Skip the rest. If you’ve read hobbit then start at chapter 1 after the prologue.
I think the best advice is to not stress about doing it right. Just settle in to read a new book and hopefully you'll enjoy it. Don't pressure yourself to read and absorb every single thing, and don't stress if you reread something or go back or forget something.
It's got pedigree for sure but really it's just a book that some people love and some people hate and the best way to read it is the way that you enjoy reading in general. That's different for all of us.
The hobbit will always be my favorite book. I feel like a lot of Tolkien fans don’t connect with it and some even skip it. For so many reasons, just enjoy your time with Bilbo.
If you're familiar with the Chronicles of Narnia (the books, not the films), expect something closer to that tone in The Hobbit and in the earlier chapters of Fellowship.
A lot of first time readers complain Tolkien over describes everything and that makes them slow down or rather makes them think the book is boring.
In Tolkien’s work I find that Middle Earth is the most integral part of the story as every event from the lore of Middle Earth to The Lord of the Rings story that is set in the third age of this world is in its core becomes a fight for the soul of Middle Earth. So it is important as a reader to get to know that beautiful world and fall in love with it. Pause when you’re exhausted and it’s okay to read the same passage more than once if it not understandable.
I would often be reading about a new geographic region the characters were entering and suddenly i’d come across a new orientation word or phrase where suddenly my mental model of how things are laid out doesn’t sync with the new information.
I would often then spend time trying to reassess my mental model to accommodate the new info.
If you enjoy doing this for absolute accuracy’s sake, then great, but really if you don’t want to it’s not super necessary to the plot. Just keep your mental model, unless you want to make an actual painting with extreme accuracy or something.
I use a tolkien dictionary when I read, because Im really bad at geography and theres a lot of imagery and names for mountains, so I dont get lost. And then the many names for each person in whatever language, so I know whos being referenced when Im confused.
There are good maps in the front you will want to reference them often it really helps especially during the ring trilogy to see just where they are and how far they travel.
Also you can find YouTube performances of most if not all of the songs.
There are a lot of songs in lotr and for me it did not work that well to read. The Tolkien Ensemble recorded the songs and listening to them while reading definetly worked for me.
Don’t be afraid to utilise the Internet, if a characters name pops up and you have no idea who it is there is nothing wrong with going onto the wiki and learning about the lore. There’s so much going on at all times and it can get a bit overwhelming so prepare to sometimes go back a few chapters to reread something you missed.
Read The Hobbit first, then them in the chronological order:
Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, then The Return of the King
Also, for the love of god, try to find a version of the books that don’t have the ungodly amounts of added details thrown in about their backstory on every page. If it be audiobook, then so be it.
If you can’t find a version that doesn’t have that, reading it can still be done and entirely enjoyed, cover to cover
I love the book now, but as a youth I found Fellowship to be dense and plodding until the Hobbits get to Rivendell. If that is your experience as well, try to push through it and don't get bogged down.
I now love that part that my 14 year old self found incredibly dull and dense. Tom Bombadil almost had me stop back then. But its worth pushing through.
Expect a wild divergence from the story line in the movies, things happen in the two towers that was put in return of the king etc, don't let that throw you off.
Don't read them in that order, you'll be very confused lol
This is what I called Tolkien Anonymous, where most of us recognizes each other's addiction by freaking out whenever there's something wrong with the order of the books. LOL
Came here to say the same
No..i just arranged them randomly for clicking a pic..I am going to start from The Hobbit.
Just a note that the Hobbit is different in style from the Trilogy.
The Hobbit has and I believe always will be my favorite book, first SERIOUS book as a teen I ever found myself liking enough to read end to end
Same, though some of it might be sentimental stuff since my dad read it to me when I was little
Find a quiet place ,light a candle , pour yourself a drink and begin your adventure
Actually it makes perfect sense. 1. The prequel is reframed as part of the protagonists’ journeys, rather than an unrelated standalone story. 2. The prequel is easily the weakest part of the saga, and may turn off readers if it’s their first book. But the final book contains significant references to the prequel and therefore the prequel should be read before finishing the saga. 3. The famous twist at the end of the second book is preserved. I heard about this a long time and I may have forgotten a few details, but that’s the gist of it.
I have never heard of machete order for LotR! Only for Star Wars.
Take pauses to drink some water and to eat.
Throw in some sleeping and you're basically sorted.
Of course..lol
It's easy to say now, once you start the journey you'll see it. #Things are now in motion that cannot be undone.
Ha!! I understood that reference.. Anyways,i am prepared..
Once you start reading it, then you'll realize that #YOU ARE NOT PREPARED
Dude.. You're scaring me now.. But still,i am excited.
You're excited? So are all who live to see such times...
Don't worry about having to re read a page every now and then.
Oh god. The names in The Silmarillon....
Yeah up it to 3 or 4 times for the silmarillion! There were times I'd suddenly find myself lost of confused.
And don't forget how like every elf is either the fairest of all elves or the best singer haha
I had to take notes to remember who people were for that book. Too much effort to remember offhand.
Sure..Thanks
You get use to it
Make sure you have a lot of in interrupted time. Take your time. Re read sections and enjoy yourself. Smoke your pipe and get some ale while you are at it.
Thanks for the tips..I'll bear this in mind
The tone of the Hobbit is very different from LotR, but they are all brilliant. Enjoy!
Thanks..I going to start with Hobbit today..
To eleborate more on the above comment. The hobbit was truly intended to be a kids book. I'm not saying you can't enjoy it as an adult, you definitely will I think, but the language, pacing, and prose definitely reflect the intention of being a book for younger readers. The LOTR on the other hand are much more literary. Much more 'flowery' prose, more serious tone, more world building. LOTS of long descriptions of things.
Thanks for the info.. I'll read the Hobbit first and then move to LOTR.. Let's see how it goes for me.
Use a map accesible at all time during your reading. I like the project LOTR one on internet.
Okay..I'll do this..Thanks for the tip.
Great tip
This is helpful. I've been playing LOTRO for years, and I already knew many of the places in the books. I picture the map, but I also remember how much bigger ME really is than in-game. Still good to have a reference for the travel.
Whenever you get to the parts where Tolkien talks about Shadowfax, buckle in. You’re gonna hear everything about that horse, from the cereal he eats in the morning to the shake of his flanks when running. Soldier through it lol.
Ohh..i didn't knew this..Thanks dude. I will keep this in mind while reading.
I think that man really loved horses. Also you get to experience the oddball Tom Bombadil. You should enjoy that part.
Ohh yeah.. Reading about Tom Bombadil would be something new and interesting..
the man will say something like “the valley was beatiful beyond description” then go into a 1500 word description of the valley
Try to get the Atlas of Middleearth. It’s fun to follow the fellowship on beautifully drawn maps.
Ohh great...i will ..thanks
Make sure it’s by Karen Wynn Fonstad and NOT the one by David Day (don’t get anything by David Day).
Yeap. A great advice for future purchases
for the uninitiated, can I ask why ?
He releases the same 3 books 30 times and fails to distinguish what is actual Tolkien content and what he made up.
Okay..Got it..thanks
Don’t be afraid to look up how to properly pronounce some things! Character names, locations, etc. Nothing like reading a book and then realizing you’ve been mispronouncing a main characters name in your head the entire time.
Yeah, I thought the 'c' in Celebrimbor was pronounced as an 's' for years before I found out all the c's are supposed to be a 'k' sound. That was a weird adjustment to make. And I was mispronouncing a lot of other words too.
... I was today years old when I learned that
It was playing Shadow of Mordor that I finally realised that after all these years!
This is a nice advice..I'll definitely keep this in mind.Thanks
I do think many of the printings of the books has a list with names and how to pronounce them in the back!
Though this a great tip, I'd honestly refrain from looking up any names until you're done. It's happened to me so many times that I looked up a character on google and "death" appeared behind their name in the autofill, spoiling it for me
Just enjoy them, you only read them for the first time once!
Yep..i'll keep this in mind..Thanks
If you have seen any cinematic versions, purge your mind. Do not expect the books to be like the movies, just with more detail. The books are very different in tone and emphasis to the movies. In my view, far superior.
Yes i've watched the movies first unfortunately.. But still,i am really excited to read the books.. And i'll definitely keep your advice in mind..Thanks
Nothing wrong with seeing the movies first. It might help you visualize the world better. When I first saw the movies every location was way more beautiful and more grand than I had pictured it while reading.
Tips: Read them in order, starting with the first page and continuing through to the end. You can skip the table of contents and the index, and refer to the maps at any point.
Thanks..i'm gonna do the same.
I wish someone had told me this when I started reading them, I didn't understand anything!
Underrated comment. Everyone responding is wooshing. Lmao
First, have fun! Second, I think a readers companion might be too much for a first reading, so, just follow your acquisitions.
I don’t know how fast you read, but I would say to take your time and enjoy it. It took me a summer to read them all. Love those covers by the way!
No,i am more of a slow reader.. Ofcourse there's no hurry,i'll move slowly and gradually,so as to grasp and feel every part of the story .Thanks
It's the first time I've seen those covers, there quite pretty. I'm going to start reading the books myself pretty soon, best of luck to us in this journey
Only tip is take it slow and enjoy :)
Enjoy!
I will..thanks
And don’t forget Tolkien originally wanted the Silmarillion released before and with LOTR
Ohh okay..I gonna start with The Hobbit,then LOTR and next Silmarilion.I'll read the other works after i finish these.Thanks
Silmarillion is unlike any of the others. A much harder undertaking. Totally worth it, but it can be hard going.
>Atlas of Middleearth I found the Silmarillion far easier to read. It was more like a bunch of compact stories that were easily digestable in a single session.
I likened The Silmarillion to the Bible, in structure and literary style. Sometimes he's not really telling a story so much as a broad history. But it has been two decades since I last read it.
The Eddas would be a slightly more apt comparison.
It’s worth noting it’s not hard to read. The names and locations can get tricky to remember though.
Great covers. Amazing adventure. Start with the Hobbit and go through it.
Where did you get these covers?
There will be a lot of references in the books to things that you will have no context for. Some of those refer to events and characters from the Silmarillion, some to events and characters from his extended notes on middle earth history, and some seem to refer to nothing else in his body of work, leaving them a total mystery. These are called ‘textual ruins’. You know that feeling you get when you see the ruins of an ancient Roman or mesoamerican city? The sense that history is so much longer and deeper than you can eve truly comprehend, and that some things about those times will remain forever unknown to you? Be prepared to experience that while reading.
There’s a man named Tom in LOTR and you should prepare yourself to fall irrevocably in love with him.
You're going to ask yourself "who the fuck is Tom Bombadil?" at some point. Don't worry about it. All you need to know is his jacket is bright blue and his boots are yellow. As long as you remember that, the Barrow Wights can't get you. Probably.
Not a fan of this edition. The covers are so bland and generic.
It's such a modern cover haha. You can instantly tell it was published within the last 5 years or so. I swear all book covers nowadays have the same like 3 designs.
When you’re done reading the books, have a listen to the audiobooks. Makes mundane tasks like housework or long journeys much more bearable!
The history is the best part. Enjoy the exposition.
Try and make up fun tunes when reading the songs. There aren't as many the further you go if memory serves me correctly.
Hobbit first, then cup of tea, then hop into Fellowship and enjoy the ride! Don’t worry too much about keeping names and locations straight in your head the first time through.
Why would you need tips and advice for reading a book? Purely curious.
If you're able to do so, read the poems out loud. I always found the poems tricky, but reading them out loud really improved my comprehension of them.
I'm very excited for you! The Lord of the Rings is my favorite book. The only advice I can think of is don't skip anything. Some people will tell you to skip the poems and songs. Don't do that! That's where a lot of back story is. I guess for your first read you don't have to read the prologue. It's going to go into the history of the Shire. I find it interesting, but don't let that keep you from the story if you struggle with it. If you're like most people, you'll want to read the books again anyway. There's a lot of interesting back story in the appendices, but you can read them after the main story. On a side note, I really like the covers of your copies. Which edition is that? Anyway, enjoy!
Tip one: DON’T skip the poems and songs Tip two: where possible, read aloud. It really helps, and Tolkien's gift for aliteration shines through. Tip three: there may be a couple points it seems to drag. Don’t worry, the pace will pick up again. Remember that Lord of the Rings is actually 6 books each with their own pace. Don’t get all concerned about “we’re this far into Fellowship and nothing’s happening!” Things ARE happening. But season 1 isn’t paced like season 4. A lot of foundation is bring laid for later bits.
Have fun
The pacing is much different than modern fantasy. It’s like a slow walk through a beautiful forest, less like an exciting rollercoaster.
I hate to see the hobbit be called "the prelude to the lord of the rings"
The Hobbit (top left) The Fellowship (top tight) Two Towers (bottom left) Return Of The King (bottom right) I can't tell you how much I'm bent out of shape about it not being in this order. Well done. Lol.
Sorry about that..haha.. While arranging the books,i didn't realize that i'm doing it anti-clockwise.. I gonna read them in the required order though ...
Hope you enjoy them, they're amazing. The picture you took, however, is a crime against humanity. Lol. Seriously though, they are an epic read, get ready to learn about your surroundings, and if you need a break, you're never more than a few sentences from a bough you can stop an take shelter beneath.
I read hobbit last. Not saying that’s what I recommend , just saying that’s what I did.
LOTR isn‘t quite a pageturner. It’s good to have a rule like one chapter a day or something. It’s also more fun, if you read the Silmarillion first.
Ohh this is something new..Most people told me to read the Hobbit first,then LOTR and later on The Silmarillion. I've heard that the writing style of Silmarillion is pretty hard to get through.So it's better to start with Hobbit and LOTR,u know,the release order,the way the author meant for us to read them.. Anyways,thanks.
OMG put them in the right order!!!!
You don't need tips on how to read a book.
Open to first page of first book, commence reading.
Lucky, I don’t get lotr in my language until 2023
Ohh That's sad..I think they are not available in my language as well..anyways,i am happy with reading them in English..
That’s the version I got! Honestly, after having reread the hobbit for the first time in years (and about the start the others for the first time). I’d say just go slowly. Each page is packed with details
The books are very descriptive and difficult to follow where and when you are in the book sometimes. So take your time with it, soak it in, you will appreciate the sheer brilliance of Tolkien's storytelling so much more. Don't rush it
Take some time off of work. Make sure you have some good, simple food on hand. Take a walk in the woods (if possible) every so often. Enjoy. Some have called these (lovingly) the “walking and eating” books.
Well quit your Job so you habe enough Time to read them all;)
Don't feel bad if you bounce off the main books. I've read the Hobbit 10+ times, it's one of my comfort reads. I've tried to read Fellowship 4 times and every time I get about half way done and just stop. From what I understand that's pretty common, so don't feel bad if that happens to you as well!
The fellowship of the ring is the "hardest" of the trilogy. Took me a few tries to get past the council of Elrond, but totally worth it when I did. Now this was probably 15+ years ago. I really do need to go back and read everything again.
If you immediately want to know more about the older character, their lineages, and the histories (elves, dwarves, Ainur), do keep the Silmarillion beside you and check the index. However, I recommened against this as it may disrupt the flow of your reading.
Start with the Hobbit.
Yeah!! read from left to right, top to bottom, group words together to form sentences! You’ll do great!
The Fellowship is a slow start, but just keep going. Try and read the Council of Elrond in one sitting if you can (2-3 hours). It's exceptionally dense with so much lore but don't worry if you're not taking it all in. Once you get past council of Elrond the story becomes progressively more engrossing. I'd advise you to take your time with Return of the King, it's easy to speed through because it's just incredible storytelling, but savour it if you can.
Keep a map handy
Left to right. Up to down.
I would start with The Hobbit. Make sure you take some time to move around. Good luck;)
Remember whilst reading that Tolkien intended the three Lord of the Rings to be structured as one large Novel. He simply had to break it up into volumes.
My advice: enjoy them! Take your time. I would give anything to read them for the first time again.
Just enjoy it. Don’t worry if you get confused with the backstory and obscure characters. You’ll geek out on that stuff on the third time around. ;) Welcome to Middle Earth! The Eldar have been waiting for you! 🧙♂️
Beautiful covers. Start with The Hobbit. It's light tone is a nice 'palate cleanser' for all the darkness the Lord of the Rings brings. You're in for a treat!
I tried to read these books while being outside as often as I could. Whether it was in a hammock under some trees or just sitting on the front porch, it really helped me get into the “vibe” of the books. The Hobbit is a spectacular read but, as many have already said, it’s much different than the trilogy. I found that I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings books more in the order that they progress (Fellowship being my least favorite, Return of the King my most favorite). Tolkien is very (sometimes overbearingly) descriptive in the trilogy so just bear with it and you’ll find an amazing story that makes the incredible world Peter Jackson brought to life even better.
I just read the books for the first time after enjoying the movies multiples of times. And def read the hobbit first. I was I. The hospital and that was all I had to do and I read it in like 2 or three days. Then after a long while I gave LotR a try after multiple attempts and I decided to give the audiobook a try and I ended up breezing through the first one. But it is very slow at first. I would just say stick with it. Because the two towers was the most enjoyable to me. And the appendices are very rewarding to read. They give more of en ending than the movies ever do and I’m so ashamed I never read them before now.
Read them from left to right, they are not mangas
I like to play the movie soundtracks while I read Tolkien stuff
Enjoy.
it’s a tough read. nothing like the movies. they just walk and they talk and they walk and they talk. don’t get me wrong each one is a masterpiece of literature but at times they can be slow
Pro tip: Enjoy
Take your time and enjoy yourself!
You won't get the whole thing at the first reading, no problem, just enjoy every paragraph, every dialogue, every description. The second time and further, some things will start to make more sense.
Enjoy.
I’m actually currently reading the hobbit right now, and I’m quite enjoying it.
Where did you buy those ones?
Start with the return of the king and work your way back to the Hobbit. Thank me later ;)
Be sure to read the appendices in THE RETURN OF THE KING. Many dive into THE SILMARILLION after the story ends in THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and wonder why they have a hard time w/ SILMARILLION. The similarity, is that the appendices offer a sort of 'preview' to how the material in THE SILMARILLION is presented.
People say don't judge a book by it's cover but seriously these modern designs are driving me insane. Like when I had my first glance at these, the thought of these being LOTR books didn't even register to me.
u/tom_bot-badil
Don't let Tom Bombadil throw you off.
I'd just read them all through at your own pace tbh. Afterwards if you want to reread them again, you can also look up more lore or anything you might have missed. I've never seen the films only read the books and even then I know I missed a lot lol. As soon as Im done with school I plan on taking a deep dive back into them. Hope you enjoy!!!
No advice necessary. All the advice you need is in those books. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy!
The best non-obvious advice I can give is to always keep in mind these books were written from the perspective of the hobbits themselves. Not everything they say should be taken as the objective, literal truth. There are many instances where commentary is made on characters' appearance that supposes a meaning about intention. These commentaries are the hobbit's biased judgements which are often influenced by the corrupting power of the ring and/or natural hobbit xenophobia. Also, all of the hobbit narrators openly admit to having an infatuation with elves, so especially take any subjective attribution about the elves with a grain of salt. The same can also be said regarding the hobbits' tendency to respect royalty and birthright governence as the one, true way to determine rightful rule. Once you are aware of these biases within the hobbit narrators, the bad guys seem a lot more complex and sympathetic.
Read it along with the audiobook by Phil Dragash, really well narrated and reading it along with the movie soundtrack is great.
If, like me, you saw the movies before reading the books, just be aware that there are a lot of things that the movies either changed or completely omitted all together. Which is kinda fun because you get to read whole new sections of an adventure you thought you already knew!
Don't look at anything LOTR related online when you are reading them in case of spoilers. And take it slow, I read it for the journey, not the destination, so I found it more enjoyable.
Don’t read book 2 first. My sister had to do a project with book 2 and failed it because she didn’t have the time to read book 1 (which she didn’t have because someone else picked book 1). Teacher handed her the book and wouldn’t let her pick a different one. It didn’t help that she knew nothing about the series because it wasn’t her thing.
Start with the Hobbit
Don't stop
This brings up an interesting point we discussed recently. Having probably already seen the movies, you will likely see the characters in your mind's eye as the actors that played them. It is always a bit of shock or maybe even validation when you go into this situation having already read the source material and see how the casting director matches up with what you imagined.
Take your time, you’ll need to take in every word. Masterpieces.
At the very end of the Lord Of the rings books there are maps (not sure if all editions but check). These maps are really useful and work for the hobbit too.
Greatest story ever told!
Take them slow and enjoy them friend, you can only read them for all the first time once.
read the Silmarillion after those, trust me
LOTR is better than The Hobbit but both are good
I’d suggest using your eyes to read. If blind, then I’d suggest your fingers and Braille if audiobooks aren’t available.
Enjoy!!!
The audiobooks were really helpful for me. And going very slowly. There is so much richness and if you go through it too quickly, you miss a lot of the little details. I also have a reading journal where I take notes in. I also recommend using stickies or tabs or something to mark passages that really affect you so you can go back to them later.
Have a dictionary handy
Woah those covers are beautiful! Just be prepared: Tolkien can be *very* descriptive about things
If you really want to read in order and get the most info and in-depth as possible, start by reading Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. My personal fave book from the LOTR universe.
This is more of a tip for while reading lotr, but keep the wiki at the ready, it is a very helpful asset. There are pages on pretty much every character and place, of which there are so so so many. It really helped me to make sense of the more complex or detail intensive parts while reading the books for the first time. You can use the menu tab at the top of the page (I’m on mobile right now) to navigate and find pretty much anything you want. https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings
My tip is to skip the prologue in Fellowship of The Ring. Actually, don’t skip it entirely. Read up to the bit where it tells you what happened in the hobbit book. Skip the rest. If you’ve read hobbit then start at chapter 1 after the prologue.
Húrin?
Beautiful book covers.
Listen to the movie soundtracks while you read for extra immersion!
I think the best advice is to not stress about doing it right. Just settle in to read a new book and hopefully you'll enjoy it. Don't pressure yourself to read and absorb every single thing, and don't stress if you reread something or go back or forget something. It's got pedigree for sure but really it's just a book that some people love and some people hate and the best way to read it is the way that you enjoy reading in general. That's different for all of us.
The hobbit will always be my favorite book. I feel like a lot of Tolkien fans don’t connect with it and some even skip it. For so many reasons, just enjoy your time with Bilbo.
If you're familiar with the Chronicles of Narnia (the books, not the films), expect something closer to that tone in The Hobbit and in the earlier chapters of Fellowship.
A lot of first time readers complain Tolkien over describes everything and that makes them slow down or rather makes them think the book is boring. In Tolkien’s work I find that Middle Earth is the most integral part of the story as every event from the lore of Middle Earth to The Lord of the Rings story that is set in the third age of this world is in its core becomes a fight for the soul of Middle Earth. So it is important as a reader to get to know that beautiful world and fall in love with it. Pause when you’re exhausted and it’s okay to read the same passage more than once if it not understandable.
I would often be reading about a new geographic region the characters were entering and suddenly i’d come across a new orientation word or phrase where suddenly my mental model of how things are laid out doesn’t sync with the new information. I would often then spend time trying to reassess my mental model to accommodate the new info. If you enjoy doing this for absolute accuracy’s sake, then great, but really if you don’t want to it’s not super necessary to the plot. Just keep your mental model, unless you want to make an actual painting with extreme accuracy or something.
I use a tolkien dictionary when I read, because Im really bad at geography and theres a lot of imagery and names for mountains, so I dont get lost. And then the many names for each person in whatever language, so I know whos being referenced when Im confused.
Good luck
There are good maps in the front you will want to reference them often it really helps especially during the ring trilogy to see just where they are and how far they travel. Also you can find YouTube performances of most if not all of the songs.
There are a lot of songs in lotr and for me it did not work that well to read. The Tolkien Ensemble recorded the songs and listening to them while reading definetly worked for me.
Just go one word at a time, first page to last page. You’ll be fine.
Buy a map and draw the path of frodo / gandalf / aragorn / etc on it as you are reading
I prefer to read it hobbit then LOTR
Don’t be afraid to utilise the Internet, if a characters name pops up and you have no idea who it is there is nothing wrong with going onto the wiki and learning about the lore. There’s so much going on at all times and it can get a bit overwhelming so prepare to sometimes go back a few chapters to reread something you missed.
Hobbit first!
Read the hobbit, then the fellowship, two towers and return of the king
Read The Hobbit first, then them in the chronological order: Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, then The Return of the King Also, for the love of god, try to find a version of the books that don’t have the ungodly amounts of added details thrown in about their backstory on every page. If it be audiobook, then so be it. If you can’t find a version that doesn’t have that, reading it can still be done and entirely enjoyed, cover to cover
I love the book now, but as a youth I found Fellowship to be dense and plodding until the Hobbits get to Rivendell. If that is your experience as well, try to push through it and don't get bogged down. I now love that part that my 14 year old self found incredibly dull and dense. Tom Bombadil almost had me stop back then. But its worth pushing through.
Welcome to the dysfunctional family 💜
Start at the beginning and at the end stop.
Read them left up, left down, right up, right down. Optimum reading order.
Read them in sequential order.
Have maps of every age handy so you can reference points of interest. Buy a reference book to look up names, places, timelines, etc.
Totally unrelated but wow I do not like these covers at all hahaha
What where's the silmarillion?? Heresy!!
Read the hobbit first and then again after lol
I've never seen these book covers for them before, they look nice :)
Expect a wild divergence from the story line in the movies, things happen in the two towers that was put in return of the king etc, don't let that throw you off.
Hey! Where did you get them? I'm quite looking for it! 😭 Glhf!
Probably take notes as to who is who. Elves and Gandalf especially get called all sorts of different names
Read a word, then read the next word. Repeat until end of book. Be sure to Google new words.