Tolkien Books Reading Order - Building a World

[@MenoftheWest]

Hey everyone, I hope you all enjoyed this video! I would also like to recommend taking a look at A Tolkien Compass and The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion (as well as other reading guides) after reading the works of Tolkien's legendarium for more information about our favorite author's writings! Thanks

[@xXLunatikxXlul]

Great video as always!

[@jacknkuna1226]

Hi. I noticed that unfinished tales and the silmarillion contain the stories of Beren and Lúthien, fall of Gondolin and children of hurin. Is it worthwhile to read the individual novels still?

[@darth_hylian]

@@jacknkuna1226 If you've already read silmarillion I'd say it depends on which stories you liked. I recommend reading some of the previews on google or listening to parts of it on tape on KZbin

[@Rut6534]

@@darth_hylian I have read somewhere that the silmarillion contains the summaries of the great tales of Middle-Earth. Would it not make more sense then, to read the silmarillion after these individual books? And perhaps skip these stories afterwards in the silmarillion?

[@darth_hylian]

@@Rut6534 Yes you could do that although Children of Hurin seems to be the only complete and continuous story. The rest have several essay-like sections and annotations. For me, the Silmarillion is a good baseline for the bare stories but other books provide more in depth details. I'm just trying to save some time and money for myself. I know not all the books are for me

[@Dahmerstyle]

I still get chills everytime I read those lines, "in a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit."

[@zach415]

Same and I’ve only recently got into his books. I’m only on Two Towers right now but I already love his style of writing

[@tomlynch6443]

Should hobbit then lord of the rings be the first books I read? I’m pretty new to reading in general.

[@abdul-he6ex]

@@tomlynch6443 read the hobbit first. then read the entire lotr. hobbit introduces important characters like Bilbo, gandalf and locations and stuff like that.

[@ChefMonke07]

@@tomlynch6443 Yeah, you're good with that order. You kinda need to be familiar with the world before you dive into the other stories.

[@DanielDuhon]

@@tomlynch6443 absolutely. The Hobbit is probably the easiest to read, which makes it a good introduction.

[@arjunaninditasinha2430]

2:00 "Many people stop there. But us, Tolkien fans don't". Absolutely

[@dioio8415]

Me,knowing that i will not read the history of middle earth soon because there is no translation:🤨😤😠😡🤬😶😐😑😔😞😖😣😩😫

[@tomlynch6443]

Should hobbit then lord of the rings be the first books I read? I’m pretty new to reading in general.

[@anonagain]

I started in 6th grade back in 1969 with The Two Towers (didn't know it was book 2 of 3), went back to the rest of Lord of the Rings, then read the Hobbit. Read them every year for nearly 20 years, adding the Silmarillion when it was published in '77. Yes, I'm old now. :) Agree fully with your suggested order and enjoy your videos - thanks for your work!

[@RemusKingOfRome]

I have soft spot in my heart to 60s Uni students who fell in love with LOTR ... don't know why ? I was a 10 year old kid at the time ..???

[@r.blakehole932]

anonagain Interestingly enough, I had the same reading sequence. A friend had recommended the Lord of the Rings as a book I might like without any detailed information. I went to the local used book store, but was only able to find The Two Towers and The Return of the King. So, I started reading the Two Towers without ANY knowledge of the Fellowship except what was provided by the old Ballantine paper back forwards. Nevertheless, I was hooked.

[@thehunter7422]

Funny enough I did the same with the movies . I don't fully remember if I did watch the fellowship of the ring first back then but I do remember alot of the two towers back then like over 10 years ago more than any other . I think I played the two towers game first as well . Lol . I believe so .

[@cantsneedgaming4591]

I started in 10th grade with fellowship of the ring about a month ago and just got started on the two towers

[@fgdj2000]

I feel in love with the world due to Peter Jackson's movies and they still stand as the definitive adaptation to me. However the sheer depth you find in Tolkien's writing is just amazing. It really does feel like a massive history or mythology akin to Greek or Norse mythology that was transmitted to us through the ages.

[@orangexlightning]

The appendices are pretty cool. I don't know why anyone would skip them.

[@keyboarddancers7751]

I never looked at them for several years (I was a teenager) because they looked a little daunting. However after having read the Silmarillion (extremely enjoyable), I had a look at the LotR prologue and appendices and it was an absolutely fabulous discovery to find so many additional tales.

[@Sasseverk]

They straight up weren't included in my edition

[@zakirehman9023]

I skipped them, i can never go through the first page, it's so boring

[@weabooavatar399]

I forced myself to read a garbage trilogy, why keep reading?

[@sheldonbenton5278]

@@weabooavatar399 than youre no fan

[@bilbobaggins3590]

It’s also very important that you have a map of Beleriand and a family tree when reading the Silmarillion.

[@dioio8415]

Uf you buy the illustrated edition are there

[@oudugan8676]

I would add the "Atlas of Middle Earth", by Karen Wynn Fonstad. It covers every story in the three main books. It's fantastic!!!

[@wyzemann]

Jason Dugan Yes! The Late Mrs. Fonstad was an enormous asset to my understanding of all things Arda. Cartography & Geography are always essential to my full comprehension of real and/or fantasy realms.

[@donaldcreech7782]

I read the Children of Hurin before the Silmarillion, and I'm happy I did! Because I felt like when I read the Fall of Gondolin and Beren and Luthien next, the stories were kinda spoiled because I had already read them in the Silmarillion. So I would recommend either reading these 3 stories before the Silmarillion, or starting the Silmarillion, but then when you get to the respective chapters outlining these 3 stories, stop and read the individual books first before proceeding!

[@schoonfam08]

I was thinking about it the same thing.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

Thank you!! Excellent suggestion!

[@MessDawn]

Children of Hurin is also an audio book read by Christopher Lee, so if you fancy Saruman reading you stories for goodnight, i recommend

[@denniscleary7580]

Me and my wife have the complete collection of all of Tolkien’s middle earth works and have read everything. The book of unfinished tales is a really good piece

[@sethmiller2534]

Sometimes I wonder if I’m in a drug induced dream! Each video of yours is pure ecstasy and joy. Love you yoystan!

[@wyzemann]

Seth Miller Hmm, many of us seem to cohabit the exact “drug induced dream”😎.

[@inferiumdomain2127]

Nope seth miller is right

[@Sakuradragon639]

Omg I love when I see that notification. This channel keeps me sane. You are also the only one does justice to this text

[@user-tz2mh1ex2v]

r.i.p grumpy cat

[@Sakuradragon639]

@@user-tz2mh1ex2v yess may he rest in peace

[@roberthofmann8403]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is by far the best Middle-Earth lore channel in existence. I love your strict rule of using no images from the movies. The images and dialogue are so well put together.

[@悪臭-p9p]

I couldn't imagine reading LOTR without reading the Silmarillion first. It just explains SO MUCH stuff that otherwise totally confused me when I first read through the 3 main books.

[@therealdarkwhale7977]

Great video. It’s really nice to know I’m not the only one passionate about Tolkien. This community is so lovely and your videos are great! See you next week!

[@kammy6340]

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." Wow. That line is timeless.

[@jaromhawkins8513]

Tolkien is truly an inspiration to have created such a vast world with such a rich lore and history. I always look forward to each video.

[@danielburow8538]

I have literally been looking for this for 2 years. This just came up in my suggested at the perfect time because I just started a reread and have only read the main 4

[@otaku-sempai2197]

I'd agree that 'The Hobbit' is the place to start for a younger reader (child or early teen); not necessarily for an adult reading Tolkien for the first time. It really depends on individual tastes.

[@michaelkarimian7538]

The first Tolkien book I ever read was The Silmarillion. To those who are wondering why I started there instead of reading The Hobbit and The LOTR trilogy first, is for a few reasons. The first is at the time of The original trilogy’s conclusion (Peter Jackson’s film trilogy) I wasn’t aware of The Hobbit’s existence until a few years later, and on top of that The Fellowship of the Ring video game put a bad taste in my mouth. Since I heard that game was based on the first book of the trilogy I felt that maybe those books weren’t for me. However many years later after discovering The Silmarillion, and learning how challenging it was to read, I wanted to say I read the hardest of Tolkien’s work and boy was it an indescribable experience. To learning the origins of Middle Earth, meeting Sauron’s master, and learning key events in the first age made me feel so much appreciation for the creative mind of Tolkien. The book will always hold a special place in my heart and I’m so glad it was my first book in his legendarium. I have yet to read The Hobbit, as well as TLOTR trilogy but I’m looking forward to it. Thank you for this video Men Of The West, Tolkien is smiling down upon you. 😇😇😇

[@ToddTheTolerable]

Hobbit -> LotR Trilogy -> Return of the King Appendix -> Similrillian -> The rest of the books & notes in no particular order -> reread Hobbit & LotR with renewed appreciation and context

[@TheMarcHicks]

I can highly recommend The Atlas of Middle Earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad. It really helped me to visualise a lot of what happens in the books-especially The Silmarillion

[@tomlynch6443]

Should hobbit then lord of the rings be the first books I read? I’m pretty new to reading in general.

[@wojta610cz5]

@@tomlynch6443 yes

[@sunwukong6897]

Another wonderful and very helpful video. Just remember: in the books, Tolkien uses dieresis (ä, ë, ö) over Vowels that should be pronounced so that they are not read wrong. So Ainulindalë is not English Dale, but dahl-eh. Eärendil is not like English ear or head, but eh-ah-ren-deel. Just a helpful reminder! Thank you for making my Sunday end wonderfully!

[@MenoftheWest]

Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it! That version of Ainulindalë sounds better!

[@sunwukong6897]

Men of the West thank you sir!

[@isaacsanders8444]

So what is the difference between a dieresis and an umlaut? I have never heard of dieresis, so I am genuinely curious.

[@sunwukong6897]

Isaac Sanders they’re, to my knowledge, the same thing under different names. Umlaut also refers to a phonetic process under which vowels are raised and fronted.

[@geviesanta3631]

I've read only The Hobbit, the first LOTR book and some chapters of the similarion. IDK, if I want to continue reading these books anytime soon, but they're very interesting to me. Thank you for making this video, Yoystan! I really like your vids as always!

[@arkonarcaxe1808]

did u finish reading lotr?

[@geviesanta3631]

@@arkonarcaxe1808 No, I never really got the time to finish reading them. But I would sure love to do that someday.

[@williamwebb580]

I can still remember checking out my first Tolkien book, the Hobbit, from my school library, then getting home, crawling into bed and reading “In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit.” for the first time. And as fate would have it, the trailer for the first movie came out later that day.

[@littleflower1826]

Excellent! Thank you so much for this post! I didn't know there was so much material, and your insight into how to tackle it all is greatly appreciated, thank you!

[@MenoftheWest]

Thank you for the support, it means a lot!

[@DiracComb.7585]

Hey Yoystan. Another excellent video as always, anyways, I have a question, tho if I already asked this, please let me know. In the ride of the Rohirrim in the Return of the King’s book, if I remember correctly, it said that the horn shattered when Théoden blew upon it. However in the movie, not only does he not shatter a horn, he doesn’t even blow one. I am just wondering whether u feel this takes away from the movie in any way, or if it was likely a good change that prevented a possible distraction? Personally, I wish they had included it. I feel like I would get some serious chills from that one moment alone. Then again, I already get chills from the speech itself.

[@MenoftheWest]

Hey Paul, it's good to hear from you! I absolutely love this moment in the books. It shows how dedicated and powerful Théoden was during that charge. I do wish they would have included this in the movie, but I am not sure how they would have had it burst asunder. I agree, it likely would have been a bit of a distraction. That part is still really cool though!

[@alanpennie8013]

@@MenoftheWest Did they have some horn - blowing in the film? It's a long time since I last watched it.

[@connorcampbell6075]

I recently started reading the lord of the rings, and I got curious about just how much middle earth lore the was, this video really cleared things up, thanks!

[@wyzemann]

The Silmarillion was without a doubt a feast for my burgeoning addiction to other worlds and realms. After watching that triumphant Peter Jackson LOTR trilogy, I consumed as much of Tolkien lore as humanly possible. I remember commuting to and from my Thankless job listening to the entire Silmarillion epic via audio CD in my ‘95 Nissan Sentra 🤦🏾‍♂️. A damn good method of ignoring dreary Miami rush hour traffic way back when👏🏾👏🏾.

[@alanpennie8013]

wyzemann I hope to live long enough to see Beren, Earendil, Turin and the rest adapted to TV or cinema.

[@TZM676]

Thank you! This is going to help me out a lot.

[@MrEscobar.]

Thank you so much. I don't have to watch another video due to yours is clear and to the point. I don't leave likes, but you got one from me 👍

[@ho-wm7jy]

Just finished reading the Hobbit yesterday for the first time, amazing book. At the moment I have only read the prologue of The Fellowship of The Ring and at any moment will begin to read the book. Luckily I have a friend who has read most of the lotr books so I usually tell him when I am for example half way through the book. It motivates me a lot because he always tells me how good the books are, asks me what part was my favorite, etc, etc. Very excited!!!!!!!

[@folksurvival]

Did you finish it?

[@slackattack]

So glad I saw this. I always loved the films and wanted to delve back into the books despite their longevity. Having the chronological order gives me a new perspective on the whole outline of Tolkien's world.

[@All4won0306]

Just finished the Hobbit and about to start TLOR, I’ve already got 6 books in the series and I’m hooked! This definitely helped me map out what to read. Thank you

[@morrigandanae]

I actually started with the Silmarillion then the Hobbit and now LOTR. I'm in the Two Towers right now. Then i plan on reading unfinished tales. P.S I love your videos and can make more videos on the timeline of Arda

[@bennytolkienfreund7182]

Had you seen the LOTR-Movies before?

[@morrigandanae]

@@bennytolkienfreund7182 yes i had

[@susquehannaoutdoorsman3804]

I started with the silmarillion then the Lord of the rings and then the Hobbit, just recently finished the unfinished tales

[@MetaSynForYourSoul]

I wish I wasn't so strapped for cash so I could give you money! Seriously Yoiston you're a treasure here on KZbin. Keep up the great work. It's important.

[@ibrahiym3030]

Been waiting. Thanks

[@ottokarl5427]

Honestly, somehow this is my favorite video of yours and I can't say why. Feels like that is unfair, given that your other (btw really awesome!) videos took way more preparation and work.

[@Dustyholes]

I love these videos so much, after working and studying for finals this is exactly what I need

[@PleaseNThankYou]

Man Yoystan! How did I miss this one. Love you for all your effort.

[@FishTheJim]

I love the reading order but my first thought was your opinion of the controversy over the reading order of Lewis's Narnia books. Tolkien's works does seem very straightforward and yet the Lewis's Narnia books have had their reading order distorted over what I consider nonsense. You have provided a comprehensive list of books and I really agree with your assessment. I have many of these books but not close to all :) I would also recommend Ruth S. Noel's The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-Earth. This is a complete guide to all fourteen of the Languages Tolkien invented and an excellent companion to all the books.

[@alanpennie8013]

Thomas Grant It was indeed an odd decision to order the Narnia Chronicles according to Narnian chronology. I think this aggravates the inconsistent mythology of the series.

[@pianogang2273]

I am currently reading the HoME series, and I absolutely love them! I like his early ideas alot, like Limpe, Cottage of Lost Play etc. I am on The Book of Lost Tales Part II, and I can't wait to dive into the rest of the series! Thank you for the great video! : )

[@MetPhD]

Neat, I didn't realize this was brand-new when I clicked on it. I am reading the Fall of Gondolin, and with the exception of having done Hobbit after Return of the King, I have read the books so far in your suggested order. :-) I do agree with the order (being in the middle of it as I am).

[@jaggujoundice3829]

You are awesome in explaining ... I am crazy to read these books now

[@michaelyork4554]

I am about 75% of the way through the proper order, but I have read The Hobbit and LOTR through 7 or 8 times over 35 years, I must say that I found it fascinating to read "Out Of The Silent Planet" and "Perelandra" by C.S. Lewis right after a read through of Tolkien, with Lewis obviously making Tolkien the Main Character of His Trilogy, "That Hideous Strength" is the final book in the series, not as compelling a read as the other two but necessary for at least a read through for context, the other two read almost like you were reading Tolkien.

[@desy1871]

Hi thank you for making this video. I was lost after The Silmarillion and now I know what I should read first after it. Still trying to complete books order number VI & VII since it's quite difficult to find the books in my country

[@januzzell8631]

Interesting! I always assumed that the History of Middle Earth was just the chapters from the Silmarillion in separate books, with maybe a little more detail. I now have more of Tolkein to love - thank you SO much

[@vanity_.]

HarperCollins is gonna release a whole new volume called "The Nature of Middle-earth" middle 2021. My God1!! Whole new contents never before seen!

[@sunofsotep8265]

So proud to say I've read all the books; The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, LOTR trilogy, and quite a bit of The Book Of Lost Tales. I encountered them at just the right time in life, when I had time to read unlike today lol. Such a wonderful journey. Oh, Children of Hurin is pretty good too.

[@valiantredneck]

Well. I guess this will take care of my reading needs for the next ten years.

[@theomen2805]

So?

[@valiantredneck]

@@theomen2805 So. What?

[@thedarknesscallingme]

Game of Thrones has now ended, now the Lord of the Rings will take up it's rightful place as ruler of all. The crownless again shall be king.

[@tomislavtodorovic8020]

I love how lotr and hobit are in movies and got is serie snd ppl dont compare them

[@ze_chooch]

Maybe you should make a “how to read middle earth” video. For example, I take notes and talk to people about the world. I also look at pictures of middle earth before I go to bed.

[@sharingscarab8532]

Thank you soo much I was really confused at first on which one to read but not any more. I’ll be at the livestream on Wednesday.

[@dsp8363]

Sweet thanks need to read the other stuff besides the hobbit and trilogy!

[@Henryferdinand357]

Thank u so much I can read now peacefully

[@bjoggi79]

Thank you, i have been wondering about this for a while.

[@loganperry908]

I was under the impression there were only 5 books! Holy crap!

[@crispico4727]

Also, if you by any means can get it, you should read Kalevala by Elias Lonrot. A lot of the stories from Silmarillion, like Turin Turambar are based on it

[@walkingwriter4325]

Didn't know of the 12-volume history of Middle-earth. Will look into that. I first read "Riddles in the Dark" in sixth grade in April 1975 as that chapter was a story in our school reading series. I didn't know it was from a novel called The Hobbit until I overheard a classmate talking about someone having to destroy a ring in the Cracks of Doom. I was hooked then, but when we went to the library to check out the book, I had to get on a waiting list as it was very popular then. So he suggested I read LOTR first and I loved it. I finally got a call from the public library that August saying The Hobbit was in, and I raced down and checked it out and read it in a lawn chair in my backyard on a beautiful sunny day. I was in hobbit Heaven! Read The Silmarillion after that and then Carpenter's Tolkien biography. Thanks for another great video!

[@JoaoPedro-qp9cw]

Mae govannen mellon Your order is the same as mine, though I haven't read the Great Tales yet (by lack of opportunity) and got directly to Unfinished Tales (the last one I've read so far, wonderful book). My friend is currently reading The Silmarillion after tireless efforts of mine and is really enjoying it. Moreover, I am reading The Hobbit to my younger brother and he is loving it Two points I would like to add: 1) Have you ever read The Silmarillion Primer? I think it is a great and funny summary, both for the ones who have already read the book and for the ones who plan to do so but are reluctant because of the complexity (spoilers aren't really a thing in Tolkien's works so no problem in that) 2) Like you said in the end, there is always something else to enjoy. One of the most rewarding things for me, as a Token enthusiast, is to be part of this community, discussing the works with other people and collectively admiring the world the professor has created. Your channel is one, hopefully not the last, homely home for us, and I really love what was created here, sometimes incredible discussions and ideas arise even in the comment section, and your videos are amazing, of course. Truly something special

[@mikegagne3263]

Just found the Silmarion Primer this past week. Love it. First read the Silmarion back in the 70's when it first came out. Tough slogging the first time, but HOME really helped a lot. Nice of you to give others a new resource, thanks.

[@hansnyman9546]

When I heard him trill the 'r' in Durin I knew this guy was legit. Nice work, very helpful.

[@lorewise5021]

Perfect video as always! love the depth of the lore.

[@theroguegamer0627]

I suggest reading the sillmarilion along with someone so you can talk and make more since of each chapter, thank you for this video.

[@wyzemann]

TheRogueGamer06 I listened to the Silmarillion via audio CDs over 15yrs. ago am subsequently still (re)reading most of it over months/years. In all that time, I’ve encountered not one soul who gave a damn about the prequel to the LOTR🤦🏾‍♂️. Good Luck finding anyone close by who’s perfectly willing to sit still long enough today to take in such a deep and endearing masterpiece. Too bad we are all suffocating in this phase of instantaneous gratification and hyper-mundane distractions ☹️.

[@theroguegamer0627]

@@wyzemann im reading it with my cousins and dad.

[@wyzemann]

TheRogueGamer06 I know you’re all having loads of fun! I’ve had to rely on KZbin for my further understanding of Tolkien lore🙂. Men Of The West is my best outlet for all things Tolkien. Anyway, I find my particular loner journey adequate, for now. Tolkien reading is far different and engrossing than watching all the movies on streaming media or playing the odd PC game.

[@kammy6340]

Loved this and needed it. I'm reading the Silmarillion now and it's a bit overwhelming. So I'm going to follow this order. Still gonna keep readinh the silmarillion tho. I love it.

[@AmbassadorialWing]

The only change I would make in read order is to read the silmarillion first. I’m of the mind to read things in chronological order if that is possible, in this case chronological within the history of middle earth, not so much order of publication. As for the rest of your suggestions on order I believe there is no flaw in it. Thanks for all that you do on this channel.

[@fgdj2000]

Pretty much agree. I‘d probably read The Children of Hurín before the other two great tales, because it is basically a finished text, whereas the other two are much more fragmented and even feature different versions (such as a poetic and a prose version) of the text.

[@YTViewer1776]

Mae govannen Yoystan, any chance you can make a video about the Histories of Middle-earth?

[@BingFox]

Highly recommend The Tolkien Reader, has awesome insight on his works, life, and thoughts. Especially Tree and Leaf(On Fairy Stories and Leaf by Niggle).

[@hughgedney3393]

Great video Men of the West, and I agree with this order

[@CalebRichardsChannel]

Great video. Nearly an identical order to a post I made a couple days ago on a Tolkien subreddit, though, this really seems like the most reasonable order.

[@codyhiebert2119]

The Hobbit is one of my all time favorite books such a good story no matter how many times I read it.

[@CP-pz9vw]

I've read them before but I'm going to read them next, after I finish the wheel of Time series.

[@80budokai]

Awesome video! 💯🙌

[@SharonKofoed]

Thanks for your suggested order! Currently rereading LotR (after reading Silmarillion and Hobbit)...haven't had a chance to read any of the others yet.

[@Shaden0040]

In all of the works of Tolkien on Middle Earth, is there a quintessential moment or passage that is 100% stamped in your mind as this is Tolkien's Middle Earth as he wanted it to be? For me it was always been the moment when Sam, Frodo, and Galadriel meet alone at her pool and Mirror, and Sam and Frodo look into the Mirror of Galadriel, then after, when Frodo offers her the ring, and she declines. The recognition of "magical" works beyond our knowing, recognizing the goodness in someone who we feel is our better, and that better, proving they are just as tempted as we would be and still turning down that which is offered freely. With the one who is deemed the better acknowledging the better in the assumed lesser to do and be what they cannot. To me this whole long scene is the lesson Tolkien wanted to put out there most. That no matter who you think you are, good, bad , or ugly, you can be great but not worthy, while you can be average and do great works by being a better being, holding to your highest morals and love of the plain basics of home and hearth to keep you steadfast.

[@lucash1099]

I enjoyed this greatly

[@Rakotino]

It really depends in you The standard reading order is: Hobbit Lotr Silmarillion Unfinshed tales Children of Hurin Beren and Luthien Fall of Gondolin History of Middle Earth Other Tolkien and Middle Earth related works. (Such as Letter of Tolkien and Nature of Middle Earth) If you only care about late third age stuff it could be: Lord of the Rings Hobbit Unfinshed tales (part 3) Parts of History of Middle earth Other Tolkien related books. A rough chronological order (not recommend the first read through) could be: 1st age Silmarillion (Ainulinadlë to Of Turin Turambar(chapter 21)) Children of Hurin Silmarillion (from "Turin Turambar" to "Fall of Gondolin") Of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin (either in "Unfinshed Tales" or "Fall of Gondolin") Rest of Quenta Silmarillion (stop when Akabelleth starts) 2nd age Unfinished Tales (part 2) Lord of The Rings Appendix A, only the tiny parts about the 2nd age at the beginning of Appendix a) Akabelleth 3rd age Lord of the Rings appendix A Unfinished tales (Part 3 and mostly 4) The Hobbit The Lord of the Rings 4th age and beyond Whatever mentions of the 4th age in Llrd lf the Ringa appendecies History of Middle Earth volume 9 "Sauron defeated" (I include this here since the information about the 4th age is very limited, unfortenaly) Casual resder: The Hobbit The Lord of The Rings

[@Gwilfawe]

Thanks again for another thoughtful video! Suggestion for a possible future video: What if Elrond had convinced Isildur to actually destroy the ring and the strength of men did not "fail" as it were? How would the rest of the second age have finished out and how might the third age have blossomed if the conclusion of the war of the last alliance was resolute? Part of my curiosity is to know what you think could have happened with the dynamics of the different races interacting in that time of peace together (after Sauron had been vanquished). How might things have been different in the kingdoms of elves, hobbits, dwarves and men? Both in geography and influence?

[@stranglestrong]

Thank you for posting this. I knew their was other books outside of silmarillion, hobbit, and Lord of the rings but I didn't know if they added new stuff or just copy and paste straight out the previous books. Basically if it was worth the time and money. It sounds like they are worth the time.

[@KTChamberlain]

I remember when I was 12 and first got into Lord of the Rings in 2001, I honestly thought at first that it was a 6-book series and I thought the order was Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, Return of the King, I drew a blank for 4, and 5, and I thought The Hobbit was the 6th and final book. If you go by the PJ movies in order of their release dates, the 6th and final film of his in Middle-earth was of The Hobbit, so I was off by 13 years and two different mediums.

[@fgdj2000]

I think, I would place the three great tales after Unfinished Tales, since they are essentially works that focus on one of the unfinished tales so to speak. Beren and Luthién and The Fall of Gondolin in particular with their version-history also „set the stage“ for the style of HoME. Although an argument could be made to place The Children of Hurín before The Silmarillion as it is stylistically simpler than that work but more complex than LotR. And all the necessary backstory is given, as well as appendices.

[@johnruiz4354]

keep up the good work Yoystan!

[@jamsuns19]

Return of the Shadow is a must read to see how the LOTR evolved.

[@alanpennie8013]

JT Mauler Agreed. It's a fascinating book. I was particularly struck with the fact that Aragorn was originally a hobbit.

[@hashirnajmi8387]

Alan Pennie what??????

[@muzhganbarakzai6404]

@@alanpennie8013 wHAT DID YoU JUsT SAYyyyyy

[@alanpennie8013]

@@muzhganbarakzai6404 He was a hobbit called Trotter. It's in Christopher Tolkien, Return of The Shadow if you're interested.

[@alanpennie8013]

Bored of The Rings was more accurate than they realised.

[@arsenal1548]

This is the order I would recommend really. I tried to read the sillmarillion it was exceedingly complex and unless you read Tolkien’s 4 most well known books first, you’re in for one helluva hangover after reading Tolkien’s first and last book

[@TrikeSquadron]

Wow... I have had my head in a hobbit hole! I have read the Hobbit, the Trilogy LOTR, and the Silmarillion... multiple times, and I knew there were a few other books... but I never knew there were as many as you mentioned! Now I will have to look into these others!

[@Lazy_Titan]

I suggest giving the Unabridged Sillmerilion a listen on Audible, the Narrator makes it sound so epic! The children of Hurin was my favorite, it reminded me of something out of GOT lol, its pretty messed up.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

One could also argue that one should start with the Silmarillion, to learn how the world of Tolkien was created and from there read the Hobbit and LOTR, there's really no recipe!

[@sergiuneaga7225]

Yea, the thing is that i started with the Silmarillion but i still enjoy the stories :3

[@juribe5202]

Video Idea: There are NO videos of a chronological reading order. With the new Numenor book that came out. Im talking about either Option A: whole books like say start with Silmarilion stop where they begin the Fall of Numenor and the go read the book and get back then read Children of Hurin, then go back to Silmarilion and go back and forth as not to get "spoilers" from Silmarilion. Or Options B: actual back and forth reading like I mentioned in Option A; but adding the back and forth on flashbacks and other writings in The Lord of the Rings books. (I hope I'm making myself clear, sounded straightforward in my head.) Anyway it would be super cool to see a video like that (I understand different editions have different page numbers and so on for option B).

[@CuttinEJ]

I've read them many times and discovered, or rediscovered, something every time.

[@mrwiggiewoo]

This is helpful thanks!

[@benjaminmcclelland2464]

Up to the silmarillion, I have read the books in the order you put foward. I am currently reading the silmarillion but, someone at my school has stolen the book from me and i am not able to get it back. I have read the adventures of tombombadil though already for a school project i did on his poems.

[@snakeknife7518]

Well done as always.

[@jmiester25]

This may seem strange, but this is my personal order for approaching Tolkien's Legendarium. If there's anything else I should add, please let me know: 1. Silmarillion: Ainulindalë, Valaquenta and Chapters 1-20 2. The Children of Hurin 3. Silmarillion: Chapters 21-22 4. The Fall of Gondolin and all its Appendices (2018 print) 5. Silmarillion: Chapters 23-24, The Akallabeth 6. Unfinished Tales and all its Appendices 7. Silmarillion: Of the Third Age and the Rings of Power 8. The Hobbit 9. The Lord of the Rings and all its Appendices 10. The History of Middle-earth: All 12 books 11. Beren and Luthien (2017 print)

[@nicwestra2088]

Thank you for making this list! Everyone seems to want to start with the hobbit but I want to start from the true chronological beginning. I just finished the silmarillion first but I wish I stopped to read the other stories in between. I am gonna read the hobbit and then the lord of the rings last. Starting from the beginning then the first age threw too the end is the best

[@ronnie5340]

Thank you my friend

[@sonokawaray]

My dead read The Hobbit to me as a kid (didn't remember much about it afterward), I read LotR trilogy later, followed by The Silmarillion, which was a real mind-blower and still a book I come back to from time to time. Eventually circled back around to The Hobbit, and yeah, when you have all that knowledge of Middle Earth swimming around in your head it's kinda funny to notice all the clues that this was a story that got stitched into the Legendarium rather than being made for it originally, lol. Still a great story though, and the most approachable book for newcomers.

[@isakdahl7054]

Thank you so much!

[@jesse9149]

My personal reading order (not necessarily recommended): The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, RotK appendices, LotR

[@robarsenault836]

What edition (gold) of The Silmarillion is shown at 2:39?

[@r0bw00d]

I'm afraid to compare the titles listed to those I have on my shelf...I'm probably missing a number of them.

[@metalevolve8424]

Hi! Greetings! Excelent video! What do you think about this particular order? 1. The Hobbit 2. The Lord of the Rings 3. The Silmarillion (up until the chapter Of the Fifth Battle) 4. The Children of Húrin 5. The Silmarillion (start again from the chapter Of the Ruin of Doriath) 6. Beren and Lúthien 7. The Fall of Gondolin 8. Appendices of The Return of the King 9. The History of Middle-earth series, Unfinished Tales, and The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien in no particular order.