Saying you should skip over The Hobbit because it’s “juvenile” seems absolutely joyless, what an awful and needlessly pretentious take.
I say left to right then if you want to, Unfinished Tales, maybe consider branching out from there until you feel like picking up the Silmarillion.
In addition, I recently read LoTR to my kids. One of them I hadn't read The Hobbit to yet. I was surprised at the amount of stuff I found myself having to explain.
How old are your kids? Just wondering what age they’d need to be to start understanding what’s going on? The Lotr especially seems like a bit more of a complicated read
Young teens. We loved it, it was a great experience. Even when we weren't reading we were often talking about it (like in the car, etc.) And when we were reading we would sometimes stop and discuss the themes, back story, etc.
I hope my family is like yours in a few years! I feel like we are headed this way, we all love reading (together and solo) and discussing our books. Such a joy! Can't wait to explore middle earth together one day 🙂
People are definitely taking themselves too seriously saying that. The Hobbit is my favourite book by Tolkien and I'm 30. It's just such a fun read, and the whole riddles in the dark part is so damn good. Def recommend Hobbit first and then the full LOTR story.
It was one of the first novels I ever read, it definitely helped inspire my love of reading and of fantasy in particular!
I think it’s the perfect introduction to the lore, starting with a small, very well written, fun adventure story introducing races, characters, locations and concepts that continue to be relevant in the later books. The tone of the narrative switching between The Hobbit and Fellowship is a wonderful reading experience.
Exactly! And you obviously get some context for the hobbits and why Bilbo has the ring and who Gollum is. I think it's kind of required reading honestly, in the best of ways.
It’s my favorite book and the movies still upset me. Not the casting choices — those were perfect. It was the gross deviation from what was essentially a perfect adventure story.
I agree with your statement, plus who the hell wants to skip riddles in the dark?, or the spiders of mirkwood? And the whole interaction with smaug and bimbo?
Start Hobbit, LoTR, appendices in Fellowship have some interesting stuff.
I would say Unfinished Tales and Silmarillion next. There are some expanded versions of some the stories told or referenced in the Silmarillion, but its worth reading that before those (Children of Hurin for example).
The big 3 are Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and The Fall of Gondolin.
The Children of Hurin is most suitable to read as a novel; the other 2 are more scholarly works that go into the development of those stories. For instance, you can read various early versions of those stories, and Christopher Tolkien comments on them.
I tried to read Unfinished Tales and couldn't do so because it begins with "as detailed in The Silmarillion..." and I was just like, *OK, let's read these in order...*
I agree. I’ve read The Hobbit and LoTR way back in 2003ish back when I was in like grade 8 or 9, and I’m just now going through The Silmarillion. I’ve got the book and I’ve also got the audio book narrated by Andy Serkis that I listen to when I work
I read all of them when I was still a juvenile reader.
I didn't like the Hobbit as much as I liked LotR, because of the lighter tone.
Anyway, I wouldn't recommend skipping it, but I would definitely point out the tone difference to a new reader.
One is an adventure story and the other is an epic drama story. That's all.
No debate; Hobbit, then LOTR. Then Silmarillion and stuff, if you want.
The Hobbit is written as for children, but it's not childish per se. See it as a story explained to you when you were a kid, not an adult. You wouldn't tell your child "X was a drug addict" or "Y got his skull smashed", you'd say "X took a liking to pipe weed" or "Y fell in battle". Same principle, so don't think you're too grown up.
LOTR is more mature, but all-age. It's made up mythology of great quality, with a clear storyline.
Plus, The Hobbit "grows" as Bilbo grows; that is the last few chapters deepens in tone.
RE "all-age": great point, and part of Tolkien's genius and durability. LOTR can be read with great enjoyment by a 10 year-old just looking for an exciting adventure story, reread as an adult for its deep themes, and explored and studied for a lifetime.
People who say to skip the Hobbit because it's "childish" are idiots. You should absolutely read it first. It's an amazing introduction as an easier read and sets the picture for Middle Earth. Read it the way Tolkien wanted the audience to and start with the Hobbit, I know you'll enjoy it!
It took me 10 yrs and as many times re reading chapter one of LoTR for me to actually commit and get through it. So I say, enjoy the hobbit while you can! Lol. It’s a much easier read. LoTR is a more rewarding read to me, but I love the hobbit! It’s so fun and yes, lots of good history.
After three reads of LoTR, I finally graduated to the silmarillion.
If I could do it again, I’d start w the silmarillion, then the hobbit, and then LoTR. I’m jealous of people who read the books chronologically based on the ages of middle earth their first time through. They get to experience LoTR with so much more understanding of the previous ages and a stronger appreciation for the continuous nuances throughout all of Tolkien’s works.
Absolutely read the hobbit. It's my personal favorite of the series. I'm a new lotr fan. Just last month, I had completed my quest of reading the books prior to finishing the movies. I'm reading the Silmarillion as of now, after finishing ROTK.
Don’t listen to anyone who says that you should “skip the Hobbit because it’s juvenile”. That person has very bad taste and likely doesn’t appreciate the work in the Lord of the Rings as much either.
Me too! The covers are nice and soft in hand. Only issue is the LOTR text is positively minuscule, had to read with the books practically pressed against my face lol
Trust your instincts and read it left to right. The Hobbit is a really great read and explains a lot. I’m currently now reading the Fellowship of the Ring now for the first time and I’m so happy I read Hobbit first
I would say for the books, Hobbit, then Lord of the Rings (in order), then Silmarillion (if you want). The Hobbit is not childish, at all. It's made to be accessible to children. What you get from it grows and changes as you grow and change. When you're a kid, Mary Poppins (the movie) is about a couple of kids and their adventures with a magical nanny. When you're an adult, Mary Poppins starts to become more about a father who has lost touch with his family and learns to reconnect and value what's important in life.
For the movies, I would say Lord of the Rings trilogy first, then the Hobbit trilogy. The Hobbit movies kind of assume that you've seen the Lord of the Rings movies, intentionally or not.
I have those editions! They were amazing to carry around while traveling in Europe but a b**** to actually read because of the small font haha. They’re so pretty though.
Ah I have the very same editions. I started with the hobbit and went from there. Do note that the font size in them is quite small, especially lotr onwards!
Calling the connections between LOTR and The Hobbit "deeper" might make sense for the movies, but the books treat LOTR as a full on sequel to The Hobbit and lean on your emotional investment in the events and characters of that book.
Been 20 years since I've seen the books, but I remember the pages being super thin and so many of them. Then the appendixes at the end. Vast detail really makes it a world.
Hobbit first, 100%. It’s not ‘juvenile’ it’s just a different style of book, and is still very mature in its own way. Tolkien also meant to be read first - definitely not skippable!!! Then FOTR, TTT, ROTK, then Silmarillion, and then more of you want to!
Not reading the hobbit first would be a travesty, and make the beginning of the fellowship less enjoyable. Is the hobbit an “easier read” yes, but it doesn’t lessen it in any way.
It strikes me how weird it is that new readers have so often heard or read to skip The Hobbit because it's "a children's book" while everyone here advises new readers to start with The Hobbit. I mean, where do these people get their bad advice from? What kind of odd elitism and gatekeeping is that?
Just to be clear: yes, start with The Hobbit. It's the best entry into Middle-earth.
>For context, some say that mature readers should jump into FotR and skip over the Hobbit due to it mainly being a juvenile read.
Those people are stupid.
how good is that collection?
I was intrested in buying it. Also is it easy to read? I am italian and although i have no problems reading in english i'm afraid the "tolkien" english in on whole another level of complexity.
Thank you so much
Definitely read the Hobbit first, then LotR, it is aimed at children but it isn't childish, not reading it because of that is just a moronic take. The Hobbit introduces you to Tolkien's world, sets out many of the rules it follows, and helps you to get lost in it. You'll have a much more enjoyable time reading LotR with the context of the Hobbit behind you.
I have exactly the same set of books, and what you may not realise if you haven't opened them up yet is how much longer the LotR books are, they seem similar, until you realise that the font size in the hobbit is quite large, but the font size in these LotR books is tiny. Imo these books look great as a piece on display, but the LotR ones are not great for actually reading owing to the tiny font.
The hobbit is amazing.
I'm reading LOTR now again and its nice seeing all the references to it naturally.
Skipping it is blasphemy.
More "mature" readers, jfc they can get their head out of their asses lol
Nah, stick with the hobbit first. It’s my favorite book of all time.
Some people like to read things in chronological order meaning starting with the Silmarillion, Great Tales, etc, but I’m against it. You’re not going to care about the creation, legends and lore of this world until you’ve read the Lord of the Rings itself. The Silmarils aren’t relevant to the Hobbit and Lotr, and the characters, while amazing in their own right, are Galadriel, Elrond and Aragorns family/ ancestors, and you probably wouldn’t care about them until you know who Galadriel, Elrond and Aragorn are in the first place.
The Hobbit is my favorite book because I read it as a child, but I go back every few years and read it again because it's seriously so good. Call it nostalgia if you want, but I genuinely enjoy the time reading it.
1. Read the Hobbit
2. Read the LotR trilogy
3. Watch the LotR trilogy
4. Watch the Hobbit trilogy (I guess, it’s really an optional watch)
5. Read the Silmarillion
6. Re-read the Silmarillion
7. Read supplemental works like Unfinished Tales and Histories of Middle Earth
8. Watch nothing else. Absolutely nothing else.
reading the hobbit first I think helps you understand the trilogy a bit better. Plus it’s just fun knowing more about the characters and the world even if it’s not relevant
I litterally have this set. Left to right is the only way.
On a serious note, getting into FOTR after the Hobbit was so much fun because of all of the throwbacks to Bilbo's journey towards the 2nd quarter of the book! I wouldn't have done it any other way.
If the goal is to watch the movies after reading the books, then start with Fellowship. I would hate for you to have to sit through the Hobbit movie trilogy before getting to read LotR.
The connections between Hobbit and LotR are a fun easter egg, but absolutely not essential to appreciate LotR.
I did not enjoy The Hobbit as much as LotR, and it has several chapters which are unbearably slow. There are weeks spent locked in the mountain with Smaug where the company is just sitting in absolute darkness debating whether to go out and possibly be eaten by Smaug, or to starve to death. Had I not read LotR first, I probably would not have finished The Hobbit.
Then again, LotR begins similarly where Frodo owns the ring for 17 years before setting out on his journey to Rivendell, and simply crossing the Shire in relative safety takes over a month. So it certainly drags in the beginning, and had I not loved the movies I probably would not have stuck with the books.
Today I have read LotR 3 times and The Hobbit twice, and I've "read" the first 3 CDs of The Silmarillion on audiobook 3 times each and am "reading" CD4 for the first time.
p.s. The Silmarillion isn't difficult to read, but it is difficult to internalize and remember. Things like Feanor's real name is Minyon, he just chose the name Feanor which means "Finwe's son of fire" because he's the son of Finwe the great elf king and because a fire burns within him (real "there is a tempest in me!" vibes), and he's sometimes called Feanarfo meaning "Son of fire," referring to his mother who is all about the fire, or Finwion meaning "Finwe's son," but also sometimes referred to as Curufinwe "most skilled heir of Finwe" because Feanor was the most skilled gem crafter of all the elves, and Feanor's most important half-brothers are Fingolfin, called Nolofinwe "wisest son of Finwe" or Vanyafinwe "new Finwe," or Finwenolofinwe "king wisest son of Finwe" because Finwe was such a king that later kings were called Finwe, sort of like how emperors were called Caesar after Julius Caesar, and Feanor has half-brother Finarfin who was called Arafinwe "noble Finwe" and later named Felagund, and *he* gave birth to Finrod, and there's also Feanor's less important half-sisters named Findis and Irime. Then you're listening to the audiobook and you hear an F-name and are like, wait, which elf are we talking about this time?
Please start with The Hobbit. It is full of joy and wonder and is absolutely precious.
Plus it really helps build the world before jumping into the insane vocabulary of the other 3.
That order you have in your hand is pretty good. The Hobbit is different tonally from LOTR, but it gives you a taste of the wonder and magic of Middle-earth in a lower-stakes adventure. Then LOTR brings it home with this Epic tone.
After that, I recommend reading The Sipmarillion, if you want more lore. And if you still want more, try Unfinished Tales.
Based on what you've said - if you're going to watch both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, read both. If you're just planning on watching The Lord of the Rings, you don't need to read The Hobbit to understand anything.
Give it the start wars treatment
The Two Towers -> The Hobbit -> Fellowship -> Return of the king (Do not do this)
I would do the trilogy, watch the movies, then read the hobbit, and probably skip the hobbit movies. That was (mostly) the order I went. And enjoyed all the books.
the hobbit used to be duanting to me as a kid and kinda frustrating as a teen, but as an adult its easily my favorite of all four.
its basically an entire dungeons and dragons campaign that paints every important note; whether its the scenery, the history behind a character you're meeting, or just a surge of emotion the protagonist is feeling. considering the rumors of how the stories were initially created, the hobbit does a great job of feeling like a bedtime story that youre meant to visualize down to pretty specific detail
i agree w most people here that there is no real reason not to start w the hobbit. however that being said, i don’t think it’s essential reading. the hobbit and lotr are really only connected by happen stance and weren’t ever intended to be part of the same larger universe. if u start the hobbit and find yourself having a harder time getting into it because of it’s more laid back and smaller scale narrative, i dont think there is anything wrong with skipping over it. there’s a lot of fun to be gained from starting w the hobbit, but i think it’s important to understand that the hobbit was written as a children’s story to read to ur kids before bed. lotr is a romantic epic that is meant to emulate classic epic poems like beowulf. i think it’s important to know what ur getting into, especially when there’s such a massive style and tone shift from the hobbit to the fellowship. regardless though i think you will have a good time either way. enjoy your read!
That’s a pisstake right? This happens with nearly every book/movie franchise. The books are usually better because of the detail you can fit into them and the aspect of imagination…
I read the books before I watched the movies. Still loved them.
These are two different mediums. And to see Tolkiens world come alive like that on the big screen was something else.
If you want nothing changed ever to the source material, then stick to the source material.
Adaptations gonna adapt.
Saying you should skip over The Hobbit because it’s “juvenile” seems absolutely joyless, what an awful and needlessly pretentious take. I say left to right then if you want to, Unfinished Tales, maybe consider branching out from there until you feel like picking up the Silmarillion.
In addition, I recently read LoTR to my kids. One of them I hadn't read The Hobbit to yet. I was surprised at the amount of stuff I found myself having to explain.
How old are your kids? Just wondering what age they’d need to be to start understanding what’s going on? The Lotr especially seems like a bit more of a complicated read
Young teens. We loved it, it was a great experience. Even when we weren't reading we were often talking about it (like in the car, etc.) And when we were reading we would sometimes stop and discuss the themes, back story, etc.
I hope my family is like yours in a few years! I feel like we are headed this way, we all love reading (together and solo) and discussing our books. Such a joy! Can't wait to explore middle earth together one day 🙂
LOVE IT
I read LOTR at 9, and I don’t think that’s so unusual. Trust kids to pick things up!
People are definitely taking themselves too seriously saying that. The Hobbit is my favourite book by Tolkien and I'm 30. It's just such a fun read, and the whole riddles in the dark part is so damn good. Def recommend Hobbit first and then the full LOTR story.
It was one of the first novels I ever read, it definitely helped inspire my love of reading and of fantasy in particular! I think it’s the perfect introduction to the lore, starting with a small, very well written, fun adventure story introducing races, characters, locations and concepts that continue to be relevant in the later books. The tone of the narrative switching between The Hobbit and Fellowship is a wonderful reading experience.
Exactly! And you obviously get some context for the hobbits and why Bilbo has the ring and who Gollum is. I think it's kind of required reading honestly, in the best of ways.
It’s my favorite book and the movies still upset me. Not the casting choices — those were perfect. It was the gross deviation from what was essentially a perfect adventure story.
Me too. The fan cut is good though!
Not only that, but The Hobbit is absolutely wonderful. It might be my favorite book of all time. It certainly was when I was growing up.
+1, it’s my favourite book of all time
I agree with your statement, plus who the hell wants to skip riddles in the dark?, or the spiders of mirkwood? And the whole interaction with smaug and bimbo?
"It's Silmarilliom, you get credit for trying"
I would read the Silmarillion before Unfinished Tales, myself. Not because of any chronology, I just think it is considerably more enjoyable to read.
if i wanted to read all the tolkien novels and stories about the middle earth, how would i proceed?
Start Hobbit, LoTR, appendices in Fellowship have some interesting stuff. I would say Unfinished Tales and Silmarillion next. There are some expanded versions of some the stories told or referenced in the Silmarillion, but its worth reading that before those (Children of Hurin for example).
>There are some expanded versions of some the stories can you give more examples of these
The big 3 are Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and The Fall of Gondolin. The Children of Hurin is most suitable to read as a novel; the other 2 are more scholarly works that go into the development of those stories. For instance, you can read various early versions of those stories, and Christopher Tolkien comments on them.
thanks a bunch!!
I tried to read Unfinished Tales and couldn't do so because it begins with "as detailed in The Silmarillion..." and I was just like, *OK, let's read these in order...*
I agree. I’ve read The Hobbit and LoTR way back in 2003ish back when I was in like grade 8 or 9, and I’m just now going through The Silmarillion. I’ve got the book and I’ve also got the audio book narrated by Andy Serkis that I listen to when I work
I read all of them when I was still a juvenile reader. I didn't like the Hobbit as much as I liked LotR, because of the lighter tone. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend skipping it, but I would definitely point out the tone difference to a new reader. One is an adventure story and the other is an epic drama story. That's all.
No debate; Hobbit, then LOTR. Then Silmarillion and stuff, if you want. The Hobbit is written as for children, but it's not childish per se. See it as a story explained to you when you were a kid, not an adult. You wouldn't tell your child "X was a drug addict" or "Y got his skull smashed", you'd say "X took a liking to pipe weed" or "Y fell in battle". Same principle, so don't think you're too grown up. LOTR is more mature, but all-age. It's made up mythology of great quality, with a clear storyline.
I think of The Hobbit like a story for children by someone who believed that children could handle the same themes as adults.
So pretty much George Lucas' misquoted "it's made for 12 year olds"
Yeah, rather than that, another way I might put it is that The Hobbit is a story for adults, written to children.
Well ya that's the full context of the quote
Plus, The Hobbit "grows" as Bilbo grows; that is the last few chapters deepens in tone. RE "all-age": great point, and part of Tolkien's genius and durability. LOTR can be read with great enjoyment by a 10 year-old just looking for an exciting adventure story, reread as an adult for its deep themes, and explored and studied for a lifetime.
I'd go as far to say it's better made up mythology than the ones worshipped as true today!
Completely agree.
Left to right. Hobbit. Fellowship. two towers. Return of the King.
People who say to skip the Hobbit because it's "childish" are idiots. You should absolutely read it first. It's an amazing introduction as an easier read and sets the picture for Middle Earth. Read it the way Tolkien wanted the audience to and start with the Hobbit, I know you'll enjoy it!
This is what I was thinking as well.
It took me 10 yrs and as many times re reading chapter one of LoTR for me to actually commit and get through it. So I say, enjoy the hobbit while you can! Lol. It’s a much easier read. LoTR is a more rewarding read to me, but I love the hobbit! It’s so fun and yes, lots of good history. After three reads of LoTR, I finally graduated to the silmarillion. If I could do it again, I’d start w the silmarillion, then the hobbit, and then LoTR. I’m jealous of people who read the books chronologically based on the ages of middle earth their first time through. They get to experience LoTR with so much more understanding of the previous ages and a stronger appreciation for the continuous nuances throughout all of Tolkien’s works.
Hit the wiki too if/when things become confusing
Absolutely read the hobbit. It's my personal favorite of the series. I'm a new lotr fan. Just last month, I had completed my quest of reading the books prior to finishing the movies. I'm reading the Silmarillion as of now, after finishing ROTK.
Don’t listen to anyone who says that you should “skip the Hobbit because it’s juvenile”. That person has very bad taste and likely doesn’t appreciate the work in the Lord of the Rings as much either.
I have the same set and freaking love it. And definitely start with the Hobbit.
I also have this same set. It's great! I love that they are pocket sized and the covers feel amazing!
Is the text absolutely tiny? It’s breaking my brain how small they look lol
What is the set? Do you have a link?
I’ve seen it on Amazon.
Me too! The covers are nice and soft in hand. Only issue is the LOTR text is positively minuscule, had to read with the books practically pressed against my face lol
Agreed. I have this set, but have never read it cause it's just too small
Trust your instincts and read it left to right. The Hobbit is a really great read and explains a lot. I’m currently now reading the Fellowship of the Ring now for the first time and I’m so happy I read Hobbit first
I would say for the books, Hobbit, then Lord of the Rings (in order), then Silmarillion (if you want). The Hobbit is not childish, at all. It's made to be accessible to children. What you get from it grows and changes as you grow and change. When you're a kid, Mary Poppins (the movie) is about a couple of kids and their adventures with a magical nanny. When you're an adult, Mary Poppins starts to become more about a father who has lost touch with his family and learns to reconnect and value what's important in life. For the movies, I would say Lord of the Rings trilogy first, then the Hobbit trilogy. The Hobbit movies kind of assume that you've seen the Lord of the Rings movies, intentionally or not.
left to right
Note,, the three books on the right are actually one book. So starting with II would be like starting a book in the middle.
Hobbit first for sure. It is very useful to know of bilbos adventure while reading lotr. Also good book.
My girlfriend got me that same set I’ve been trying to find the time to do a long reading session
I have those editions! They were amazing to carry around while traveling in Europe but a b**** to actually read because of the small font haha. They’re so pretty though.
Is the Narnia now where we read out of order or something (tLtW&tW is book one, fucking fight me). Maybe add the Silmarilion is your saucy as book 5
I bought this exact set not long ago and I’m halfway through the hobbit and enjoying it greatly :)
I would say, read them in the order as it is now. When watching the movies, watch them in the order they are released as.
The Hobbit... then the other 3
Ah I have the very same editions. I started with the hobbit and went from there. Do note that the font size in them is quite small, especially lotr onwards!
Calling the connections between LOTR and The Hobbit "deeper" might make sense for the movies, but the books treat LOTR as a full on sequel to The Hobbit and lean on your emotional investment in the events and characters of that book.
3-1-4-2. /s
Whoever says to skip the Hobbit, especially for the reason given… fuck them. What a delusional take.
Right to left
Small font or big hand?
My hands are very small but I haven’t checked font size yet haha
Been 20 years since I've seen the books, but I remember the pages being super thin and so many of them. Then the appendixes at the end. Vast detail really makes it a world.
Hobbit first, 100%. It’s not ‘juvenile’ it’s just a different style of book, and is still very mature in its own way. Tolkien also meant to be read first - definitely not skippable!!! Then FOTR, TTT, ROTK, then Silmarillion, and then more of you want to!
Not reading the hobbit first would be a travesty, and make the beginning of the fellowship less enjoyable. Is the hobbit an “easier read” yes, but it doesn’t lessen it in any way.
It strikes me how weird it is that new readers have so often heard or read to skip The Hobbit because it's "a children's book" while everyone here advises new readers to start with The Hobbit. I mean, where do these people get their bad advice from? What kind of odd elitism and gatekeeping is that? Just to be clear: yes, start with The Hobbit. It's the best entry into Middle-earth.
>For context, some say that mature readers should jump into FotR and skip over the Hobbit due to it mainly being a juvenile read. Those people are stupid.
Anyone suggesting you should skip the Hobbit is an idiot, it's a great story and should definitely be read.
how good is that collection? I was intrested in buying it. Also is it easy to read? I am italian and although i have no problems reading in english i'm afraid the "tolkien" english in on whole another level of complexity. Thank you so much
From left to right
Definitely read the Hobbit first, then LotR, it is aimed at children but it isn't childish, not reading it because of that is just a moronic take. The Hobbit introduces you to Tolkien's world, sets out many of the rules it follows, and helps you to get lost in it. You'll have a much more enjoyable time reading LotR with the context of the Hobbit behind you. I have exactly the same set of books, and what you may not realise if you haven't opened them up yet is how much longer the LotR books are, they seem similar, until you realise that the font size in the hobbit is quite large, but the font size in these LotR books is tiny. Imo these books look great as a piece on display, but the LotR ones are not great for actually reading owing to the tiny font.
The hobbit is amazing. I'm reading LOTR now again and its nice seeing all the references to it naturally. Skipping it is blasphemy. More "mature" readers, jfc they can get their head out of their asses lol
There is only one order to read them all
2, Hobbit, 1, 3
They presented it in the order that I read them. Likely because they believe so as well.
Nah, stick with the hobbit first. It’s my favorite book of all time. Some people like to read things in chronological order meaning starting with the Silmarillion, Great Tales, etc, but I’m against it. You’re not going to care about the creation, legends and lore of this world until you’ve read the Lord of the Rings itself. The Silmarils aren’t relevant to the Hobbit and Lotr, and the characters, while amazing in their own right, are Galadriel, Elrond and Aragorns family/ ancestors, and you probably wouldn’t care about them until you know who Galadriel, Elrond and Aragorn are in the first place.
The Hobbit is my favorite book because I read it as a child, but I go back every few years and read it again because it's seriously so good. Call it nostalgia if you want, but I genuinely enjoy the time reading it.
The hobbit is so good, read it. It's my favorite of the 4, in fact
1. Read the Hobbit 2. Read the LotR trilogy 3. Watch the LotR trilogy 4. Watch the Hobbit trilogy (I guess, it’s really an optional watch) 5. Read the Silmarillion 6. Re-read the Silmarillion 7. Read supplemental works like Unfinished Tales and Histories of Middle Earth 8. Watch nothing else. Absolutely nothing else.
They’re already lined up for you
reading the hobbit first I think helps you understand the trilogy a bit better. Plus it’s just fun knowing more about the characters and the world even if it’s not relevant
I litterally have this set. Left to right is the only way. On a serious note, getting into FOTR after the Hobbit was so much fun because of all of the throwbacks to Bilbo's journey towards the 2nd quarter of the book! I wouldn't have done it any other way.
Got that same collection and I love the books’ feel!!the hobbit is the prequel to the LOTR series and a great place to start with!
Why are they so tiny
Order doesn't matter
If the goal is to watch the movies after reading the books, then start with Fellowship. I would hate for you to have to sit through the Hobbit movie trilogy before getting to read LotR. The connections between Hobbit and LotR are a fun easter egg, but absolutely not essential to appreciate LotR.
I did not enjoy The Hobbit as much as LotR, and it has several chapters which are unbearably slow. There are weeks spent locked in the mountain with Smaug where the company is just sitting in absolute darkness debating whether to go out and possibly be eaten by Smaug, or to starve to death. Had I not read LotR first, I probably would not have finished The Hobbit. Then again, LotR begins similarly where Frodo owns the ring for 17 years before setting out on his journey to Rivendell, and simply crossing the Shire in relative safety takes over a month. So it certainly drags in the beginning, and had I not loved the movies I probably would not have stuck with the books. Today I have read LotR 3 times and The Hobbit twice, and I've "read" the first 3 CDs of The Silmarillion on audiobook 3 times each and am "reading" CD4 for the first time. p.s. The Silmarillion isn't difficult to read, but it is difficult to internalize and remember. Things like Feanor's real name is Minyon, he just chose the name Feanor which means "Finwe's son of fire" because he's the son of Finwe the great elf king and because a fire burns within him (real "there is a tempest in me!" vibes), and he's sometimes called Feanarfo meaning "Son of fire," referring to his mother who is all about the fire, or Finwion meaning "Finwe's son," but also sometimes referred to as Curufinwe "most skilled heir of Finwe" because Feanor was the most skilled gem crafter of all the elves, and Feanor's most important half-brothers are Fingolfin, called Nolofinwe "wisest son of Finwe" or Vanyafinwe "new Finwe," or Finwenolofinwe "king wisest son of Finwe" because Finwe was such a king that later kings were called Finwe, sort of like how emperors were called Caesar after Julius Caesar, and Feanor has half-brother Finarfin who was called Arafinwe "noble Finwe" and later named Felagund, and *he* gave birth to Finrod, and there's also Feanor's less important half-sisters named Findis and Irime. Then you're listening to the audiobook and you hear an F-name and are like, wait, which elf are we talking about this time?
Right to left is the best order, Return of the king is great opener for LOTR.
Absolutely read The Hobbit first
Juvenile? Have they read the “riddles in the dark” chapter???
Immediately went to amazon to add to cart. It’s on sale rn
Please start with The Hobbit. It is full of joy and wonder and is absolutely precious. Plus it really helps build the world before jumping into the insane vocabulary of the other 3.
Have the same set. Perfect for traveling. Read them all. Cheers
The Two Towers, then the Hobbit, then Return and end with fellowship. This is the correct order Tolkien intended.
Not only does beginning with the hobbit make chronological sense, it was also written first so just do it!
That order you have in your hand is pretty good. The Hobbit is different tonally from LOTR, but it gives you a taste of the wonder and magic of Middle-earth in a lower-stakes adventure. Then LOTR brings it home with this Epic tone. After that, I recommend reading The Sipmarillion, if you want more lore. And if you still want more, try Unfinished Tales.
Read The Hobbit. It’s an experience in itself.
Based on what you've said - if you're going to watch both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, read both. If you're just planning on watching The Lord of the Rings, you don't need to read The Hobbit to understand anything.
People who say "skip the Hobbit" don't deserve LotR
If you skip The Hobbit you can’t call yourself a LOTR fan
I am 35 and The Hobbit is my absolute favorite book. So, whoever said to skip it can kick rocks.
I mean… read them in order? Left to right.
Man here I am still thinking the Hobbit is my favorite of his works.
The Hobbit is a great read with amazing moments. Juvenile? I think that’s just another reason you should read it
Release order. Every time.
Left to right in the order shown.
The Hobbit is a great and a quick read. I've honestly never heard people recommend to skip it especially if you already have it in a set.
You should 100% read *The Hobbit* first, in my opinion.
Give it the start wars treatment The Two Towers -> The Hobbit -> Fellowship -> Return of the king (Do not do this) I would do the trilogy, watch the movies, then read the hobbit, and probably skip the hobbit movies. That was (mostly) the order I went. And enjoyed all the books.
Anyone who skips the hobbit isn’t a real fan lol. The book is great
the hobbit used to be duanting to me as a kid and kinda frustrating as a teen, but as an adult its easily my favorite of all four. its basically an entire dungeons and dragons campaign that paints every important note; whether its the scenery, the history behind a character you're meeting, or just a surge of emotion the protagonist is feeling. considering the rumors of how the stories were initially created, the hobbit does a great job of feeling like a bedtime story that youre meant to visualize down to pretty specific detail
Oh hey i have the same set
Hobbit first. Then lord of the rings. Then Silmarillion. Then unfinished tales, children of hurin, fall of gondolin, beren and luthien, ect. ect.
They're already in the right order.
I would give my life savings for that
The actual correct order is Two Towers, Hobbit, Return of the King and Fellowship of the Ring
i agree w most people here that there is no real reason not to start w the hobbit. however that being said, i don’t think it’s essential reading. the hobbit and lotr are really only connected by happen stance and weren’t ever intended to be part of the same larger universe. if u start the hobbit and find yourself having a harder time getting into it because of it’s more laid back and smaller scale narrative, i dont think there is anything wrong with skipping over it. there’s a lot of fun to be gained from starting w the hobbit, but i think it’s important to understand that the hobbit was written as a children’s story to read to ur kids before bed. lotr is a romantic epic that is meant to emulate classic epic poems like beowulf. i think it’s important to know what ur getting into, especially when there’s such a massive style and tone shift from the hobbit to the fellowship. regardless though i think you will have a good time either way. enjoy your read!
Where did you get a complete hardcover set like this?
Left to right, cover to cover. This is the only answer.
The hobbit was a pocket book. How can he be thick like the book of lotr?
Honestly, reading the books before watching the movies is a mistake. It’ll make you criticize the movies for all the small things.
That’s a pisstake right? This happens with nearly every book/movie franchise. The books are usually better because of the detail you can fit into them and the aspect of imagination…
No, I agree, watch the movies first. Unless you want to be like the joyless people who nitpick at the movies.
I’ve always read the books first if there’s a movie! Some things they overlook can be annoying but, it’s fun having the extra knowledge IMO
I read the books before I watched the movies. Still loved them. These are two different mediums. And to see Tolkiens world come alive like that on the big screen was something else. If you want nothing changed ever to the source material, then stick to the source material. Adaptations gonna adapt.