Should I read Silmarillion before history of Middle-earth?

The Silmarillion is quite a dense read, and should probably be tackled a little later. However, an adult may be better starting off with The Lord of the Rings followed by The Children of Húrin, Unfinished Tales, The Silmarillion, and the various volumes of The History of Middle-earth. Even this is a bit prescriptive.

Is it necessary to read The Silmarillion?

It is not strictly necessary, but it is recommended. The Silmarillion gives you an overview of the First Age. The Great Tales are stories that happen in the First Age, and they correspond to chapters in The Silmarillion.

Is The Silmarillion in the complete history of Middle-Earth?

The Silmarillion, along with other posthumous collections of Tolkien's works, such as Unfinished Tales and the The History of Middle-earth series, form a comprehensive yet somewhat incomplete narrative that describes the universe within which The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place.

Should I start with The Silmarillion or The Hobbit?

Chronologically, the stories in The Silmarillion take place thousands of years before The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. But anyone who wants to enjoy these stories should read them in the order they were published — that is, they should read The Hobbit first, then The Lord of the Rings, and lastly The Silmarillion.

Should you read The Silmarillion before Unfinished Tales?

It's a series of tales and notes in no particular order. The Silmarillion has a flow to it and is best read from front to back. It's usually recommended to read The Silmarillion before Unfinished Tales.

Middle-earth Reading Order - Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion, and beyond! | Tolkien 101

Is The Silmarillion The Hardest book to read?

The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are the most common ones to be read, though for most fans the first book on this list can be the hardest. Why is that? Tolkien is often criticized in today's culture as being too archaic and hard to read, and for some people out there they'd completely concur.

Do you need to read The History of Middle-earth?

All in all, a must read for any Tolkien geek. In summary I think the key volumes are 10-12 (Morgoth's Ring, The War of the Jewels, and The Peoples of Middle-earth). You can safely read those without worrying about the rest – though I would also recommend getting The Book of Lost Tales volume 2 for The Fall of Gondolin.

Is The Silmarillion like a history book?

Its a history book of the mythology of Middle Earth, having the finest worldbuilding I have ever seen. Its easy to get confused while reading it, especially if you are not Tolkien enthusiast, due to its lightning fast pacing and thousands of elven lords with similar names.

In what order should Tolkien books be read?

Can I start with The Silmarillion?

The Silmarillion is quite a dense read, and should probably be tackled a little later. However, an adult may be better starting off with The Lord of the Rings followed by The Children of Húrin, Unfinished Tales, The Silmarillion, and the various volumes of The History of Middle-earth.

Is Silmarillion bigger than LotR?

The stories in the Silmarillion are beautiful and complex, probably more so than the Lord of the Rings, but the writing is so dense that it is highly unlikely ever to reach the popularity of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Is The Rings of Power based on The Silmarillion?

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power isn't based on a book the way that the other films are. The series is actually an adaptation of a singular part of one of Tolkien's books, called The Silmarillion.

How many hours does it take to read The Silmarillion?

The average reader will spend 7 hours and 22 minutes reading this book at 250 WPM (words per minute).

How long would it take to read The Silmarillion?

The average reader will spend 6 hours and 56 minutes reading this book at 250 WPM (words per minute).

Which is better The Silmarillion or Lord of the Rings?

Is The Silmarillion as important to the history of Middle-earth as The Lord of the Rings? It is more important. The Silmarillion is the main source of lore for all of Tolkien's Legendarium.

Who should read The Silmarillion?

If you like Tolkien's world, then reading The Silmarillion only makes it better. You'll find out that even seemingly trivial things such as Aragorn's ring have a story going back thousands of years, and a lot of things in LotR will be more meaningful when put in context. With that said, it's not an easy read.

How many books did Tolkien write about Middle-earth?

Throughout his commentaries in Unfinished Tales and the twelve volumes of The History of Middle-earth, Christopher Tolkien points out differences between various versions of the original texts and the final editorial selections and occasional alterations in The Silmarillion.

Was Gandalf present in The Silmarillion?

Gandalf also appears in the published version of The Silmarillion in a markedly different aspect: that of a semi-divine Maia hidden within the guise of an old man, whom we met in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. Tolkien introduces him in The Silmarillion as the Maia Olórin. "Wisest of the Maiar was Olórin.

Why is Silmarillion difficult?

Among the difficulties of reading The Silmarillion, one of the key ones is that the language is so strange. It is evocative, calling us to greater appreciation of its breadth and grandeur. But there are many genres set within an archaic text and filled with difficult names and strange places.

Why did Tolkien not finish Silmarillion?

In the 1992 Tolkien Centennial documentary, Christopher Tolkien said that he felt the task of finishing The Silmarillion had become too large for his father, too daunting: I think one must say it was the last version of The Silmarillion that he couldn't finish.

Why do people not like The Silmarillion?

The Silmarillion is difficult to read for several reasons: a huge number of names, archaic language and style, a lack of novel-like plot structure, a very slow beginning. It is also undoubtedly boring at times when the plot lags (cough "Of Beleriand and Its Realms").

How does The Silmarillion fit into LOTR?

The Silmarillion covers the Second Age (which we understand is when the Rings of Power will be set) and the Third Age, when the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place. Published posthumously, it represents several of Tolkien's works collected and edited by his son Christopher.

Is The Silmarillion a prequel?

The Silmarillion is the prequel to the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, recounting the creation of Middle Earth and its ancient history up to the time of Bilbo Baggins.

Is Legolas in The Silmarillion?

Legolas of Gondolinedit

As the Lost Tales were the first embodiment of Tolkien's mythology, and by the time The Lord of the Rings was written much had changed, this in all likelihood is not the same Elf, and he was not included in the published The Silmarillion.