Questions About The Silmarillion

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Answered Questions (21)

I own the whole LOTR trilogy and I intend to buy The Hobbit and The Silmarillion. In which order do you recomend reading these? (I've seen all the movies, but have not read any of the books).

Preda I think you should read them like Hobbit -> LOTR -> Silm -> Children of Hurin -> UT and HOME. It isn't the "chronological order" but it eases you into…moreI think you should read them like Hobbit -> LOTR -> Silm -> Children of Hurin -> UT and HOME. It isn't the "chronological order" but it eases you into the world in the best way. Reading Silmarillion or Chilren first and then Hobbit sort of feels weird since those are some very grim books while Hobbit is more relaxed(less)

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My friends, I have on my shelf The story of Kullervo, The silmarillion, The children of Húrin, The hobbit, the trilogy of The lord of the rings and Unfinished tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth. In what order should I read them? Am I missing any book in the series?

Alysande I second reading the Hobbit before LOTR and then Silmarillion. The order of the rest doesn't matter. The 12 volumes of Histories of Middle Earth are o…moreI second reading the Hobbit before LOTR and then Silmarillion. The order of the rest doesn't matter. The 12 volumes of Histories of Middle Earth are only for diehard fans or scholars. They are notes and fragments, not fiction from cover to cover. Only if you want to know about details like what happens to the souls of dead elves and elven laws on marriage are these for you.(less)

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Will this book kind of overpower the epic events of LOTR? I do think of battle of the ring as the most important battle and Sauron as the most powerful evil overlord, so I am a bit of afraid if reading Silmarillion will ruin something of that.. I hope someone understands what I mean by this!

Heather Russell The Silmarillion is the history of the world that Tolkien created for Frodo, Aragorn, and their contemporaries. It is more reminiscent of the oral epi…moreThe Silmarillion is the history of the world that Tolkien created for Frodo, Aragorn, and their contemporaries. It is more reminiscent of the oral epics of ages past than comparable to adventure fantasy of today. If you can read it that way, if you can see it as everything that led to the moment of the supposedly weakest race taking what appeared to be an impossible stand against an undefeatable enemy, it will deepen your LOTR experience rather than overpower it.(less)

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Im 16 and I have read The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers (in the midst of reading), and The Hobbit. I love these books! But I wouldn't call myself a hardcore Tolkien fan simply because I enjoy the movies a little more, but I do still enjoy these books and I'm in complete love with the world. I gather from the reviews that The Similarillion is apparently complex. But I'm a well read teen... Would I enjoy it?

Dylan I read the Silimarillion when I was your age, and I enjoyed it. It's not complex, it's just somewhat dry and historical in the style of writing. Imagi…moreI read the Silimarillion when I was your age, and I enjoyed it. It's not complex, it's just somewhat dry and historical in the style of writing. Imagine that the Hobbit and LOTR were written by hobbits in the Shire, but Silmarillion was written by elves in Rivendell. It is concerned with the kinds of things that the elves would be concerned with, and is written in their formal, archaic and somewhat sad style. If you enjoy the appendixes at the end of LOTR, then you will enjoy the Silmarillion.(less)

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I've read the hobbit and LOTR and I am currently reading children of Hurin should I go to the Silmarillion after?