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The Hobbit isn't for children. It is the first book of the whole story that goes on in middle earth. If you do not read the Hobbit, you will not be able to understand much just by reading the LOTR.
The Hobbit was explicitly written as children's tale. LotR is a standalone book, and the relevant parts of The Hobbit (Gollum and the Ring) are explained in the prologue. It's not at all necessary to read The Hobbit first (I didn't and I understood LotR just fine), though, of course, it's a nice book, and should be read in any case.
True, it was written for children, but as with many other books in that category, it is fully enjoyable by adults all over. Certainly I would recommend reading it, but it's true that it's not necessary to do so before LOtR. Since it's so much shorter I would, however - even though the prologue covers it pretty well, it's still a great introduction to Tolkien's world.
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Angela
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Nov 27, 2012 04:46AM
The Hobbit isn't for children. It is the first book of the whole story that goes on in middle earth. If you do not read the Hobbit, you will not be able to understand much just by reading the LOTR.
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The Hobbit was explicitly written as children's tale. LotR is a standalone book, and the relevant parts of The Hobbit (Gollum and the Ring) are explained in the prologue. It's not at all necessary to read The Hobbit first (I didn't and I understood LotR just fine), though, of course, it's a nice book, and should be read in any case.
True, it was written for children, but as with many other books in that category, it is fully enjoyable by adults all over. Certainly I would recommend reading it, but it's true that it's not necessary to do so before LOtR. Since it's so much shorter I would, however - even though the prologue covers it pretty well, it's still a great introduction to Tolkien's world.
