Horror for Newbies
A Goodreads user asked this question about The Silmarillion:
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).
Andrew I definitely agree with what others have said here. Start with The Hobbit. It has the lightest tone of any of the books, as it was written for his chi…moreI definitely agree with what others have said here. Start with The Hobbit. It has the lightest tone of any of the books, as it was written for his children, and is relatively short. If you enjoy that, and the movies, you should be able to tackle LotR.

LotR starts off with much of the same tone as the Hobbit and then transitions to a darker tone when they reach Bree, as the hobbits come to terms with the dangers facing them. Both movie adaptations (Bakshi & Jackson) skip over most of this, so it will be new to you when reading the books.

I read both books as a child (though I've re-read them since), but I'm only now tackling the Silmarillion at nearly 40. My first impression is that it's like reading non-fiction or (as I presume Tolkien intended) like other mythologies such as the Bible and the tales of the Greek, Roman and Norse gods. The Hobbit and LotR are more like traditional novels, and those stories actually form part of the Silmarillion, but told in that different style.

I think it's worth attempting if you want more of the background of the world the other two stories take place in afterwards, but I certainly wouldn't try and start with it!(less)
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The Silmarillion
by J.R.R. Tolkien
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