The Fellowship of the Ring
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Need a map?
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What really helped me was reading companion books that are provided (the Silmarilian, LOTR for Dummies, etc) and going off of helpful hints that they gave. I have also been reading these books since 4th grade or so and picture things when I read....so after a while I was able to just know how Middle Earth was shaped.
Well, Middle Earth is pretty straightforward and most editions have a map to reference at the beginning of the book. That was more than enough to keep track for me.
My copies are in storage so I can't check them, but I think the map covered two pages and the spine hindered me (paperback book, and my books look new when I'm done, so... yeah). Maps are great though. I think all books should come with maps.
I think it helped that I looked over the map very carefully for at least 15 minutes before I started reading, and whenever I had to reference it, I would study it for a couple of minutes. I believe my edition had several maps. One of the entire Middle Earth, and several that had detailed sections like a whole page with just The Shire, etc.Some books I think benefit not having a map. For instance, The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. He specifically did not include a map in his world, and I think it turned out for the best, as by the end of the series, my brain had constructed it's own map, which is much more pleasing.
A good reference book that all Tolkien fans should have is "The Tolkien Companion, written by J.E.A. Tyler, printed in 1977.
Another good reference book is Journeys of Frodo by Barbara Strachey. It charts in some detail where the principle characters went.
The books I have actually have maps so I was fine with them. :)
I can't believe they have a LOTR for Dummies out. That's classic. I got along fine with just scanning the maps and digging into the story, occasionally referencing back. Of course, I've read the books an umpteen million times.
The maps included in the books were more than enough to keep me informed about where everyone was. Did some editions come without maps?
I always pictured my own route in my head using the gist of what I remembered from the actual maps ... I think it would be interesting though to print out a map and actually put all the routes on - and when/where key events happened so you can see what each character is doing at each point. I read a book that had dates and what happened to everyone on each date - that was quite interesting actually.
I didn't do dates but it was really helpful to use three different colored pens to show where people were and where their paths crossed at different times. I kind of wonder, in hindsight, if I kept my map...
I know it has been a while since I read the books... but was Mordor always in the south??
I know, it can be a bit confusing.The Hobbit takes place in a almost linear fashion from West to East then "back again".
The Lord of the Rings is not as linear. Mordor is refered as being East of Gondor.
I guess when you think of it every place apart from the Pole is South of somewhere else :-)
Carina wrote: "I know it has been a while since I read the books... but was Mordor always in the south??"Although I've studied the map in my copy quite often, the map in my head still differs :D For example, I always think of Gondor being situated to the north of Rohan, and Rohan not having a frontier with Mordor. and Mordor certainly not as much in the south...
A map with all the routes, dates and main events would be really cool!
It was Saruman's tower that was north of Rohan. That linked map is perfectly accurate and is based on the same map that has always followed the printed novels. Mordor was always in the south-eastern corner of the map.
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The Return of the King (other topics)
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The Two Towers (other topics)The Return of the King (other topics)
The Fellowship of the Ring (other topics)
I found, when I read these, I got so confused by a quarter of a way through the Two Towers where everyone was that I needed a map. I actually printed out a map of Middle Earth and made color-coded routes that I updated as I read, otherwise I had no idea where anyone was. Did anyone else do this? After that it was so much easier to just focus on the story.