{"id":170860,"date":"2024-03-27T16:15:04","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T16:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/culture.org\/?p=170860"},"modified":"2024-07-18T12:11:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T12:11:28","slug":"how-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings-books-in-order-a-chronological-guide-to-tolkiens-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culture.org\/art-and-culture\/literature\/how-to-read-lord-of-the-rings-in-order\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Read The Lord of the Rings Books in Order: Step-by-Step Guide to Reading Tolkien\u2019s Works"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Embarking on a journey through Middle-earth, crafted by the legendary <a href=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/special-interest\/spiritual\/viking-runes-the-truth-mystery-and-magic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">J.R.R. Tolkien<\/a>, is like a rite of passage for fans of fantasy. But with many books and publications set in the universe, it can be challenging for new readers to know where to start.<\/p>\n<p>So here&#8217;s how to navigate the vast and intricate world of <b>The Lord of the Rings<\/b> books, offering a path that considers both publication order and chronological storytelling.<\/p>\n           <!--  <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n                jQuery(document).ready(function() {\r\n                    jQuery(\".key-accordion-item .key-menu\").on(\"click\", function() {\r\n                        if (jQuery(this).parent().hasClass(\"active\")) {\r\n                            jQuery(this).next().slideUp();\r\n                            jQuery(this).parent().removeClass(\"active\");\r\n                        } else {\r\n                            jQuery(\".key-content\").slideUp();\r\n                            jQuery(\".key-accordion-item\").removeClass(\"active\");\r\n                            jQuery(this).parent().addClass(\"active\");\r\n                            jQuery(this).next().slideDown();\r\n                        }\r\n                    });\r\n                })\r\n            <\/script> -->\r\n\r\n\r\n            <!-- start html -->\r\n\r\n            <div class=\"news-key-takeaway-wapper\">\r\n                                <span style=\"background-color:#4db2ee;\">Key Takeaways<\/span>\r\n                <ul class=\"news-key-nbox\" style=\"border-color:#4db2ee;background-color:rgba(77, 178, 238, 0.1);\">\r\n                                                        <li>Explore Middle-earth through chronological or publication order based on preference.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>Tolkien's series is praised for its rich lore and complex characters and has a global fanbase.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>The series' successful film adaptations have introduced Tolkien's epic saga to a broader audience.<\/li>\r\n                                                <\/ul>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            \n<h2>The Lord of the Rings: Chronological Reading Order<\/h2>\n<p>For those who wish to experience the story as it unfolds in the timeline of Middle-earth, this order dives deep into the lore from the very beginning:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The Silmarillion (1977): <\/b>Start with the universe&#8217;s creation and Middle-earth&#8217;s early events.<\/li>\n<li><b>The Children of Hurin (2007): <\/b>Follows the tragic tale of H\u00farin&#8217;s children, T\u00farin and Ni\u00ebnor.<\/li>\n<li><b>Beren and L\u00fathien (2017): <\/b>The epic love story of a mortal man and an elf maiden.<\/li>\n<li><b>The Fall of Gondolin (2018):<\/b> Details the destruction of the hidden city of Gondolin.<\/li>\n<li><b>Unfinished Tales (1980): <\/b>Provides deeper insight into the characters and events from The Silmarillion to The Lord of the Rings.<\/li>\n<li><b>The Hobbit (1937):<\/b> The adventure of Bilbo Baggins that sets the stage for the epic trilogy.<\/li>\n<li><b>The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955):<\/b> The trilogy that forms the core of Tolkien&#8217;s work, consisting of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Lord of the Rings: Publication Reading Order<\/h2>\n<p>For those interested in the order in which Tolkien published his <a href=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/art-and-culture\/literature\/fantasy-fiction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fantasy fiction<\/a> works, here\u2019s how the world of Middle-earth was revealed to readers:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The Hobbit (1937)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The Lord of the Rings Trilogy:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)<\/li>\n<li>The Two Towers (1954)<\/li>\n<li>The Return of the King (1955)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962)<\/b>: A collection of poetry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The Silmarillion (1977)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Unfinished Tales (1980)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The History of Middle-earth (1983-1996): <\/b>A 12-volume series edited by Christopher Tolkien exploring the extensive background of Middle-earth\u200b\u200b.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Additional Reading: The History of Middle-earth<\/h2>\n<p>For the avid Tolkien enthusiast, The <b>History of Middle-earth<\/b> series presents a comprehensive exploration of Middle-earth lore, characters, and events.<\/p>\n<p>This is based on J.R.R. Tolkien&#8217;s notes and drafts and is compiled and edited by his son, <b>Christopher Tolkien<\/b>:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The Book of Lost Tales, Part I<\/li>\n<li>The Book of Lost Tales, Part II<\/li>\n<li>The Lays of Beleriand<\/li>\n<li>The Shaping of Middle-earth<\/li>\n<li>The Lost Road and Other Writings<\/li>\n<li>The Return of the Shadow<\/li>\n<li>The Treason of Isengard<\/li>\n<li>The War of the Ring<\/li>\n<li>Sauron Defeated<\/li>\n<li>Morgoth&#8217;s Ring<\/li>\n<li>The War of the Jewels<\/li>\n<li>The Peoples of Middle-earth.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>What Is the Best Order to Read The Lord of the Rings?<\/h2>\n<p>There&#8217;s no one-size-fits-all way to enjoy Tolkien&#8217;s Middle-earth. Whether you choose the chronological path to delve into the <a href=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/history\/brazils-ancient-discovery-artifacts-and-skeletons-reshape-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ancient history<\/a> of the world, follow the publication order to experience the story as it was first revealed, or mix and match based on your interests, you&#8217;re in for an unforgettable journey.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, there is no real fantastic white-and-black way to read the Lord of the Rings Canon, as preferences vary from reader to reader. Whether you&#8217;re diving into Tolkien&#8217;s world for the first time or revisiting it, choose the path that most appeals to you\u200b\u200b.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":10028,"featured_media":170861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3840],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-170860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-literature"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170860"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10028"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170860\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}