History of the Lord of the Rings

[doug*platypus]

I've only read the first five, and some of Peoples of Middle-Earth. For some strange reason, I've always held back on reading those volumes detailing the evolution of LOTR. I guess I'm somehow worried that if I read this, then it will seem like something that has been cobbled together from humble beginnings. I prefer to think of LOTR as something that emerged in perfect form, even though I know that's a ridiculous notion.

My favourite song lyric may be kind of applicable in this situation (it's from Come to Me by Björk):

"you know that I adore you, you know that I love you, so don't make me say it, it would burst the bubble, break the charm"

I'm afraid of bursting the bubble and breaking the charm. But the sad thing is, I feel I cannot consider myself a true, die-hard Tolkien fan if I have not read all his works, even the posthumous ones. So I'm a bit torn about whether or not to read the History of LOTR volumes. Some advice would be appreciated. Sorry for rambling.