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[Bêthberry]

Welcome Glorthelion. This is certain the place to exercise your enthusiasm for Tolkien once you've hit the books.

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

I suggest you read Unfinished Tales next. It provides some fascinating extra stuff to complement what you have already read. It will also ease you in to the "edited drafts and fragments" format which you will find on a grander scale in HoME. And IMO some of the later volumes of HoME are much more approachable than the early ones. Don't feel obliged to start at the beginning! The ones which concern LOTR are perhaps more user friendly...

Well, I'm going to have to take a slightly different direction than Mithalwen, who offers good advice about UT. The later HoMes are helpful for resources but as someone who just recently turned to the first two volumes, Book of Lost Tales I and II, I have to say that I am entranced by Tolkien's storytelling. Which is to say that skipping all the commentary doesn't do any harm.

On the other hand, you could just read all the threads here and jump into the discussions.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

On the other hand, you could just read all the threads here and jump into the discussions.

Well said. You learn all the important HOME information faster by posting and reading here than by reading HOME. I'm completely serious!

[Mithalwen]

Certainly faster than I did when I really struggled with the books of lost tales as a teenager ..must try again..

[Glorthelion]

Would the letters of Tolkien be more interesting?

Glorthelion

[Mithalwen]

More interesting than UT? Different. But certainly fascinating and very readable.

I would say that UT gives extra information nn things that fit fairly easily with the main stories as published in The Silmarilllion, Hobbit and LOTR. You get more information about Numenor, The wizards, the Battles of the Fords of Isen where Theoden's son, was killed, the Palantiri, Gandalf's meeting with Thorin, Isildur's death. I love it since I love the world of Middle Earth as shown in the main texts.

The letters by their nature give some fascinating snippets when he answers specific questions from readers and also give an insight into his personality and life. Read both!!! Both can be dipped into. It may be helpful to read the Humphrey Carpenter biography too since he edited the letters and the letters are in chronological order. I happen to have read the bio ages ago and the letters relatively recently and I think having read the biography made the letters more interesting since you knew a bit aboout the correspondents.

[Boromir88]

Aye, the Letters are interesting in not only providing some commentary from Tolkien, post-LOTR, but just thoughts about world affairs, other books, authors...etc.

I caution when using Letters to determine some new, hidden information about Tolkien's story, though. Tolkien admits when responding to fans' questions, a lot of what he wrote could have been as long as 30-40 years ago, so he may misremember something, or what he consciously reflects upon after having written the story might be completely different. That's not so much of a problem with Letters, more a note-to-self when reading them. Personally, I find the stuff in Letters more interesting then reading his early draft material, but that's just individual preference.

[Valier]

*lurking* hello all....it's been awhile