I just saw a clip from LOTR Two Towers and I never got into LOTR and now feel like I lack some culture not having read any of it. I also haven’t watched any of the movies. I tried watching The Hobbit (first movie) but I didn’t understand any of it. Maybe it’s not for me? I like sci fi but not sure about phantasy. Can you understand each book without reading them in order? How many books are there? Is it still a trilogy?
You must log in or register to comment.
Do you have google? I mean, this is one of the most beloved series on the planet. It’s not hard to find information about the books.
What trilogy, ever, have you been able to read the books out of order and understand them out of context? Just start with Fellowship lol.
Welcome to Middle-Earth! If you’re going to read then it’s: HOBBIT> FELLOWSHIP, TOWERS, RETURN. If you’re going to watch them, then skip The Hobbit trilogy it’s an infamously bad adaptation.
Start with The Hobbit, then the LOTR trilogy.
If you like it enough look into The Silmarillion and others like The Children of Hurin, which really flesh out the lore etc.
I’ve read The Hobbit and LOTR many many times over the years and only now gotten around to reading The Silmarillion etc.
The Hobbit movies sucked, they were just money grabs. I didn’t even watch the third one.
Just from an easier to read perspective, I’d suggest reading The Hobbit first, then moving onto the trilogy. The Hobbit is lighthearted and fun, and sets the world up for the darker and more complex trilogy. But you don’t have to read The Hobbit first or at all to be able to understand the trilogy.
If you enjoy these four books, there are more world building books of Tolkien’s, like The Silmarillion.
Unpopular opinion but you could skip The Hobbit altogether.
You could either read the LOTR trilogy, which is the greatest fantasy series of all time, or you could watch the movies, which are the greatest trilogy of movies of all time. And it’s worth doing both eventually.
You could, but if you think that you might not like this sort of thing, it’s easier/cheaper to start with the Hobbit. It’s also an easier read.
If you are into reading, I agree. If you go for the movies instead, skip the hobbit.
Boooo. You don’t need to read it first, but it’s a great read.
It’s a trilogy, not independent parts so yes, you would have to start from the beginning aka Fellowship of the ring, either the movie or the book.
The hobbit movies are garbage so don’t bother with those lmao. The book is its neat own fantasy story and its a prequel to Lotr.
Reading The Hobbit is far easier than watching it. It’s the rare example of a book I could probably read in less time than the film trilogy covers. So I would recommend starting with that book and ignoring the films until much later.
You can read Lord of the Rings without reading The Hobbit, though The Hobbit is a more accessible introduction to Tolkien’s style and Middle Earth. Tolkien loves lore, songs, and conversation; he also likes battles when they fit the narrative. Anything that feels more descriptive or digressive in The Hobbit is done twofold in LOTR. In any case, you should read Lord of the Rings in order: Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King.
I suggest the hobbit and then lotr… i read it once a year
I highly recommend the audiobooks narrated by Andy Serkis (who was Smeagol/Gollum in the movies). He’s SO good at it and clearly had a ton of fun doing it. I personally find LotR kind of hard to read in physical form, but these audiobooks were perfect for my last reread.
I’d probably recommend starting with the LOTR movies. The books can be really dense - as a longtime fan of the movies, I’ve struggled to get through any of the books beyond The Hobbit, but that’s also bc I read that as a kid (it’s way easier and has a more playful prose writing style).
The Hobbit movies are bad. Shouldn’t have been a trilogy, and they went overboard with CGI and lore that isn’t included in the original book. Tolkien created more lore than you’ll find in most other fantasy worlds, but you don’t have to read everything to understand or enjoy what he built. You would have to read the LOTR trilogy in order for the sake of the plot, but The Hobbit and other stories are stand-alone.
I would recommend reading The Hobbit first. The Hobbit is fast paced and entertaining the entire time. LOTR is unbelievable but slow, and the Hobbit will help you get into the universe and appreciate it.
I’m generally a sci-fi person too, currently reading LOTR after DNFing The Hobbit 20 years ago. I would recommend reading The Hobbit first if you haven’t seen the movies, just so you know wtf they are talking about regarding Bilbo’s adventure….but you don’t HAVE to. Or maybe read a synopsis of The Hobbit before you start Fellowship? But you can do whatever you want!
I really disagree with whoever said LOTR is dense. I have ADHD and dense books are really tough for me. I think Fellowship flows pretty quickly once Frodo leaves the shire and they don’t linger on battles for too long, which is where I get bored. Maybe it gets dense later? I also love that it’s never TOO scary or TOO gruesome or TOO sad (so far). It’s just fun and cozy and I really love it.
Just watch the LOTR trilogy, extended edition or not doesn’t really matter for a first viewing (I personally find The Two Towers lags along a bit in the middle of the extended version, but that could just be the fatigue of doing the marathon 10 times or so).
If you’re a reader, read the Hobbit, then the trilogy, then the Silmarillion then whatever else you want out of the legendarium.
Hobbit movies are pretty bad, the book is way better.
Get a big blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and light a nice big fire and read the Hobbit.