Talking About Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings

The above three major Middle-earth books can only be considered as the outline or the blueprint of the history of Middle-earth, when compared to the whole that Tolkien had created. And with his passing, Tolkien had also left gaps untold between the tales with questions unanswered. Fortunately, Tolkien had also left many manuscripts that bear these answers. The manuscripts were to be left in the hands of his son Christopher Tolkien, with whom Tolkien in his last years had often discussed of the writings, and that in the event of his dying, Christopher was to complete it for him. Indeed, Christopher Tolkien spent the next 25 years bringing his father's dreams to life; therefore, the echoing words were at last realized: May you say things I have tried to say long after I am not there to say them.

The following 13 volumes may contain repeated materials seen in The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings, but these are the earlier versions. The purpose is to let readers follow along Tolkien's mind as he wrote and considered the bits. Christopher Tolkien also adds notes and valuable commentary after each section. Every volume also contains new materials and usually with more details. These books are only suitable for serious Tolkien fans and those who understand very well of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings.

Unfinished Tales
A collection of wonderful tales range from the First Age to the end of the Third Age, such as the history of the Istari, Tuor's searching for Gondolin, Túrin's childhood, Gandalf's lively account of how he came to send the Dwarves to Bag-End, and the history of Galadriel and Celeborn, plus Gil-galad's letter to the King of Númenor. "Unfinished", not because the narrative is halted with no conclusion - though that may be the fact for some sections - but rather, it is a series of individual legends that needed to be re-connected with the known legends of Númenor and Middle-earth. This volume has many gems and answers that will delight readers, but is recommended only for readers with fair knowledge of The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings. (1980)

The History of Middle-earth, 12 volumes

1. The Book of Lost Tales, Part 1
The first two volumes of the series tell of the earliest versions of The Silmarillion, beginning with the music of the Ainur and ending with the darkening of Valinor, that Tolkien wrote as early as 1916. Both books are quite slim with no more than 400 pages, while the rest of the series are usually over 450 pages. (1983)

2. The Book of Lost Tales, Part 2
Containing six tales: Tale of Tinúviel, Turambar and the Foalókë(Glaurung), Tale of Eärendel, History of Eriol, The Fall of Gondolin(with detailed battle scene), and the only full account of the Necklace of the Dwarves; two pictures of Tolkien's manuscripts are also included: Tale of Tinúviel, and The Fall of Gondolin. (1984)

3. The Lays of Beleriand
The most tragic hero throughout the history of Middle-earth is probably Túrin, and the most enchanted love story is definitely the legend of Beren and Lúthien. These two tales are presented here in verses that Tolkien wrote some time between 1920~1930, entitled The Lay of the Children of Húrin with about 1600 lines in alliterative verse, and The Lay of Leithian with about 4000 lines in octosyllabic couplets and is also the only detailed account of the Tale of Tinúviel, but sadly it was never finished. This volume will bring joy to those who enjoy these two tales as well as have appreciation for beautiful poems. Two pictures of Tolkien's manuscripts are also included; one of them is in Elvish. (1985)

4. The Shaping of Middle-earth
The tales in this volume were written some time in the 1930's, including a lengthy outline that Tolkien had in mind for The Silmarillion, plus the earliest version of the Annals of Beleriand and of Valinor. The more important section is the Ambarkanta: the Fashion of the World. Here we get to learn how Arda really looks like, with the help of Tolkien's nine maps. There is also a nice poem written by Tuor to his son Eärendil, The Horns of Ylmir. And more surprisingly, Tolkien even translated Quenta and the Annals of Beleriand and of Valinor into Old English. This volume and the next also tell of the Ultimate Battle of Arda: The Last Battle. (1986)

5. The Lost Road and Other Writings
Includes two older versions of the drowning of Númenor as well as the second version of the Annals of Beleriand and of Valinor, plus a big index of base-stems of the Elvish languages. The Lost Road is a time-travel story that Tolkien wrote in 1936 as a challenge to C.S. Lewis, who was to write space-travel. Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet was a success, whereas Tolkien's The Lost Road was abandoned after 50 pages, but it was what eventually to become the legend of the Downfall of Númenor. This volume has several diagrams Tolkien's drawing of The Tree of Tongues. (1987)

6. The Return of the Shadow (The History of LotR, Part 1)
The next four volumes are the account of the evolution of The Lord of the Rings, including many versions of each chapter that Tolkien had reconsidered and abandoned; "A long-expected party" alone has five. Readers will get to know what Tolkien had planned for each chapter as well as several interesting changes; Frodo was originally named Bingo. (1988)

7. The Treason of Isengard (The History of LotR, Part 2)
More different versions of the chapters, such as The Council of Elrond -- five versions, and The Mines of Moria...etc. But some chapters from The Fellowship of the Ring are also included here, because of re-thinking and re-writing, again, from "A long-expected party" all the way to Rivendell. But more interestingly is the development for Treebeard, Boromir, and Lórien. (1989)

8. The War of the Ring (The History of LotR, Part 3)
The volume begins with Helm's Deep and ends with "The Black Gate is Closed", plus more outlines for the plot. Due to the size of the book, the conclusion is to be left for the next volume. Readers would finally understand why The Lord of the Rings took so long to produce. (1990)

9. Sauron Defeated: The End of the Third Age
The first half of the book completes the creation of The Lord of the Rings, plus a wonderful epilogue of Sam later in his life telling his children of the Tale. The second part, The Notion Club Papers, also written by Tolkien, is combined here so that this volume gets enough pages for publication. But this section also proves an interesting read. The Papers consists a record of the discussion on space/time-travel that Tolkien and his peers exchanged during their meetings between 1945~1946; Tolkien titled the papers "Out of the Talkative Planet" in mockery of Lewis' book. Tolkien also wrote a new version of the downfall of Númenor, Drowning of Anadune. (1992)

10. Morgoth's Ring (The Later Silmarillion, Part 1)
After the completion of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien started to rework on The Silmarillion; the revised materials of which are included in Volume 10 and 11. In this book, more questions and gaps are answered, including the laws and customs of the Elves, and Tolkien's analysis on Melkor and Sauron as well as dealing the problem with the origin of Orcs in Myths Transformed. Readers will also get to understand the true meaning behind "Morgoth's Ring." Included also is the final version of the Annals of Aman. This volume is one of the best in the series. (1993)

11. The War of the Jewels (The Later Silmarillion, Part 2)
Including the only full account of Húrin's wandering after being released by Melkor, this volume also concludes the final version of the Annals of Beleriand in the Grey Annals. There are also notes on the revision of the tales. Concerning the two Annals, one may think that Volume 10 and 11 would give a clear and final version of the chronicles, but alas, it is not so; there are more revisions within each "final" version. (1994)

12. The Peoples of Middle-earth
This final volume does not retell of the known legends, but is partly an attempt to answer some remaining questions, such as the language of the Dwarves and Men; the relation of the Longbeard Dwarves and Men during the early Third Age; the problem with Finwë, Fëanor's father, having two wives; the identity of Glorfindel and a little more info on lembas. Finally, to readers delight, is the abandoned sequel to The Lord of the Rings, The New Shadow. (1996)

The New Shadow
This tale begins in the days of Eldarion, son of that Elessar of whom the histories have much to tell. One hundred and five years had passed since the fall of the Dark Tower, and the story of that time was little heeded now by most of the people of Gondor, though a few were still living who could remember the War of the Ring as a shadow upon their early childhood...

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
A collection of 354 letters that Tolkien wrote to friends, fan readers, and family members during 1914~1973, containing a lot of essential answers to the books and heartfelt stories. (1981)

"There is a place called 'heaven', where the good here unfinished is completed; and where the stories unwritten, and the hopes unfufilled, are continued. We may laugh together yet..."

Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien was also talented in drawing and painting. This is a collection of the pictures that he had portraited of what Middle-earth was like in his vision. (1979)

Lake Mithrim

non Middle-earth

1943 - To Priscilla Tolkien: After this, I shall have to say goodbye, more or less: I mean, I shall not forget you. (35kb)

The Father Christmas Letters
A collection of Tolkien's drawings and letters that he sent to his children for Christmas gifts during 1920~1943, about the hilarious events of Father Christmas and his not very helpful assistant, the Polar Bear, at the North Pole. (1976)

Roverandom
An adventure story of a dog who was magicked into a toy puppy by a mad wizard. Tolkien wrote this story to console his young son Michael, who lost his toy dog. Very entertaining. (1998)

Mr. Bliss

Mr. Bliss bought a car and went on travelling in it, but he wasn't good at driving or dealing with machines. Inevitably, a series of disasters were to happen. This story has many traits found in hobbits. (1982)

The Monsters and the Critics
A collection of Tolkien's 6 scholarly essays and his retirement speech in 1959: Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics, On Translating Beowulf, On Fairy-stories, English and Welsh, A Secret Vice, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Valedictory Address. (1983)

Tales from the Perilous Realm
A collection of Farmer Giles of Ham, Tree and Leaf, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and other verses from the Red Book, and Smith of Wootton Major.

The Tolkien Reader
A collection of Farmer Giles of Ham, Tree and Leaf, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and other verses from the Red Book, and The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth. (1966)

On Fairy-stories: roughly 70 pages; an important essay of Tolkien's, defining his view on "fairy stories". (1947)

JRRT

Leaf by Niggle: roughly 20 pages; this short story can best reflect some of Tolkien's personal views about life. It is a story of an artist, who with very limited painting skills, trys to paint trees and leaves so profoundly that he only ends up revising them constantly. And when summoned to take a final journey, he is forced to abandon his incompleted works; and as years pass, the paintings are forgotten and destroyed - except a small scrap of canvas bearing a single leaf. When he finally arrives at the end of the journey to a distant land, he finds his beloved tree, completed, before him. Four years later after Tolkien's death, The Silmarillion was finally published and is beloved by many. Serious fan readers cannot afford to miss this heartfelt story. (1945)

*On Fairy-stories and Leaf by Niggle are usually published together, renamed Tree and Leaf.

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil: roughly 50 pages; a collection of 16 poems: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Bombadil Goes Boating, Errantry, Princess Mee, The Man In The Moon, Stayed Up Too Late, The Man In The Moon, Came Down Too Soon, The Stone Troll, Perry-The-Winkle, The Mewlips, Oliphaunt, Fastitocalon, Cat, Shadow-Bride, The Hoard, The Sea-Bell, and The Last Ship. Some among them are written by Bilbo and Sam. (1933)

Farmer Giles of Ham: roughly 65 pages; an entertaining tale of a cowardly farmer goes hunting a dragon - a very un-dragon dragon. (1949)

Smith of Wootton Major: roughly 54 pages; of a man who was allowed to venture into the realm of the fairies. This story is a little harder to comprehend, and though it is written like a children's tale, Tolkien noted that it is not intended for children. (1967)

The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth: roughly 24 pages; a short play written by Tolkien based on the real event of the Battle of Malden of the 10th century, recounting an imaginary episode after the battle when two servants come to the battlefield under darkness to recover their master's corpse. The play is about 13 pages long, followed by Tolkien's commentary on the event with comparison with Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. (1953)

Recommended reading sequence for Tolkien's works
1. The Hobbit; The Lord of the Rings
(whichever comes first doesn't matter)

(If readers are interested only in fantasy fictions of the recent decades, the following Middle-earth books might not appeal very much.)

2. The Silmarillion
(preferably having already read several times of the previous two)

3. The Letters of JRR Tolkien
(to build up passion for Tolkien and for the latter books, plus in-depth understandings for the previous three)

4. Unfinished Tales
(difficulty starts to build up from here)

5. JRR Tolkien: A Biography; Tree and Leaf
(to enhance the passion for Tolkien)

6. The History of Middle-earth
(requiring lots of passion and understandings of the previous books; first read: 3, 4, 10, 11, 12)

Traces of Tolkien's manuscripts
In 1957, Tolkien sold manuscripts of his several published and unpublished works to the Marquette University of America for 1,250 pounds (equivalent of then $5,000), including that of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.