Should I read The Silmarillion before The History of Middle-earth? An in-depth guide

Hi friend! If you‘re wondering whether to dive into Tolkien‘s The Silmarillion or The History of Middle-earth first, I‘m here to help. I‘ll provide an in-depth look at each book, expert opinions on the ideal reading order, and plenty of my own advice for getting the most out of these Tolkien classics. Ready for the definitive guide? Let‘s begin!

What is The Silmarillion?

The Silmarillion is Tolkien‘s masterwork of mythology and worldbuilding for Middle-earth. Published after Tolkien‘s death in 1977, it chronicles the First Age of Middle-earth and the epic tales of the Elves long before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Spanning from the creation of Middle-earth to the defeat of the villain Morgoth, The Silmarillion reads like a biblical history book. It recounts the major wars, legends, and events that shaped Tolkien‘s fantasy realm in an elevated, archaic writing style.

Here are some key details on The Silmarillion:

• Length: 365 pages
• Published: 1977 (posthumously edited by Tolkien‘s son Christopher Tolkien)
• Hardcover sales: Over 1 million copies sold
• Core stories: Feanor‘s oath, the Silmarils jewels, Beren and Luthien, the 5 great battles against Morgoth
• Provides the ancient background and lore for The Lord of the Rings

While dense and challenging at times, The Silmarillion offers an unparalleled look at the myths and legends of Tolkien‘s world. It expands on briefly mentioned names and places from The Lord of the Rings, enriching your understanding of Middle-earth‘s history.

What is The History of Middle-earth?

This 12-volume series compiles J.R.R. Tolkien‘s unpublished drafts, essays, and notes chronicling the evolution of his legendarium from 1917 until his death in 1973. It provides an unprecedented scholarly look at Tolkien‘s creative process over 50+ years of writing.

Each volume covers a different aspect of Tolkien‘s work, from changes to The Hobbit to the development of Elvish languages. Editor Christopher Tolkien assembled the writings into the most cohesive form possible, but they remain inherently unfinished and exploratory.

Some key details on The History of Middle-earth:

• Length: Total of 12 volumes, ranging from 424 – 520 pages each
• Published: 1983 – 1996, edited by Christopher Tolkien
• Hardcover sales: Over 125,000 copies of the three-volume boxed set
• Contents: Volumes trace the writing of The Hobbit, LOTR appendices, The Silmarillion, and more
• Provides early drafts and alternate versions of Tolkien‘s myths

This series offers a treasure trove of insights for diehard Tolkien fans. But its scholarly nature also makes it a challenging read compared to his published novels.

Comparing the key features

Expert opinions on the ideal reading order

There are varying thoughts on whether to dive into the dense Silmarillion or scholarly History first. Here are insights from renowned Tolkien experts:

• Professor Tom Shippey, author of J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century: "I usually recommend The Silmarillion before The History of Middle-earth. The Silmarillion is more accessible and provides the coherent overview you need before analyzing the drafts behind it."

• Corey Olsen, Tolkien Professor and host of The Tolkien Professor Podcast: "The History of Middle-earth can wait until you‘ve grounded yourself in the stories. Read The Silmarillion first for the definitive version before seeing how the sausage was made."

• CyanideBlue, Redditor with highly-upvoted LOTR reading order guide: "The Silmarillion first, then Unfinished Tales, then The Children of Húrin, and then The History of Middle-earth. You want the canon stories first before diving into the unfinished versions."

• FantasyBookReview.co.uk: "For first-time readers, we recommend The Silmarillion before trying later Tolkien works like The History of Middle-earth. Approach the History later for a deeper scholarly dive into the drafts."

The consensus is clear – read The Silmarillion first to get the full authoritative history, then explore the unfinished drafts in The History of Middle-earth if you crave more.

Expanding The Silmarillion summary

As a complete Tolkien geek, I want to provide some more details on what makes The Silmarillion so special. This epic volume covers the major legends, characters, and events that shaped Middle-earth‘s ancient past.

Some of the most pivotal tales include:

• The Creation of Arda: How Ilúvatar forged the World and Valar shaped the lands. Sets the cosmic order of Tolkien‘s universe.

• Valaquenta: Describes the Valar gods and Maiar spirits that descended to shape Arda. Contains beautiful imagery and divine archetypes.

• Quenta Silmarillion: The epic core history from the awakening of the Elves through the end of the First Age. Includes Beren and Luthien, Children of Húrin, and the 5 great battles against Morgoth. Truly the heart of The Silmarillion.

• Akallabêth: The rise and fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, ancestral home of Aragorn and the Dúnedain. Explains much of the Man-Elf dynamics in LOTR.

• Of the Rings of Power: Describes the forging of the Rings and the rise of Sauron that leads directly into The Lord of the Rings storyline.

The Silmarillion contains substantially more tales than I can summarize here. But these highlights demonstrate how it adds astonishing depth to Middle-earth in just one volume. No Tolkien collection is complete without it.

Diving deeper into The History of Middle-earth

As an obsessed Tolkien enthusiast, I want to highlight some of the most fascinating insights found in The History of Middle-earth for hungry fans:

• Original drafts of The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings: See Tolkien‘s first takes on beloved characters and key scenes. For instance, did you know Strider was originally a hobbit named Trotter?

• Annals of Beleriand and Annals of Aman: These lengthy chronologies trace every major event across thousands of years in the First and Second Age. A true treasure trove for timeline nerds like myself!

• The Notion Club Papers: A fascinating meta story where present-day writers explore dreams and visions of Numenor and Middle-earth. Very trippy and philosophical.

• Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth: A deep dialogue between the elf Finrod and wise human woman Andreth on mortality, philosophy, and the future Dagor Dagorath apocalypse. One of Tolkien‘s most theological texts.

• Myths Transformed: Tolkien‘s essays questioning core assumptions of his legendarium, including the flat-earth cosmology. These late doubts disrupted finishing The Silmarillion.

As you can see, The History of Middle-earth contains riches for devout scholars of Tolkien‘s craft. But it requires patience and an acceptance of its unfinished nature.

My personal advice

Hopefully this guide has shown the pros and cons of each book. Here is my personal advice on the ideal reading order and approach:

• For your first read-through, focus on the published novels: The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. This ensures you have the grounding in the core stories.

• Then dive into supporting works like Unfinished Tales and The Children of Húrin for more First Age tales.

• Tackle The History of Middle-earth in small doses when you crave more. Don‘t feel compelled to read all 12 volumes in order. Just explore what interests you.

• Accept the dense, archaic nature of The Silmarillion. Appreciate it as a world history, not a novel. Use online guides and wikis to reference characters and events as needed.

• Remember there is no one "right" way to read Tolkien‘s works! Follow your interests and you can‘t go wrong.

I hope you found this guide useful! Let me know if you have any other questions. I could talk Tolkien reading orders all day long. Now go enjoy exploring the incredible depths of his legendarium!