The Lord of the Rings: This is the Best Tolkien Book Order!

When JRR Tolkien published his major work “The Lord of the Rings” in 1954, he had already created a gigantic fantasy universe through notes, letters and manuscripts. In order to be able to fully understand and encompass this, the 3 volumes adapted to films are not enough. However, the sheer volume of extended backstory crammed into several large works can be overwhelming for the newcomer.

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In the following overview we will tell you what possibilities there are to read The Silmarillion, individual stories published by Tolkien’s son and accessories. First of all, let’s start with what is perhaps the simplest and most practical reading order, which many have probably already followed automatically.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Ledgers in Order of Publication

For the best overview if you’ve never read a Tolkien book, we recommend ordering the main books of The Ringsaga by publication date.

• The Hobbit (1937)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (1954)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (1955)
• The Silmarillion (1977)

This reads first the story of how Bilbo found the One Ring, then the War of the Ring, and then the complete history of Middle-earth in The Silmarillion. This reading order is the most beginner-friendly because it introduces you so gently to Tolkien’s world. Knowing the Peter Jackson films makes it even easier to navigate the world.

The Lord of the Rings: Supplements to the Main Saga

The following works offer a deeper and more complex examination of Tolkien’s universe and all ages. However, they are only recommended for those who are already familiar with the events of the Ring saga. These cannot be specifically classified in the timeline and tell less coherent stories.

For readers who dare, however, they offer a good portion of background and additional knowledge about Tolkien’s universe. Unfortunately, only two of the books of the lost stories have been translated into German. However, all other nine volumes can be found in the English original “The Book of Lost Tales”.

• The Book of Lost Tales Part 1
• The book of lost stories part 2
• The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
• Bilbo’s farewell song
• Nature and essence of Middle-earth
• Tales from the Dangerous Kingdom

For advanced Tolkien readers who are already familiar with most Tolkien works, a chronological order of all books is also recommended. In this you read first of all about the creation of Arda and the kingdoms in Beleriand, then the following ages and only at the very end about the War of the Ring.

Annotation: In the following lists, we divide the individual chapters of “The Silmarillion” so that you don’t read the book in one go, but pause every now and then. The book has a total of five parts and each part has different chapters. We use the headings of the individual parts.

1st age

• The Silmarillion Part 1: Ainulindalë (The Music of the Ainur)
• The Silmarillion Part 2: Valaquenta
• The Silmarillion Part 3: Quenta Silmarillion
• News from Middle-earth

• The Children of Hurin
• Beren and Luthien
• The case of Gondolin
• Tales from the Dangerous Kingdom

2nd age

• The Silmarillion Part 4: Akallabêth (The Fall of Númenor)

3rd age

• The Silmarillion Part 5: Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age
• The Hobbit
• Lord of the Rings
• The fellows
• The two Towers
• The Return of the King

Perhaps the sheer number of works may be overwhelming for one or the other, but once you have gotten an overview, you can choose the most interesting works for yourself. Those who are only interested in the events of the films will probably be best advised with the 3 “main books” of the Ringsaga.

If you want to know how the elves were at the peak of their power, try out “The Children of Húrin” or “Beren and Lúthien”. And anyone who is interested in the biblical myth of the origin of Tolkien’s universe will reach for the Silmarillion. In any case, you will be able to understand and enjoy even more references and brief mentions in the “Rings of Power” series.