A listing of Tolkien's works and where they all fit together, with some guidance on reading-order.
Tolkien Recommended Reading
Possession is 9/10ths of the Law.
I was struck by a passage recently in my annual re-read. When Frodo, Sam, and Pippin have their first encounter with a Black Rider, the text refers to the Ring as belonging to Frodo. A sudden unreasoning fear of discovery laid hold of Frodo, and he thought of his Ring. [I, 3, 'Three is Company']... Continue Reading →
Andy Serkis’ Reading of “The Lord of the Rings”
Well, in my listening to Serkis' reading of LotR, Frodo has been stabbed and we're mere paragraphs away from meeting Tom, Bert, and William again. This is far enough to allow me to pass some judgement on the overall performance, I think.Short version: I like it very much. I can confidently recommend it.Longer version: Serkis... Continue Reading →
What the Ell?
I was re-reading Tolkien's translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight when I came to the description of the chlorophyllic ka-nig-it's weapon of choice. Coming in at the 10th stanza: 10 And yet he had not a helm, nor a hauberk either, not a pisane, not a plate that was proper to arms; not... Continue Reading →
Farewell, Dear Bilbo
RIP Sir Ian Holm
RIP Christopher Tolkien
RIP, Christopher Tolkien, who has died at the age of 95.
The Indifferent Gods
Was the Ainur's "abandonment" of Middle-earth foretold in their music?
An Open Letter to Christopher Tolkien on His 95th Birthday
A wonderful and heart-felt Open Letter to Christopher Tolkien from Luke about his brilliant project.
An open letter to Christopher Tolkien:
Dear sir,
I wanted to share something with you on this day of special magnificence, your ninety-fifth birthday. For more than a year, I have asked for fans of your father’s work to send me their story for a series I call the Tolkien Experience Project. I ask a few questions for each participant to answer, and, in doing so, they share how they learned about J.R.R. Tolkien, what they love about his writing, how his writing has influenced their life, and how their approach to his texts has changed over time.
I wanted to make you aware of this project today especially. If you have the chance to read through some of the entries, you will find that many of the participants express gratitude for your father’s work and for your own. Your seemingly tireless dedication to editing and publishing texts and notes…
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Sauron: Second Age (Pt. I)
Where did Sauron come from and what was he doing during the Second Age?
Elros
Who was Elros and why did he matter? What's he got to do with Elrond or with Aragorn?
The Height of Moria’s Glory
What led to Moria becoming such a powerful city for the Dwarves? When did it reach the height of its power? When was its eventual downfall?
The Mathom-house 