Lord of the Rings,Centennary Edition
The Annotated Hobbit
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
history of middle-earth
Are these books worth buying? Another question, is the history of middle-earth 10 volumes long?IF so, would they be selling it at main stores such as chapters or would they have it in the library. sry but i'm not aloud to do anything becuase it's exams time and decided to get help from people that actually know Tolkien's works..thanx in advance!
Thread: worth it
I wrote the following under 'Unfinished Tales' today.
As to the other two volumes, I can not speak to them with any authority for I have not seen them, but consider they are just another gimick to increase the wealth of the publishers and the Tolkien estate at we the readers expense.
Quote:
Definitely buy and The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, but don't rush into buying the ten volume History of Middle-earth series, as it is basically a reference set and much that you will find there is apocryphal and doesen't make for a good read, as in a good adventure story. IMHO. Look through the H.O.M.E. threads to find a list of those volumes that you might find interesting.
You might also find The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien useful, I have. Definitely buy and The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, but don't rush into buying the ten volume History of Middle-earth series, as it is basically a reference set and much that you will find there is apocryphal and doesen't make for a good read, as in a good adventure story. IMHO. Look through the H.O.M.E. threads to find a list of those volumes that you might find interesting.
As to the other two volumes, I can not speak to them with any authority for I have not seen them, but consider they are just another gimick to increase the wealth of the publishers and the Tolkien estate at we the readers expense.
i to have written that you should by every book you find that is by Tolk and edited by Chris or not. some good others are the bios
The Letters of Tolkien is a must have, especially if you write Tolkien fan fic. They rank above The Silm and HoME if you want to check your canon facts. Why? The two mentioned works have been heavily edited by his son, where the letters remain more true to what Tolkien himself intended.
The letters are a must if you really want to gain insight into Tolkien's work. I find myself referring to them over and over again. I have come to respect The Lord of the Rings with all its intricacies a lot more with the professors letters at hand. 
I havent read THE LETTERS yet , can someone at PT tell me a little about them ?
'Letters' gives an excellent insight into what Tolkien was thinking, planning, wondering... lots of extra information on characters, places, races, customs etc. Well worth getting.
Yes his letters are a window into his life and t hought and emotions. It also shows the long drawn out complicated process to get his work published and his seemingly never ending struggles with publishers in other countries who had no understanding of his work and were forever trying to change the names of characters and such. Shocking and troubling to say the least.
