J.R.R. Tolkien-Unfishied tales

[Vaprice]

Hello good people of middle earth. A question this one has for the viewing audicence. Does this one need to have read any other books before the "unfinished tales" book? Ex: Simillion. Thank you in advanced for your kind responses.

[Shadowflare]

It helps somewhat, but I don't see it a necessity. The Silmarillion is a book that you have to read with some commitment and effort. If you read it before Unifinished Tales, you'll have some better background. But even then, the book is more than readable without this precursor. It's really up to you. I would just read Unfinished Tales, and if you're confused about some things, go back and read Silmarillion.

[Miriel]

It may not be absolutely necessary, but I would highly recommend that you read the Silmarillion before you attempt any of the other supplementary books. And besides, the Silmarillion is a beautiful book. It's a bit dense and reads like a history book, but it will give you amazing insight into the world of Middle-Earth. I always liked Lord of the Rings, but I didn't fall in love with the trilogy until after I read the Silmarillion.

This is the order in which I read the books:

The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings
The Silmarillion
The Book of Lost Tales
Unfinished Tales
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
History of Middle-Earth (haven't read the entire series for this yet)