Which of Tolkien's books have you read?

[Loony BoB]

I've read The Hobbit a few times, and The Lord of the Rings about 8-10 times. I've attempted the Silmarillion but it's pretty hard reading!

[Quindiana Jones]

Only the big four. One day I will amass a grand collection and shall read everything, I'm sure.

[blackmage_nuke]

The main four but I only enjoyed The Hobbit

[Jinx]

The Lord of the Rings trilogy. At some point I intend to read The Hobbit and definitely The Silmarillion.

[Bubba]

The main four but I only enjoyed The Hobbit

Same.

The Lord of the Rings is an amazing piece of fiction. It is pretty unrivalled in the level of story and detail. However, if there ever was a story in need of some severe editing then it's this one.

[Bolivar]

Same with the main four, enjoyed The Hobbit the most. LotR is some next-level literature, though, and written in a vastly different time from ours in terms of reader tastes and accessibility. Reading British works from before his time helped me digest it better but YMMV.

[Jinx]

The main four but I only enjoyed The Hobbit

Same.

The Lord of the Rings is an amazing piece of fiction. It is pretty unrivalled in the level of story and detail. However, if there ever was a story in need of some severe editing then it's this one.

I used to think that. But THEN.

They aren't books you can just sit down and devour (which was very hard for me, by the way). You have to read it in pieces and savor it. If you try to do too much too quickly, you're going to become frustrated and ruin the experience.

[Psychotic]

The Lord of the Rings is an amazing story and a rubbish piece of writing.

Would probably rank them

1. Children of Hurin
2. The Hobbit
3. Silmarillion
4. LotR

But I know nobody else anywhere likes CoH so.

[Jinx]

What's Children of Hurin?

[Psychotic]

It's one of the stories in the Silmarillion that got greatly expanded after Tolkien's death using his notes by his son. It's depressing as smurf, but I enjoy the themes and twists and the sheer tragedy of it.

[Bubba]

I used to think that. But THEN.

They aren't books you can just sit down and devour (which was very hard for me, by the way). You have to read it in pieces and savor it. If you try to do too much too quickly, you're going to become frustrated and ruin the experience.

I very rarely devour any book and it can take me a while to finish them. I definitely gave myself chance to savour it but I suppose I just didn't find it particularly 'savoury'. I'm not questioning the richness of the book's detail or the story, I'm mainly questioning how he approaches telling that story.

Also, I think one of my main gripes is the fact that the Two Towers and Return of the King are both split into two stories detailing the journeys of the separate characters. It's a very unique method of storytelling which I didn't find enjoyable at all. This is probably why I much prefer The Fellowship of the Ring out of the three books.

[Shauna]

I have only read The Hobbit, and I think that is a wonderful piece of writing.

I am trying to get through LoTR. I am trying so hard. But damn I feel like I've been at this forever and I am still in the frickin' Shire.

[The Man]

The big four, Unfinished Tales, the first two volumes of History of Middle-Earth (Book of Lost Tales, which are basically an earlier draft of The Silmarillion that I found easier to read than The Silmarillion itself, though that might just be due to me being weird) and a book called The Tolkien Reader are the ones I've finished. I've started some others and not gotten very far. I really, really like the story of The Silmarillion but I find the writing impenetrable, mostly due to Tolkien's habit of using a bunch of different names for each character.

Unfinished Tales is probably worth a read for people who enjoyed LotR and aren't sure where to go next. It's an easier read than The Silmarillion, anyway.

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

trying[/I] to get through LoTR. I am trying so hard. But damn I feel like I've been at this forever and I am still in the frickin' Shire.

This is why I quit reading it thirteen years ago and haven't picked it back up since.
Although I did recently re-purchase the LoTR, 50th anniversary edition. I'm going to try and read them again.

The only one I have read is the Hobbit. I loved it.

[Jinx]

Thirteen years ago? It's definitely time to try again~