[HerenIstarion]

I was in a better position from a beginning seemingly, as I read LoTR in Russian translation - the translator obviously bothered himself reading appendices and made the transcriptions more or less corectly. Though I was emberresed to meet Smaug, not Smog - the Hobbit, which I've read before getting on LoTR (and which was translated decade earlier and by person not familiar with other works of JRRT) he was merely Smog, as well as Tolkien (Tall-Keen) was given as Tall-kee-an (there ar 4 or 5 russian translations, and one of them even gives Tolkien as Tall - kai - an, and another turned ents to onts, while Balrog is Barlog and so on )

But I were lucky to get one best to read at first

A story must be told or there'll be no story, yet it is the untold stories that are most moving