HoME sweet HoMe?

[Thinlómien]

I started this thread because I have been wanting to read HoME (History of Middle-Earth) for over three years, but have never really started. My biggest problem is starting, I don't know where to start.

I own The Peoples of Middle-Earth and The Shaping of Middle-Earth. The first one I bought last autumn and couldn't read it in normal order (I couldn't stand what Marcho and Blanco did in the 968th version of the story) and read the part concerning Fëanor's sons and such. That's all.

The latter one I tried to read two (?) years ago and stopped because I was frustrated because I didn't know what "gnome" meant. Later, I got to know it, but haven't touched the book ever since.

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Which one of the HoME would you recommend people to start with? Why? Which one is your favourite? Why?

What part of PoME or SoME would you recommend me to start with? Or maybe to leave them alone and take another one first?

All other thoughts concerning HoME reading process are very welcome, including your own experiences.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

I read the HoMEs in order, which I thought was the logical thing to do (and I still do).

I'm very proud of my mastery of the English language, but BoLT 1 and 2 were the toughest books I've had to wrestle, a tad harder than the King James version of the Bible.

After that, though, it was smooth sailing. I've quoted from those two more than from any other HoME.

(Vzv, due to geographical constraints, I have only the first six HoMEs. Go figure where I'll get the rest. And to think HoME X is très interessant . . . but I fear I digress.)

[Lalwendë]

I still think everyone should just throw themselves into HoME at whatever part looks most interesting to be honest. Of course there are benefits to reading them in order, but the really interesting and exciting stuff does not occur in the first couple of volumes. And these can also be very complex which may put some readers off.

I remember the volumes first coming out and used to take them out of the library as they appeared - it used to take me a long time to get through one as I would have school work to do as well. If people also have a lot of other work to do and not much time to spare a good place to begin is with the volumes relating to LotR - Vols VI to IX. My favourite though, has got to be X - Morgoth's Ring. If you want to know more about the Elves' daily lives, how marriage worked etc, then this is a great place to start!

Nilpaurion - have you tried ebay or Amazon? You can get volumes of HoME in paperback quite cheaply! Or do you have import taxes and that kind of thing to get round?

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

My favourite though, has got to be X - Morgoth's Ring. If you want to know more about the Elves' daily lives, how marriage worked etc, then this is a great place to start!

Sounds interesting... Actually very interesting. That might be the next thing I will buy from a bookstore (after English version of LotR ). Just curious, but why is it called "Morgoth's Ring"?

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Sounds interesting... Actually very interesting. That might be the next thing I will buy from a bookstore (after English version of LotR ). Just curious, but why is it called "Morgoth's Ring"?

'tis based on one of the essays therein, in which Tolkien puts forward the theory that just as Sauron put much of himself into the Ring, and so weakened the part of himself seperate from the Ring, Morgoth put much of himself into the physical matter of Arda- all of Arda is Morgoth's Ring- and thus we are given a bit of an explanation for Morgoth's apparently weaker form at the end of the First Age than at any time previous.

It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

'tis based on one of the essays therein, in which Tolkien puts forward the theory that just as Sauron put much of himself into the Ring, and so weakened the part of himself seperate from the Ring, Morgoth put much of himself into the physical matter of Arda- all of Arda is Morgoth's Ring- and thus we are given a bit of an explanation for Morgoth's apparently weaker form at the end of the First Age than at any time previous.

That's really interesting. I'm even more convinced I should read that book.

By the way, what is your favourite HoME, Form?

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

That's really interesting. I'm even more convinced I should read that book.

By the way, what is your favourite HoME, Form?

Well...

It's difficult to say. I think I can safely eliminate the four volumes dealing with The Lord of the Rings- excellent as they are, I prefer the Silm stuff.

I think my favourite is probably either XII: The Peoples of Middle-Earth or else II: The Book of Lost Tales, Part 2. On the balance, let's just make it II: Book of Lost Tales, Part 2. It's a fascinating glimpse into a Silmarillion that could have been.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

I think my favourite is probably either XII: The Peoples of Middle-Earth

i have that book - what chapters do you recommend besides the Noldor issue I've already cleared?

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

i have that book - what chapters do you recommend besides the Noldor issue I've already cleared?

The "Shibboleth of Fëanor" is probably my favourite part of the book, but "Dwarves and Men" is a very interesting essay as well- perhaps the only real look into the Wilderland's non-Dúnedainic history.

The two stories, "The New Shadow" and "Tal-Elmar" are both tantalizing glimpses into what could have been epics. Of the two, I lean towards Tal-Elmar's tale for preference, but either is delicious- as far as they went.

The history of the Appendices, by and large, is the more boring part of the book, but there's interesting information in there, and the first read through, at least, had some interesting insights.