Yahoo Lifestyle How to Read the 'Lord of the Rings' Books in Order
As fantasy series go, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings saga has a relatively low barrier to entry. There are only four books in the main series, and none of them are too terribly long. But if you’re a completist, there’s no limit to how deep you can dive into what the author called his "legendarium." There are poems, prequel tales and histories that add tons of detail to the main series.
If you’re wondering where to start as The War of the Rohirrim hits theaters, then look no further—this guide will teach you how to read Tolkien’s masterwork in both release and chronological order.
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How many Lord of the Rings books are there?
The main Lord of the Rings saga consists of four books: The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. While Tolkien wrote numerous other works set in Middle-earth, those books—most of which were published posthumously—are not technically part of The Lord of the Rings. These include things like 1962’s The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, a book of poetry, and 1977’s The Silmarillion, a posthumous collection of myths and stories edited by his son Christopher Tolkien.
How to read the Lord of the Rings books in release order
While Tolkien’s posthumously published works are set chronologically before the Lord of the Rings saga, most fans agree that it’s best to start by reading in release order:
1. The Hobbit (1937)
The book that started it all, The Hobbit tells the story of an unsuspecting hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who finds himself thrust into an epic adventure involving dwarves, elves and a dragon after a visit from his pal Gandalf, a wizard. (Hobbits, for the uninitiated, are Tolkien’s fictional race of small, peaceful, human-like creatures, or "halflings," who love food and relaxation above all else.)
2. The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)
The first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy begins 60 years after the events of The Hobbit, with Bilbo celebrating his 111th birthday (although much of the action takes place 17 years after that). After Bilbo decides to leave his home in the Shire, he bequeaths an old ring he acquired in The Hobbit to his nephew Frodo. Gandalf soon realizes that this ring is no mere trinket, and Frodo must set off on a dangerous mission to destroy it with help from a Fellowship of dwarves, elves, men and other hobbits.
3. The Two Towers (1954)
The second book in the trilogy finds the Fellowship split into several groups, with Frodo and Sam setting out for Mordor with help from the scheming Gollum, while Merry and Pippin assist the Ents (tree creatures) with their war against Saruman. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, meanwhile, head to Rohan (home of the Rohirrim horse warriors—sound familiar?), where they help King Théoden fight off a host of orcs at the Battle of Helm’s Deep.
4. The Return of the King (1955)
The saga comes to a close in the third volume of the trilogy, which tracks Frodo and Sam’s final push to Mount Doom and sees Aragorn accepting his rightful place on the throne of Gondor.
How to read the Lord of the Rings books in chronological order
If you’re planning to read only the main Lord of the Rings saga, then chronological order is exactly the same as release order: The Hobbit followed by The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. But if you’re planning to include the additional Middle-earth books that were published after Tolkien’s death, the chronological order changes quite a bit:
1. The Silmarillion (1977)
The Silmarillion is a collection of stories that Tolkien began in his lifetime but didn’t finish. After his 1973 death, his son Christopher completed and edited the book, which consists of five stories set across the First, Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth. (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place in the Third Age, while Prime Video’s The Rings of Power series happens in the Second Age.)
2. Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth (1980)
If you make it through The Silmarillion and think, “More esoteric stories from the Second Age, please,” then Unfinished Tales is the book for you. This one also includes incomplete stories finished by Christopher, some of which appear in The Silmarillion in different forms.
3. The Children of Húrin (2007)
This is the first of the three “Great Tales” set in the First Age of Middle-earth. While it was also left unfinished by Tolkien, it is structured as one novel.
4. Beren & Lúthien (2017)
The second Great Tale tells the story of the man Beren and his elf lover, Lúthien. Their romance is mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, as it mirrors the relationship between Aragorn and Arwen.
5. The Fall of Gondolin (2018)
The final Great Tale, The Fall of Gondolin follows the collapse of an elven utopia destroyed by the evil Morgoth during the First Age.
6. The Fall of Númenor (2022)
Edited by Brian Sibley following Christopher Tolkien’s 2020 death, The Fall of Númenor covers the founding and collapse of Númenor as well as the forging of the Rings of Power. It also includes the Last Alliance of Elves and Men (covered in flashback in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy) that ended Sauron’s first rule.
7. The Hobbit (1937)
8. The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)
9. The Two Towers (1954)
10. The Return of the King (1955)
In what order should I read the Lord of the Rings books?
Most fans agree that it’s best to start with The Hobbit and then proceed with the Lord of the Rings trilogy before diving into The Silmarillion and Tolkien’s other works. The Silmarillion is sort of a history book, so some readers find it to be a little dry as an introduction to Tolkien’s legendarium. The Hobbit, meanwhile, is a fast-paced adventure story suitable for kids, so it’s an easy and fun way to enter into the exceedingly complex lore of Middle-earth.
Which Lord of the Rings books are the movies based on?
Peter Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings series is based on the three books in the trilogy, with each movie roughly corresponding to the book it’s named after. Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, meanwhile, is mostly based on The Hobbit, although those movies—An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013) and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)—also include material from the appendices of The Lord of the Rings. (The appendices are located in the back of The Return of the King and include family trees, charts, annals of rulers and more.)
The 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings, directed by Ralph Bakshi, only adapts from the first two volumes of the trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.
Related: My Precious! How to Watch the Lord of the Rings Movies In Order
Which Lord of the Rings book is the TV show, The Rings of Power, based on?
Prime Video’s TV series The Rings of Power is based primarily on material from the appendices of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. There are a few characters in the show who appear in Jackson’s films—much younger versions of Galadriel and Elrond, for example—but The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings. The Rings of Power also condenses events that in the appendices take place over thousands of years.
Related: Will 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Return for Season 3?
Which book is The War of the Rohirrim based on?
Like The Rings of Power, The War of the Rohirrim is based on the appendices of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The new movie tells the story of Helm Hammerhand, a legendary king of Rohan who defends his kingdom against an attack from Dunlendings. It is set 183 years before the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Related: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim: Everything to Know
Supplemental material
If you’re looking to go really deep into the world of Middle-earth, there is no shortage of books to be explored. In addition to aforementioned poetry books like The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Christopher Tolkien edited The History of Middle-earth, a 12-volume series that includes The Book of Lost Tales and The Lays of Beleriand, among other things.
In 2021, Carl F. Hostetter edited a book called The Nature of Middle-earth, which contains explanations of really esoteric concepts, like the way time passes in Tolkien’s universe. And in 2024, Tolkien scholars Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond published a three-volume series called The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien, which contains nearly 200 of the author’s poems.
Then there are the countless unofficial reference books like David Day’s The Tolkien Bestiary and Karen Wynn Fonstad’s The Atlas of Middle-earth. When it comes to Middle-earth lore, the road goes ever on.
