THOME box in 3 Boxes or every 📔Book one by one?

[LotR_lotro]

Hello. I am planing on reading the complete history of middle earth and here comes my question: should I buy the edition put into 3 books or should I buy all 12 books 1by1? I want to read it in english for the first time and want to know what the best desicion is.

 

[Olorgando]

I have 11 of the 12 books in paperback, the last in hardcover.
With four books in each of the three volumes, that would come to about 1,450 pages for the first volume, and over 1,900 pages for the second and third.
As I do very little reading while sitting at a desk, like in a library, I would go for 12 separate books, just for comfort of reading (which I do a lot!).
But if you do most of your reading at a desk - I have some bricks or slabs of books that I always read this way, mostly atlases - then the three-volume edition might be a choice. I don't know if anyone here has such an edition, if yes, they'd be able to give you more precise advice.

 

[Ent]

should I buy the edition put into 3 books or should I buy all 12 books 1by1? I want to read it in english for the first time and want to know what the best desicion is.

An interesting question.
I decided to get the 3-volume just to be sure i "had them all" for research etc. if needed. But I wouldn't call it a "general reading" set, unless one enjoys holding a hefty book (or 3.)
It looks very nice on my shelf... and I have referred to it from time to time while I did this next step.

Realizing my intent was not only to read, but to be able to Research, I determined even paperbacks weren't the best choice - but the digital versions, as searching for words, names, topics etc. is so quick and easy.

Plus, I tend to highlight. The beauty of Digital is I can highlight for a topic currently at hand, then delete them when done, and highlight other stuff. (I would never highlight in the 3-vol. boxed set... it's just 'too nice'. So, in the end they are going to end up as 'space consumers' that need occasional dusting, like other bobbles and nick nacks that sit around the office.)

Now... here's the deal... only the first 9 of the 12 are currently available as digital versions, so I did get the other 3 in paperback.

So the question becomes: what do you want to do with them? Just read them all? Or study them over and over? And do you mind marking up the hardbacks if you highlight?

Thwack - into your court. 🙂

 

[Ent]

Hello. I am planing on reading the complete history of middle earth and here comes my question: should I buy the edition put into 3 books or should I buy all 12 books 1by1? I want to read it in english for the first time and want to know what the best desicion is.

By the way... welcome aboard. We hope you stick around with us in the Forum here, share your thoughts, questions, etc., and learn together with us as we continue to explore Tolkien's works. There are a bunch of well-read folks here that are very helpful in opening up and sorting out the Lore as we go along.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Is this the 3-volume edition you're referring to?

If so, Amazon lists it for $100US, which would probably be in line with a set of paperbacks:

Amazon.com

I see it's currently shown as "out of stock" but there are customer reviews as recent as last month, so they may get it back in soon. If I didn't already have copies of the hardback originals, I'd go with those. In fact, I'm still a little tempted. 😄

Oh, and welcome to the forum, lotR_lotro! 🙂
Despite people here getting tired of hearing me say it, I'll add that, if you'd like to introduce yourself to the membership, and say something about your particular interests, don't forget our New Members forum:

https://thetolkien.forum/forums/new-members.58/

 

[Ealdwyn]

Is this the 3-volume edition you're referring to?
View attachment 15503
If so, Amazon lists it for $100US, which would probably be in line with a set of paperbacks:

It would also look really nice on the bookshelf.

Almost as nice as this set of HoME 😁

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I can say only that, had I known what a set of original hardbacks would be going for these days, I wouldn't have marked mine up.

Then again, I probably would have anyway. 😄

 

[Ealdwyn]

Marked as in written in them???

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Yep, afraid so. Only in pencil, mind you, but still. . .

 

[Ealdwyn]

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

In my defense, most of my marking is limited to the HoLOTR volumes, where I was checking off errors Christopher had come across-- though I did make some notes, while trying to sort out the complicated evolution of the Stone of Erech, which is a particular interest of mine.

 

[LotR_lotro]

An interesting question.
I decided to get the 3-volume just to be sure i "had them all" for research etc. if needed. But I wouldn't call it a "general reading" set, unless one enjoys holding a hefty book (or 3.)
It looks very nice on my shelf... and I have referred to it from time to time while I did this next step.

Realizing my intent was not only to read, but to be able to Research, I determined even paperbacks weren't the best choice - but the digital versions, as searching for words, names, topics etc. is so quick and easy.

Plus, I tend to highlight. The beauty of Digital is I can highlight for a topic currently at hand, then delete them when done, and highlight other stuff. (I would never highlight in the 3-vol. boxed set... it's just 'too nice'. So, in the end they are going to end up as 'space consumers' that need occasional dusting, like other bobbles and nick nacks that sit around the office.)

Now... here's the deal... only the first 9 of the 12 are currently available as digital versions, so I did get the other 3 in paperback.

So the question becomes: what do you want to do with them? Just read them all? Or study them over and over? And do you mind marking up the hardbacks if you highlight?

Thwack - into your court. 🙂

I have only read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by now and started reading the silmaril. I just want to read all of Tolkiens masterpieces and when I have done that I want to analyze and study them but I know it will take atleast a year to just read all the books and I want to have a fun reading experience. Would you reccomend the 3 volume set or the paperbacks for that porpuse (sorry for bad english)

PS: thank you for taking your time to help another tolkien fan

 

[Ent]

Would you reccomend the 3 volume set or the paperbacks for that porpuse (sorry for bad english)

PS: thank you for taking your time to help another tolkien fan

It is my pleasure to help in whatever small ways I can, believe me.

I guess with that objective, I would personally recommend the paperbacks. They will be easier for you to handle, and may "feel" less daunting than having so much material (so many books) all in your hands to get through. "Smaller segments to chew on".

Also, if you are reading in one of the books, and it crosses your mind that 'you have read that in an earlier one' and you want to check back on it. for me it's easier to set down the paperback you're holding and grab the other paperback to review.

(Some might argue that if you're reading the 3 hardbacks and the book you need is in the one you're already in, it's easier to just 'flip back' and look there. I wouldn't argue with them...it is easy enough to do that.)

I can only add that 'experience' suggests to me that even as I'm reading on 'my first time through' I find I bump into key thoughts that I want to research based on what I've already read before... (or whatever) ... and I inevitably want to grab something and underline or highlight them to refer back to.

Would you do that in the hardbacks? Or only the paperbacks. If it doesn't matter to you whether you mark up either one, then this is irrelevant.

Or indeed, If you have greater restraint than I do, and are absolutely certain you're not going to mark up anything at all on a 'first time through', then it also really doesn't matter which you get. (Though if you're a little 'rough' on your books, that might be another reason to go with paperbacks. You may want to keep the hardbacks in very nice shape - but that too is an 'individual' thing, person to person.)

It may also come down to "which is the less expensive to invest in" as a starting set. I don't know where you come from and what prices are like for you there. Once you've got them read the first time, then you can decide whether and which investments you may want to make going forward.

Really, at the end of the day, I don't think you can go in a 'wrong' direction - other than not getting them at all. Now THAT would be 'just wrong'. 🙂

As every one of us is different, it's hard for me to make a 'declarative statement' on what's best for you... I'm sorry.

(And your English is fine..! Not to worry.)

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I'll say this: what's a "fun reading experience" for some, is heavy going for others. The first two volumes, The Book of Lost Tales, contain Tolkien's earliest writings in the legendarium, and were written in a heavily archaizing style which puts off a lot of readers. On the other hand, you'll find there the only full story of the Fall of Gondolin.

Several of the other volumes trace further development of the Silmarillion material, over the decades. Whether delving into that interests you will depend on how much you like the published Silmarillion. Some certainly find it fascinating.

LOTR is central for me, so the four volumes containing The Hisory of The Lord of the Rings get more reading than the others; I find Tolkien's thought processes, in writing that classic, of tremendous interest. Other people find them tedious. So you see,, it's going to depend on your area of interest, really.

As to editions, that also will depend on various factors personal to you: ease of use, as Mr. O mentioned, price, whether you plan to "write in them" (no doubt to Ealdwyn's horror), and others that might come to mind.

I'd just say, if you want them, get them, in whichever edition seems best. Over to you.

 

[Ent]

I'll say this: what's a "fun reading experience" for some,

Indeed, our friend S-eS makes great points. Even the nature of the books and what they cover differs.
If it doesn't matter to you whether the reading is 'a bit tough' vs. 'a little easier', or is 'more story like' or 'more historical/research like', then it doesn't matter.

We're really not trying to be wishy-washy... it's just that the universe Tolkien has handed us is so broad in so many ways... so it does become 'very individual.'

The final element is 'time'. It may take you awhile to collect 'all the books' all at once individually. I don't know.
But if in fact 'all at once' is a primary consideration, and you have access to the 3-volume set but not all the other books, simply time itself may be the final determining factor.

Again, you really can't go wrong... other than not to proceed, in some fashion suitable to YOU.

 

[Ealdwyn]

I'm one of those people who switches around from volume to volume - for example, I like to read the earlier writings on the Silm side-by-side with the later writings. They are also (for me, anyway) books that I dip into on topics of interest, rather than read from cover to cover. So my personal preference would be for individual volumes, whether hardback or paperback.

But it's really up to you and how you think you'll use them.

 

[Ent]

whether hardback or paperback

Indeed... and on this I cannot deny... there's a small part of this Ent that would still love to have a full set (in nice condition) of the individual hardbacks..!!
Yet one wants to fill out one's library with things not duplicated before one starts indulging in 'havingness for havingness' sake'. ('One' being... ME. 😁)
I've got some duplicate stuff already - mostly to have a different version pre-update at hand... but not much.

The day may come (soon) to fulfill my lust for 'the rest of the story'. I do like dusting bobbles.

 

[LotR_lotro]

Thank you guys for all your answers. I think I will get the 3-volume version for reading it the first time, then I will have to read some more books to get into the legendarium of Tolkien. After that I can still buy the paperbacks to do research.

I am fascinated how lovely and helpful the Tolkien Fans are to new members <3

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

By the way, after finishing Silmarillion, I definitely recommend Unfinished Tales next.

 

[Olorgando]

Thank you guys for all your answers. I think I will get the 3-volume version for reading it the first time, then I will have to read some more books to get into the legendarium of Tolkien. After that I can still buy the paperbacks to do research.

I am fascinated how lovely and helpful the Tolkien Fans are to new members <3

I think it's safe to assume, at present at least, that here on TTF you're overwhelmingly in the company of book nerds. So anyone whose introduction is "I want to buy the complete History of Middle-earth" is certain to be welcomed.