Which ONE would you recommend?

[Elendil3119]

Besides The Sil and UT, which single volume of HoMe would you recommend to someone, and why? I would say Morgoth's Ring, because it offers so much insight into the customs and practices of the Elves.

 

[FoolOfATook]

I agree- if I could only recommend one volume of the HoMe, it would be Morgoth's Ring. This is almost by default- the criterion of only choosing one book effectively removes half of the twelve volumes from consideration- the sets of BoLT 1 and 2 and the 4 volume History of the Lord of the Rings.

 

[Walter]

Which ONE of the twelve pieces of a puzzle - which alltogether make a nice picture - would you recommend to someone, and why?

Which ONE of a tree's branches are you going to cut off and give it away as representing the tree?

 

[Elendil3119]

Walter, what I am asking is: which one of the 12 volumes of HoMe (in you opinion) has the most valuable information and/or meant the most to you? Is there one in particular you would recommend to a friend?

 

[Inderjit S]

For info either HoME 10, or maybe 11 and 12.

 

[Elfarmari]

That is a very hard question. My personal favorite is Lays of Beleriand, but unless you really like poetry you would find it quite boring. I would recommend Morgoth's Ring, for the reasons already stated by others.

 

[Walter]

Originally posted by Elendil3119
Walter, what I am asking is: which one of the 12 volumes of HoMe (in you opinion) has the most valuable information and/or meant the most to you? Is there one in particular you would recommend to a friend?

Personally, Vol 10 is my favourite also, not because it has the most valuable information, but because it covers a few issues that interest me the most.

However, I would never recommend a single book out of this series, because whatever picture you get from it, it will only be one piece of the puzzle, without the rest one will never get the "bigger picture".

If it's meant as a starting point into exploring the development of Tolkien's mythology, the Lost Tales I & II would be a good choice, if one is interested in poems, it is Vol III. If one wants to get the background of the LotR VI-IX are necessary a.s.o.

Honestly, IMO one single volume doesn't make much sense, unless it is meant to be a starting point with other's to follow...

 

[Beleg]

I would recomend The lost road and other writings, HOME 5. But that's only if you are interested in Language, if not Then HOME10 and Perhaps HOME11.

 

[Gil-Galad]

I would recommend you The Book of Lost Tales 1 and The Book of Lost Tales 2.I really like them both.

 

[FrankSinatra]

'Return Of The Shadow' is the most readable i think.

But i enjoy it because it is similar to my favourite part of the book.

 

[Mormegil]

My favourite of the HoME books is vol. 12 The People's of Middle-Earth.
It is excellent for newcomers to the series because it relates heavily to LoTR, whilst easing them into the style that the HoME series is written in.
Plus it has some great essays regarding the Blue Wizards, Glorfindel etc.
It is also probably the most 'stand-alone' of the series.

PoME would be the book I would recommend.

 

[Arvedui]

A little of topic, but is there any given order in which the series should be read? Do you have to start with BoLT 1, and end with The Peoples of ME? Or can you read them in any way you feel?

 

[Walter]

Originally posted by Arvedui
A little of topic, but is there any given order in which the series should be read? Do you have to start with BoLT 1, and end with The Peoples of ME? Or can you read them in any way you feel?

IMO 6-9 (the LotR development) and to some degree also 3 (the Lays) stand separated from the rest.

For the others I would read them in order.

Please check out also this thread: http://thetolkien.forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=287338#post287338 and/or the HoMe Description at the Wiki.

 

[Arvedui]

I should have guessed....

*bangs his head repeatedly in the desk*

Don't try it, it hurts. Ouch!

 

[~ArwenEstel~]

My favorite is #5 The Lost Road and other writings! It has a really interesting story at the begining. If you like the Sil this would be the best one. It mostly has stuff from the Sil.

 

[Inderjit S]

HoME 5 documents the early Silmarillion, the HoME with the most 'actual' info on the Silmarillion are 10 and 11, from which C.T based most of the writings in the Published Sil. on.