Middle-earth
The Hobbit
Bilbo, Gollum’s riddles, and a journey far outside the comfort of home.
Read the reviewTHE HOBBIT & THE LORD OF THE RINGS
Middle-earth
Start with The Hobbit, then read The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. A spoiler-free starting point and reading order for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, with reviews of all four books by Cory Lane.
Cory’s perspective
These are some of my favorite fantasy books of all time. I’d start with The Hobbit, spend some time with Bilbo, and then carry on into The Lord of the Rings.
Can you read The Hobbit on its own?
You can absolutely read The Hobbit as a standalone book and get a complete adventure. I think it goes even better alongside The Lord of the Rings, though.
Recommended reading order
- The Hobbit — a standalone adventure set before The Lord of the Rings.
- The Fellowship of the Ring — the first volume of The Lord of the Rings.
- The Two Towers — the second volume; continue after Fellowship.
- The Return of the King — the third and final volume.
The Lord of the Rings is one continuous story, commonly published in these three volumes. Read them in order.
Reviews
All four books in this guide are now reviewed: The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.
Author / publisher information ↗Reading order & reviews
PREQUEL · Optional
01
Middle-earth
The Fellowship of the Ring
Strider, four hungry hobbits, and the Black Riders on their trail. Tolkien gives this journey a world worth taking your time in.
Read the review02
Middle-earth
The Two Towers
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli get more room to show what they’re capable of, Frodo needs Sam more than ever, and then Tolkien brings in Treebeard and the Ents.
Read the review03
Middle-earth
The Return of the King
Tolkien brought everything together and, for me, finished it perfectly.
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