For readers who finish The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit hungry for more Middle-earth, the natural instinct is to reach for The Silmarillion. That instinct, while understandable, often leads to frustration.
I don't know, it's a tough question. I read Silmarillion before UT and the rest of the 'extra' books, and to me it was always the right choice. But then again, Simarillion is my favourite of Tolkiens' books. Also because Silmarillion was the only Tolkien's book I knew about after reading The Hobbit and LotR.
I guess it depends what the reader prefers, whether more human-sized stories with personal scale and immediacy, or a grander mythical narrative that presents Tolkien's creation myth, logic of his cosmos and tragedies spanning millenia (with a strong influence over the more personal stories). Tough choice...
I read Silmarillion before UT as well, owing to the fact that UT simply hadn't been published yet though Silmarillion was...
Otherwise, yes, I tend to agree that UT is probably a better starting point, though I did manage to wade through Silmarillion's opening chapters and get to the "good stuff" of the Flight of the Noldor and beyond.
I don't know, it's a tough question. I read Silmarillion before UT and the rest of the 'extra' books, and to me it was always the right choice. But then again, Simarillion is my favourite of Tolkiens' books. Also because Silmarillion was the only Tolkien's book I knew about after reading The Hobbit and LotR.
I guess it depends what the reader prefers, whether more human-sized stories with personal scale and immediacy, or a grander mythical narrative that presents Tolkien's creation myth, logic of his cosmos and tragedies spanning millenia (with a strong influence over the more personal stories). Tough choice...
I read Silmarillion before UT as well, owing to the fact that UT simply hadn't been published yet though Silmarillion was...
Otherwise, yes, I tend to agree that UT is probably a better starting point, though I did manage to wade through Silmarillion's opening chapters and get to the "good stuff" of the Flight of the Noldor and beyond.