h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"The Hobbit" book precedes the Lord of the Rings and is essential reading for those aobut to plunge into the trilogy. It gives the reader crucial background about the ring and its history, where Bilbo Baggins found it and how he retrieved it.

As an aside, it is also much easier to "get into" than the lengthy tome that comes afterwards (although I love my "LOTTR")

I agree that The Hobbit is easier to "get into", but that is because is is aimed at a younger audience as a primer into Tolkiens world.

Could be, could be - but I still maintain there is some historical info and context you would not be armed with if you hadn't read it before LOTR...

ps - read both at the same age, didn't find any discrepancies in style, just that the storyline was simpler as it focused on one part of the plot rather than the intertwining of Tolkein's world which comes later in LOTR as it must when there was danger afoot.

True where it concerns the Bilbo came by it, plus the origins of Sting and Bilbos Mithril armour. But if you really want al the history for the LOTR series you need to read the majority of The Silmarillion.

Personally I think that it is not necessary to read the Hobbit before LoTR. However I do think that anyone who does not want to read the Hobbit would be out of their mind and so I would advise that the correct order for reading both books would be with the Hobbit first.

Concerning the Silmarillion. I think that this is not best read as an introduction to LoTR and hence should not be read before it. I feel that more enjoyment can be gained by reading it after LoTR and before a re-reading (hopefully one of many)

Tolkien was into 'numbers' meaning he seems to be saying something with all the numbers and dates he used.

For example, there was a lavish party for both Bilbo aged 111 and Frodo aged 33.

And 111 x 33 is 4 = 915.75.

And the volume for the greatest mountain of hewn stone ever is the Geat Pyramid at 91,575,000 cubic feet.

And the Bible speaks of 144,000 men standing upon the spiritual Mount Sion, and Bilbo at 111 + Frodo at 33 = 144.

And so on... where the Ring of Fire at 865,000 miles, the diameter of the Sun, less 144,000 x 4 is 289,000 the label for the Serpent Rouge, at 1700 x 170. For 17 is the seventh prime 'divine'.

And the Ring of War at 42,200 and the diamter of Mars is 4220 miles, is found in 12 lots of 2890 + Venus at 7520, (the planet Venus is 7520 miles in diameter).

So a dozen Serpents Rouge x the Daughter of Babylon, that is Venus, reveals the Ring of War.

And Venus at 7.520000e+12 /4 is 1.8800000e+12 the cube root is 187 x 66 and as feet the length and height of the Sphinx.

So the great Red Serpent and the Sphinx make the Ring of War.

And when the Serpent Rouge looks into the Mirror, that is 2890 + 2890 at 5780 looks into 10,000 he see 4220 the Ring of War.

And so on...