J.R.R. Tolkien discussion

I am about to embark on my first LotR's journey. Has anyone got any advice on how to tackle the appendices of the book please. Should I read this first, alongside, or after I finish the main book?

Hi! So nice to know you'll be starting the books soon!

For the appendices, I would recommend reading them after your first read through of the books. They contain very useful information on the world and the characters, but a lot of this is in support to the main story and the setting of Middle-Earth. I think you'll get the most out of it once you have been through the journey with all the characters, and a lot of information will make more sense then too.

You can also read the somewhat alongside the books, for instance if you're curious about something that has just been mentioned, you can go check in the appendices what they have to say about it. Only think I wouldn't particularly recommend is starting with them, but then again, there is no right and wrong in this process!

Best of luck with your reading journey, and don't hesitate if you have more questions!

Read them afterwards. They are not nearly as entertaining ahead of time.

I am very fond of linguistics, so I think that reading the pronunciation guide is quite important for knowing how to read the elvish names. If you mind it too, you may consider reading this section. But as a rule I would say that you should read through the Appendices and analise what you may want to read beforehand.

Thanks Andreth, Nick & Rafael. Some good points for me to consider.

Based on what you all have said, I'll read it in it's entirety after completing the book, with the exception of the Elvish language section, which I'll dip into first.

(ps: my mother read the book to me when I was very young, so strictly speaking it'll be my 2nd journey through Middle Earth)

No problem! Hope that you enjoy it!