Where can I learn more about the languages of Middle-earth, such as Elvish?

The languages created by J.R.R.Tolkien are at the very centre of his fictional work. The stories, the history and maps were built around the languages to give them a living framework where they could develop. The two most commonly used Elvish languages mentioned in the Middle-earth novels are Quenya (High Elven) and Sindarin (Grey Elven), the languages used by the Eldar. By the time of the third age of Middle-earth Sindarin was most commonly spoken with Quenya reserved for lore and song.

More information on the languages of Middle-earth can be found in Appendix E and F of The Return of the King and The Silmarillion.

A book with the improbably long title of 'An Introduction to Elvish and to Other Tongues and Proper Names and Writing Systems of the Third Age of the Western Lands of Middle-Earth as Set Forth in the Published Writings of Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien' by Jim Allen and 'The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-Earth' by Ruth S. Noel may still be available through such sources as Amazon.co.uk. Please note that these books are not published by HarperCollins.

We have found several unofficial websites dedicated the languages of Tolkien, such as www.elvish.org. Please note that neither HarperCollins Publishers or The Tolkien Estate endorse any unofficial site.

I've heard that it's best to read The Hobbit before The Lord of the Rings. Is that true?

The Hobbit is the prequel to the Lord of the Rings and certainly the Lord of the Rings follows on from the events described with such flair in The Hobbit. However the Lord of the Rings can be enjoyed without having read the Hobbit beforehand.

Is The Hobbit a children's book?

It was originally written by Tolkien for his children and is now regarded as a classic book for that market. However we find that many adults also enjoy this book.

Why is the Lord of the Rings sometimes published as one book, sometimes three books and sometimes seven books?

Originally Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings in six volumes with a further volume of indices and appendices. Due to the length of the saga, we find that many people prefer to have the Lord of the Rings collected into three books for ease and convenience (i.e. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King). We also publish the complete tale in one volume.

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