Learning about LOTR

[Linaeve]

OK, I'm almost certain this question has been posted here about a million times, but I did ten searches using all different key words (maybe I used the wrong ones?) and couldn't find anything, so if someone could link me to a pre-existing thread (assuming, of course, that there is one), I'd be very grateful.

Anyway, to get to the point: I'm just astounded by the level of LOTR knowledge I've encountered in Barrowdowners new and old. How did you learn so many details? Did you just comb through the books? Or did you go through all the outside sources? Also, I'm interested in buying The History of Middle Earth, but as it consists of 12 volumes, I was wondering whether it's worth going through all 12 volumes, or whether there are specific volumes that I should start with. Finally, do the Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien contain any information that we won't learn from HOME or LOTR?

Thanks in advance for any info! I love LOTR. Unfortunately, being a senior in high school, I have a very limited amount of time that I can dedicated to reading all things LOTR, but I REALLY want to find out whatever I can, since I like knowing about origins and what-not, so that's why I'm asking all these absurd questions [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[ 4:07 PM December 03, 2003: Message edited by: Linaeve ]