Best In-Universe Historical Reading Order

[Mike K.]

A friend and I pick a yearly reading theme of six books that we in the
course of a year. Next year we're thinking of tackling Middle-Earth.
We've both read THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS, so we'd like to
read the Middle-Earth books in 'historical' order.

I can't find a definitive, in-universe historical order. The closest
I've managed to assemble is this:

1. SILMARILLION
2. THE FALL OF GONDOLIN
3. BEREN AND LUTHIEN
4. CHILDREN OF HURIN
5. THE HOBBIT
6. THE LORD OF THE RINGS

I'm not sure about the correct sequence for THE FALL OF GONDOLIN, BEREN
AND LUTHIEN, and CHILDREN OF HURIN. It may be that it's not possible to
put them in a definitive, non-conflicting order. The order above is my
best guess based on skimming their introductions on Wikipedia -- I tried
to avoid spoilers so didn't read beyond that.

What would the readers of this newsgroup recommend as the best
in-universe historical reading order?

[Michael Ikeda]

Post by Mike K.
A friend and I pick a yearly reading theme of six books that we
in the course of a year. Next year we're thinking of tackling
Middle-Earth. We've both read THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE
RINGS, so we'd like to read the Middle-Earth books in
'historical' order.
I can't find a definitive, in-universe historical order. The
1. SILMARILLION
2. THE FALL OF GONDOLIN
3. BEREN AND LUTHIEN
4. CHILDREN OF HURIN
5. THE HOBBIT
6. THE LORD OF THE RINGS
I'm not sure about the correct sequence for THE FALL OF
GONDOLIN, BEREN AND LUTHIEN, and CHILDREN OF HURIN. It may be
that it's not possible to put them in a definitive,
non-conflicting order. The order above is my best guess based
on skimming their introductions on Wikipedia -- I tried to avoid
spoilers so didn't read beyond that.
What would the readers of this newsgroup recommend as the best
in-universe historical reading order?

There isn't a non-conflicting historical order (based on the internal
chronology) because The Silmarillion starts before books 2-4 in your
list and continues on after them (including a chapter which mentions
some of the events in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings).

Assuming the internal chronology of the title events of Fall of
Gondolin, Beren and Luthien, and Children of Hurin hasn't changed
from the internal chronology in The Silmarillion, the best historical
reading order for those three books would be: Beren and Luthien,
Children of Hurin, Fall of Gondolin.