The Silmarillion vs The Two Towers: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Middle Earth, English Fantasy fiction, Fantasy, Fiction
The Silmarillion
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A number-one New York Times bestseller when it was originally published, The Silmarillion is the core of J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginative writing, a work whose origins stretch back to a time long before The Hobbit.
The Two Towers
“ARAGORN sped on up the hill.”
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The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien's three-volume epic, is set in the imaginary world of Middle-earth -- home to many strange beings, and most notably hobbits, a peace-loving "little people," cheerful and shy. Since…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Two Towers highest: The Two Towers 4.5 · The Silmarillion 4.0.
- The Silmarillion has the widest readership — 17402 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Silmarillion | The Two Towers | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (17402) | — |
| Hardcover | 5.0 (1) | 4.5 (3229) |
| Google Books | 4.5 (18) | 5.0 (10) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (331) | 5.0 (367) |
Reception
| The Silmarillion | The Two Towers | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 17402 | 3229 |
| Editions | 156 | 288 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 301760 | — |
| Reading it now | 2 | — |
| Written reviews | 17402 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 41743 | 8525 |
| Pages | 374 | 450 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Silmarillion or The Two Towers?
The Two Towers has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Two Towers 4.5/5, The Silmarillion 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Silmarillion or The Two Towers?
The Silmarillion is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Silmarillion (374 pages, ≈ 6 h 56 m); The Two Towers (450 pages, ≈ 8 h 20 m).
Which is harder to read: The Silmarillion or The Two Towers?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Silmarillion: Moderate; The Two Towers: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
The Silmarillion: no film adaptation on record; The Two Towers: 3 film adaptations.