The Lord of the Rings and Middle-earth audiobooks in order
Two complete recordings are on sale side by side. Andy Serkis's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings came out in 2020-21 and his Silmarillion in 2023, and the store leads with them; the older Rob Inglis readings are still there, and he sings the songs rather than speaking them. The older Silmarillion is Martin Shaw's.
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J.R.R. TolkienNarrated by Andy Serkis (released 2020–23), or the older readings: Rob Inglis for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Martin Shaw for The Silmarillion · 5 booksPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · cropped, via Wikimedia CommonsWhich order should you listen in?
The Hobbit first, then the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings. The Silmarillion is not a novel and is a hard listen — treat it as optional and last.
The Lord of the Rings and Middle-earth in publication order
- 1
The Hobbit (1937) - 2
The Fellowship of the Ring (1954) - 3
The Two Towers (1954) - 4
The Return of the King (1955) - 5
The Silmarillion (1977)
Which recording should you buy?
4 books in this series are sold as more than one recording. Each comparison says which to buy and why:
- The Hobbit5 recordings compared
- The Fellowship of the Ring3 recordings compared
- The Two Towers3 recordings compared
- The Return of the King3 recordings compared