Chronological Tolkien Calculator

(Expanded Version)

This calculator needs you to answer five questions. After that, you will be shown what to write in the margins of your books.

Your margin notes will look something like this:

Sample Page from UNFINISHED TALES

These notes will guide you through your reading of the Middle-earth saga. In this example, you are reading Unfinished Tales, and at the end of the top paragraph you come to a margin note. When you see a margin note, you stop reading at the end of the paragraph. Instead of continuing on to the next paragraph on the page, you need to jump to "Section VT".

Where is this section? On page "R-472" – in other words, on page 472 of The Return of the King. Get your copy of this book and turn to this page, and you will find "VT" written in the margin. Continue reading from that point!

You might have noticed on the page above that "AF" is written in the margin at the beginning of the paragraph that you didn't read. Don't worry about that! At some later point in time, some other margin note will tell you to jump to section AF, and you'll read this section then – in its proper chronological order.

Of course, the exact margin notes depends on the page numbering in your books. So now you need to answer the four questions!


Choosing Your Editions

Take a look at your edition of Lord of the Rings. You can use a one-volume version or a three-volume version.

Look in the table of contents for the very last chapter of the book (before the appendices start). This chapter is called "The Grey Havens". What page is it on?



Next, take your edition of The Silmarillion. Open it up to the table of contents. Chapter 21 is called "Of Túrin Turambar". Look at the page number, and select that number here:



Next, take your edition of Unfinished Tales. Open it up to the table of contents and look near the end. Find the page number of "The Drúedain". It is important that you use the page number that appears in the table of contents – don't look for the page number in the body of the book!



Next, take your edition of The Children of Húrin. Open it up to the table of contents. Chapter 3 is called "The Words of Húrin and Morgoth". Look at the page number, and select that number here:



Finally, you need five of the volumes in the History of Middle-Earth series: The Lost Road, Sauron Defeated, Morgoth's Ring, The War of the Jewels, and The Peoples of Middle-Earth.

Take your edition of The Lost Road. Open it up to the table of contents. One of the sections is entitled "The Lhammas". Look at the page number, and select that number here:


Then in the table of contents of your editions of the remaining four volumes and verify that they match "Option A" as described here:

Option A:

(At this time, "Option A" is the only option available. I am fairly sure that these books have never been released in any other paginations. If you do have a different edition, email me and let me know.)

Choose your option from the list below:



In case you were wondering – it doesn't matter which edition of the Hobbit or The Adventures of Tom Bombadil you are reading.

Now press this button, and Chronological Tolkien (Expanded Version) will be customized for your editions.





If you don't find the page numbers of your editions here, my apologies! This means I haven't seen a copy of your edition of the book. If you like, send me email and I will try to add your edition.



***** ****** ***** *****

Chronological Tolkien . . . . . Calculator (Expanded Version)
Created by Larry King

Back to the Chronological Tolkien Page  BACK

Home to the Science Fiction Timeline Site  HOME

EMAIL   Send email to Larry King