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Yes, that's why I recommended reading it later. The Appendices were put together because of the flood of letters Tolkien and his publisher received, especially in the 60s when the success of LotR became a global phenomenon, that asked for more information about all the tantalising glimpses into the past that occur in the book. There are now much better sources of information available if you're interested in the same things as those letter-writers. If you only wanted to read LotR and not immerse yourself in Middle-earth any further, you can safely stop now.
Oliver Schick
markyp
It's become more of a study than a story, to me. I must admit that the background does not necessarily add to the 'story'. A bit like a short chapter at the end of a book which charts what happened to the main characters...except that this is half the book.