Customer Reviews

The Silmarillion Poster Collection: Six Paintings by Ted Nasmith

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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I love it! I love it! I love, love, love it! Ted Nasmith's pictures are simply great and really capture the mood of the scenes described in Tolkien's "Silmarillion". These pictures are now decorating my walls and I hardly ever had anything nicer to watch at.

The crowning masterpiece of the greatest author of the 20th century, The Silmarillion can alternately break one's heart and stir it to excitement unlike any other literary work. The themes are familiar: courage, love, loyalty, obsession, greed, treachery, et al, but it feels to the reader as if one was encountering them for the first time in literature, by a master of the language, and the effect can be almost overwhelming: many are the passages that will effectively halt a reading until your tears are dried: Yavanna lamenting over the Trees, Fingolfin's hopeless duel with Morgoth, Finrod Felagund's "First Contact" with the Fathers of Men and subsequent death saving Beren, and Hurin's last stand at the Fen of Serech are just a few. I have owned this book since it was first published in the 1970s, and with each reading, my appreciation grows deeper, and my thanks to Tolkien more heartfelt. No one should be without this treasure.

The artwork of Ted Nasmith is easily some of the best in the fantasy genre. Every piece in this set features vivid colors, lifelike renderings, and breathtaking scenery. I would love to see more of his art become commercially available. However, I am not a professional art critic and everyone has their own tastes. What's important here is what posters are available in this set.
- Illuin: Lamp of the Valar
- Maglor Casts a Silmaril into the Sea
- Beren and Lúthien are Flown to Safety
- Túrin and his Band are Led to Amon Rûdh
- Finduilas is Led Past Túrin at the Sack of Nargothrond
- The Ships of the Faithful

All of these works are available on the artist's website, and can be found via google image search. If you see like what you see and want to own it in an 18.5" x 11" print, here's your chance. The print quality is flawless, and they look wonderful framed. My only complaint is that these are not the 6 I would have chosen for the set, but the prints that were selected are beautiful nonetheless. If you need some non-LotR Tolkien decorations, this is as good as it gets.

First of all, I'd like to say that anyone who gives this book less than 5 stars doesn't fully understand or appreciate how monumentally amazing it trully is. Second, those who gave it only one obviously can only read on a second grade level (that means a eight year old can out read you.) I will admit that the beginning is difficult, but it's like riding a bike. At first it's a little rough, but once you get into it you'll never stop. This book is filled with many wonderful and emotional stories. The words and mental illustrations used are phenomenal, and most of the best parts made me want to cry and shout to the world how ingenious Professor Tolkien was! Not only were the climaxes so awesome, but they were filled with emotion and power. And since this book is a history and therefore filled with many stories of great battles, heroes, and mighty deeds, the climaxes are many and never get dull. Trust me, when you really get into this book you will feel sorry for every person who gave this book one star because they aren't intelligent enough to appreciate the awesome power of this piece of literature. This is one of those books that you buy in the finest hardcover available and hire ten guards to keep it safe day and night! Don't be daunted by the vast number of names: they are important but memorization isn't crucial, and if you so wish you can use the 50 page glossary in the back. This book is a rare gem and should be read by every human being on the earth! I give it 100 stars out of 5!