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on June 27, 2015
I loved the first question in this review: How was the author's writing??? Since it's Tolkien, that's a pretty silly question. It's great!!! For those of you not familiar with the Silmarillion, it's basically the Middle Earth bible. So, just like the Christian bible, or for that matter, probably like all "revealed truth" books, it's going to be slow in parts. So, be prepared to slog through some of that stuff. But, you'll learn where Sauron comes from, and the Balrog, Shelob, and a whole slew of the history of different humanoid species of Middle Earth. Yes, it WILL drag at points. But, if you really want to know what can be known about Middle Earth, this is the place to find the info.
Once you've finished the Silmarillion, be sure to read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings again. You'll find you have a much better appreciation of the saga as a whole. And that's pretty cool!!!
Once you've finished the Silmarillion, be sure to read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings again. You'll find you have a much better appreciation of the saga as a whole. And that's pretty cool!!!
on May 7, 2017
The Silmarillion is, in my opinion, the best book in 'The Lord of the Rings' universe. It's really fantastic. It reads like a history book, but has a lot going on. I've given it to family to read, and they really enjoy it.
on January 6, 2017
The bulk of the Simarillion takes place in a region called Beleriand. The HarperCollins paperback includes a map of Beleriand on the last page of the book proper. The Kindle edition omits this map.
Please update the Kindle edition to include the map (and let know). The story is most convoluted and is essentially unreadable without the map.
Please update the Kindle edition to include the map (and let know). The story is most convoluted and is essentially unreadable without the map.
HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICEon May 28, 2002
It's more than slightly staggering to consider the epic fantasy "Lord of the Rings" to be the tail end of Tolkien's invented history. The "Bible" of Middle-Earth, the "Silmarillion" stretches from the beginning of time to the departure of the Elves from Middle-Earth.
A complete summary is impossible, because the book spans millennia and has one earth-shattering event after another. But it includes the creation of Tolkien's invented pantheons of angelic beings under Eru Iluvatar, also known as God; how they sang the world into being; the creation of Elves, Men, and Dwarves (hobbits are, I think, not really covered); the legendary love story of Beren and Luthien, a mortal Man and an Elf maiden who gives up her immortality for the man she loves; the demonic Morgoth and Sauron; Elves of just about any kind -- bad, mad, dangerous, good, sweet, brave, and so forth; the Rings of Power; the Two Trees that made the sun and moon; and finally the quest of the Ringbearer, Frodo Baggins.
Many old favorites will pop up over the course of the book, such as Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf, and so on. Fans of Elves will find plenty to feed their hunger; if you are fond of Hobbits or Dwarves, you will not find as much here. For those, you should check some of the other "lost" books of prior writings. It will also answer some questions that "Hobbit" and LOTR may raise, when references to long-ago incidents and people are made.
Be forewarned: The writing style of Silmarillion is more akin to the Eddas, the Bible, or the Mabinogian than to LOTR. It's more formal and archaic in tone, Tolkien did not get as "into" the heads of his characters in Silmarillion as he did in LOTR, and there is no central character. Needless to say, this is necessary as a more in-depth approach would have taken centuries to write, let alone perfect. If readers can bypass the automatic dislike of more formal prose, they will find enchanting stories and a less evocative but very intriguing writing style. This style strongly leans on the Eddas, collections of story and song that were unearthed and translated long ago. Though obviously not as well-known as LOTR, it is clear that these collections helped influence the Silmarillion.
It's evident, while reading this, that Tolkien's passion for his invented history. Someone who had a lack of enthusiasm could not have spent much of his adult life writing, revising, and polishing a history that never was. It's also almost frighteningly imaginative and real: It isn't too hard to imagine that these things could actually have happened. And in an age of shallow, cliched fantasy, Tolkien's coherent, carefully-written backstory is truly unique.
If you can take the formal prose and mythical style, this is a treasure, and a must-read for anyone who loved LOTR or "Hobbit." Only after reading this can readers truly appreciate Tolkien's literary accomplishments, and the full scope of the Middle-Earth that we glimpse in his more famous books.
A complete summary is impossible, because the book spans millennia and has one earth-shattering event after another. But it includes the creation of Tolkien's invented pantheons of angelic beings under Eru Iluvatar, also known as God; how they sang the world into being; the creation of Elves, Men, and Dwarves (hobbits are, I think, not really covered); the legendary love story of Beren and Luthien, a mortal Man and an Elf maiden who gives up her immortality for the man she loves; the demonic Morgoth and Sauron; Elves of just about any kind -- bad, mad, dangerous, good, sweet, brave, and so forth; the Rings of Power; the Two Trees that made the sun and moon; and finally the quest of the Ringbearer, Frodo Baggins.
Many old favorites will pop up over the course of the book, such as Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf, and so on. Fans of Elves will find plenty to feed their hunger; if you are fond of Hobbits or Dwarves, you will not find as much here. For those, you should check some of the other "lost" books of prior writings. It will also answer some questions that "Hobbit" and LOTR may raise, when references to long-ago incidents and people are made.
Be forewarned: The writing style of Silmarillion is more akin to the Eddas, the Bible, or the Mabinogian than to LOTR. It's more formal and archaic in tone, Tolkien did not get as "into" the heads of his characters in Silmarillion as he did in LOTR, and there is no central character. Needless to say, this is necessary as a more in-depth approach would have taken centuries to write, let alone perfect. If readers can bypass the automatic dislike of more formal prose, they will find enchanting stories and a less evocative but very intriguing writing style. This style strongly leans on the Eddas, collections of story and song that were unearthed and translated long ago. Though obviously not as well-known as LOTR, it is clear that these collections helped influence the Silmarillion.
It's evident, while reading this, that Tolkien's passion for his invented history. Someone who had a lack of enthusiasm could not have spent much of his adult life writing, revising, and polishing a history that never was. It's also almost frighteningly imaginative and real: It isn't too hard to imagine that these things could actually have happened. And in an age of shallow, cliched fantasy, Tolkien's coherent, carefully-written backstory is truly unique.
If you can take the formal prose and mythical style, this is a treasure, and a must-read for anyone who loved LOTR or "Hobbit." Only after reading this can readers truly appreciate Tolkien's literary accomplishments, and the full scope of the Middle-Earth that we glimpse in his more famous books.
on June 18, 2017
Great story, even better than LOTR. Read Kindle version first. This was a Fathers Day gift, but the Jan 1, 1985 hardcover edition is a big mistake, it feels like a cheap paperback glued to thick cardboard. The pages are hard to read near the binding where the words fall close to the crevice. Hope to receive the Nov 15, 2004 hardcopy for Christmas.
on March 15, 2015
Like many, I struggled at first; several false starts! Here is what finally helped me ENJOY the Silmarillion:
1. Keep a pad of paper nearby. Write down your own lists of who's who, and genealogies. The books are full of inter-tribal tensions and this will help make sense of it all. There are genealogies in the back. Personally I found it more helpful to sketch my own.
2. Copy or print (or keep it folded out) the map of Beleriand divided up by tribe-- again hugely helpful.
3. Realize the history spans ages and ages. It starts with the Pantheon of Valar, with a very biblical feel (Ainulindale; Valaquenta.). Then it gets into the elves. Enjoy the slow weaving of the backdrop tapestry, because once the pace picks up, all that background provides richness and depth.
That it-- three simple points! ENJOY-- I found myself cheering, shouting, and jumping up and whooping for joy as I read. My inlaws love me anyway.
1. Keep a pad of paper nearby. Write down your own lists of who's who, and genealogies. The books are full of inter-tribal tensions and this will help make sense of it all. There are genealogies in the back. Personally I found it more helpful to sketch my own.
2. Copy or print (or keep it folded out) the map of Beleriand divided up by tribe-- again hugely helpful.
3. Realize the history spans ages and ages. It starts with the Pantheon of Valar, with a very biblical feel (Ainulindale; Valaquenta.). Then it gets into the elves. Enjoy the slow weaving of the backdrop tapestry, because once the pace picks up, all that background provides richness and depth.
That it-- three simple points! ENJOY-- I found myself cheering, shouting, and jumping up and whooping for joy as I read. My inlaws love me anyway.
on September 20, 2014
OK, this is a work of fantasy. More accurately, it's a mythology. It's very, very, very good mythology. It's much shorter than Lord of the Rings, you can read it in less than a day, but if you read it a few times and get some understanding, reading LotR or seeing the films will be a wholly different experience, vastly more meaningful, vastly deeper, and the departure on the White Ship at the end of Return of the King will be inexpressibly sad.
I grew up on the myths of the Greeks and Romans and they are feverish babble compared to this book. Loki and Zeus and the Golden Fleece, pffft, give me Beren and Lúthien any day.
This is a book you can read a dozen times and not get sick of. The writing is very resonant and bold. There are five sections; two on the origin of the world, Arda, one on the Second Age and the island of Númenor, and a final brief story on the Rings of Power that ends with the departure of the last leaders of the Elves. References to LotR are all but absent and there is very little overlap between the two books, this one forms the foundation.
And if you're a devotee of LotR and you haven't read this, boy are you in for a kick in the pants.
I grew up on the myths of the Greeks and Romans and they are feverish babble compared to this book. Loki and Zeus and the Golden Fleece, pffft, give me Beren and Lúthien any day.
This is a book you can read a dozen times and not get sick of. The writing is very resonant and bold. There are five sections; two on the origin of the world, Arda, one on the Second Age and the island of Númenor, and a final brief story on the Rings of Power that ends with the departure of the last leaders of the Elves. References to LotR are all but absent and there is very little overlap between the two books, this one forms the foundation.
And if you're a devotee of LotR and you haven't read this, boy are you in for a kick in the pants.
on April 28, 2017
This is essential reading for anyone who enjoyed the world of "The Lord of the Rings". The history of Middle Earth, from before its creation through the War of the Ring, is laid out in exquisite detail. I recommend reading this, and then re-reading LOTR to catch all the references you missed the first time.
I left the book feeling as though I had a better understanding of how The Lord of the Rings trilogy ...
on May 28, 2016
After having read The Lord of the Rings trilogy at various times over the years I finally picked up The Silmarillion. The edition that I purchased contains additional maps as well as other related works which helped to understand the context of The Silmarillion. Overall, I was impressed, as usual, with the writing ability J. R. R. Tolkien demonstrated. His skill as an expert storyteller is still captivating after years of revisiting his work. Additionally, I was impressed by the transitions from J. R. R. Tolkien’s writing to the writing of his son Christopher in the work, mainly because I did not notice them.
I think that most readers will find The Silmarillion engaging, refreshing, and very informative. I left the book feeling as though I had a better understanding of how The Lord of the Rings trilogy fits into the much bigger picture of the Tolkien mythology.
I think that most readers will find The Silmarillion engaging, refreshing, and very informative. I left the book feeling as though I had a better understanding of how The Lord of the Rings trilogy fits into the much bigger picture of the Tolkien mythology.
