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Loading... The Silmarillion (1977)by J. R. R. Tolkien
  
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I found the second time reading this easier than the first. Possibly because I let go of trying to keep track of names and kinds of folk and let the story flow. I still get confused with these older ages as to who is an elf and who a human. Nice little family trees at the back help if you want to keep track. Also a beautiful fold-out map of Beleriand at the back to help with the place names. For my part, I simply enjoyed the sad drama of it all. This has my favorite Creation story ever in the Ainulindalë. (  )1   MrsLee | Apr 24, 2021 |  Great story, poorly written. Nobody’s fault - this is what happens when someone else fleshes out somebody else’s notes. But the world building in the book is amazing. It took me three times to get through this book because of the writing. On the 3rd attempt I purposely sped read. That made the difference so I could just let the history of the place wash over me without attending to how it was told. (  ) Neil_Luvs_Books | Mar 22, 2021 | A very interesting and beautifully written history of Middle-Earth; required reading for those who want to understand Lord of the Rings' many references to its own mythology and cultures. Although, yes, some parts dragged a bit, overall it was an entertaining read. It is very much the official history book of Tolkien's fictional world. I can only imagine what it would read like had Tolkien actually finished it in his lifetime. (  ) sarahlh | Mar 6, 2021 | As much as I like Tolkien, this book was an absolute struggle to read and enjoy. He may have an interesting basis for the mythology and history of Middle Earth, but the way that this book presents the stories of the Valar, the first elves, and the rise of men was worse than any mythology book I’ve ever read. Tolkien attempts to mimic the stylings of the Prose Edda, which undoubtedly is a classic in mythic literature, but this does not automatically make it in any way an enjoyable read; oral myths are told in poetic form for a reason, and without this rhythmic structure to keep the reader’s mind engaged the narrative quickly devolves into a dull listing of events. No wonder David Day created the Tolkien Bestiary - without this summary I’m sure that many readers would write Tolkien off completely. (  ) JaimieRiella | Feb 25, 2021 | I, and the rest of the teenage nerd kingdom, went on a LOTR kick in the late 1990's - early 2000's, and in my case, this resulted in a mad attempt to read everything Tolkien had ever written -- the twelve volume history of Middle-Earth notwithstanding. I love the Sil as a body of work intricately and carefully written, but it is so dense and challenging that I don't go back to it often. ( ) resoundingjoy | Jan 1, 2021 |
 At its best Tolkien's posthumous revelation of his private mythology is majestic, a work held so long and so power fully in the writer's imagination that it overwhelms the reader. Like Tolkien's other books, The Silmarillion presents a doomed but heroic view of creation that may be one of the reasons why a generation growing up on the thin gruel of television drama, and the beardless cynicism of Mad magazine, first found J.R.R. Tolkien so rich and wonderful. If "The Hobbit" is a lesser work that the Ring trilogy because it lacks the trilogy's high seriousness, the collection that makes up "The Silmarillion" stands below the trilogy because much of it contains only high seriousness; that is, here Tolkien cares much more about the meaning and coherence of his myth than he does about these glories of the trilogy: rich characterization, imagistic brilliance, powerfully imagined and detailed sense of place, and thrilling adventure. Not that these qualities are entirely lacking here. Is contained inTolkien Fantasy Tales Box Set (The Tolkien Reader/The Silmarillion/Unfinished Tales/Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) by J. R. R. Tolkien LORD OF THE RINGS, SILMARILLION, HOBBIT, BOOK OF LOST TALES, UNFINISHED TALES IN 8 VOLS Easton Press by J. R. R. Tolkien The Children of Húrin Paperback Box Set: The Children of Hurin / The Silmarillion / Unfinished Tales by J. R. R. Tolkien ContainsIs abridged inIs parodied inWas inspired byInspiredHas as a reference guide/companionHas as a studyHas as a supplementHas as a commentary on the text
Tolkien considered The Silmarillion his most important work, and, though it was published last and posthumously, this great collection of tales and legends clearly sets the stage for all his other writing. The story of the creation of the world and of the First Age, this is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back and in whose events some of them, such as Elrond and Galadriel, took part. The three Silmarils were jewels created by Feanor, most gifted of the Elves. Within them was imprisoned the Light of the Two Trees of Valinor before the Trees themselves were destroyed by Morgoth, the first Dark Lord. Thereafter, the unsullied Light of Valinor lived on only in the Silmarils, but they were seized by Morgoth and set in his crown, which was guarded in the impenetrable fortress of Angband in the north of Middle-earth. The Silmarillion is the history of the rebellion of Feanor and his kindred against the gods, their exile from Valinor and return to Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all their heroism, against the great Enemy. No library descriptions found. 
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