Rating: 
Summary: challenging but rewarding
Review: I've heard many people say they envy those who are reading "The Lord of the Rings" for the first time, because the excitement of that first discovery is unique. That's how I feel about "The Silmarillion". I like LotR, but I love "The Silmarillion". Every time I dip into it, I discover something new. It never loses its freshness.Do be aware that "The Silmarillion" is NOT "Lord of the Rings". It reads more like the Old Testament, with stories that are fully described without being fully fleshed in the way a novel might treat them. It is the mythological underpinning of Middle-earth, and the style will not be to everyone's taste. You don't need a Masters in Education to appreciate it, mind you, but it remains a challenging read... and vastly rewarding. (The excerpt available here would not have been my first choice. It's from what is essentially the Silmarillion's Book of Genesis, to continue the comparison to the Old Testament. I'd judge it more daunting than the balance of the book, where the Elves and Men and Dwarves take center stage.) Anyone entranced by "The Silmarillion" would do well to read "Unfinished Tales", which includes expanded portions of the stories of Tuor and of the Children of Hurin, as well as other short pieces that complement the mythology pre-dating LotR.
Rating:
Summary: read, [Please]!!!
Review: If it was fleshed out more, The Silmarillion would have been the greatest epic tale told, in the history of literature. Unfortunately for us, Tolkein never actually sat down and wrote it like he did with his other books. In the History of Middle Earth series you can find portions of it, like the endless attempts at The Tale of the Children of Hurin and The Escape from Bondage. Instead, Christopher Tolkein gave us the best that was available in a continuous form. It can be frustrating, and sometimes immensly dull (whatever you do, skip past the chapter on the geography of Belieriand). But it is worth it. In terms of sheer story, it is simply amazing. There are also some moments of great writing, but nothing like what is in Lord of the Rings. However, the trilogy just looks like an epilogue or an afterward compared with this volume. Oh, and whenever you start a chapter, be sure to finish it before you put the book down. Makes it a [heckuva] lot easier.
Rating: 
Summary: Fanatics Only
Review: This is interesting if you really enjoyed the Lord of the Rings, and you want to learn about Tolkien's meticulous development of the backstory. It would also be helpful to anyone who is engaged in a roleplaying game based on Middle Earth. Overall, most people will enjoy Unfinished Tales more than this book--because it is a lot lighter and more story-oriented. However, do not be deceived: this is no novel. It is told in a historical-narrative format, and is extremely dense. Even if you loved Lord of the Rings, it is unlikely that you will enjoy it. This is essentially exposition, not storytelling. In time, when Tolkien receives the literary recognition he is truly entitled to, I envision high school students reading excerpts of the Silmarillion as part of learning about the process of worldbuilding that went into twentieth-century fantasy literature. Unfortunately, they will find this task boring--hopefully they will enjoy Lord of the Rings anyway. If you are a Tolkien fanatic and you really want to see this process in action--if you want to understand what happened in the thousands of years prior to the Hobbit, and want to know the lineage of all the main characters--this book will be for you. However, I'd advise reading Unfinished Tales first. This deals with a lot of the same material in a more readable format.
Rating:
Summary: The Pinnacle of Fantasy Literature!
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien spent his entire life developing a myth for England. The result is the Silmarillion, the epic mythological masterpiece that was begun in Tolkien's early twenties in the trenches of WWI and left unfinished at his death in 1972. Actually this is not quite correct. A whole host of other books (13 of them) containing JRR's writings on the history of Middle Earth have since been published posthumously by his son Christopher and thus deserve mention as being part of the story of The Silmarillion. Altogether they comprise several thousand pages, but the book known as The Silmarillion is the official (and rather brief) tale of the first age of Middle Earth. The Lord of the Rings was the natural (and popular) extension into novel form of this more abstract mythology. The Silmarillion is not a novel but a collection of accounts, written in near biblical fashion, which chronicle the formation of Arda (Earth), the pre-historical dealings of the Valar (god-like spirits), the coming of Elves and Men, and the 500 year war between the Elves and the most powerful and evil of the Valar, Melkor. Like the Bible or an ancient Greek myth The Silmarillion involves events that cannot be translated into their literal form as we would percieve them in a logical and rational universe. The first part of the book tells of the Valar, 14 spirits derived from the one God Eru Illuvatar, and their dealings in Aman, the Undying Lands west over the sea from Middle Earth, before the coming (creation) of Men or Elves. These early accounts are especially abstract because the Valar seem to have a mostly etheral form. As the book progresses, the storyline shifts its focus to Middle Earth on a land called Beleriand (the west part of Middle Earth). What follows is a set of largely disjointed stories set against a common backdrop: the war between the Elves and Melkor. Among the various stories, most dealing with the different battles in the war, a few stand out as especially important (and play a more prominent role in many of Tolkien's other writings): The Tale of Beren and Luthien, Turin Turambar, and the story of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin. Further explanation of the plot is complex and therefore prohibitive. So let's get down to some casual discussion. If you haven't read any of Tolkien's works then don't read this one first; start with the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings (LOTR). If you like these then go ahead with the Silmarillion. Then after reading the Sil, go back and read LOTR again. I say this because although the Sil is only 300 pages, it reads almost like the Bible. We don't get to follow any Hobbits around (who basically act as mediators between the reader and Middle Earth in LOTR) or even get to know any of the characters very well. The narration is performed from a removed point of view and Tolkien has the tendency to sweep over years of storyline with a single sentence. As a result, beginning readers may easily become disenchanted by the Sil. Reading LOTR first provides you with motivation for reading the Sil: it explains the historical background of the Middle Earth we get to know so well in LOTR. The Silmarillion isn't all abstract exposition. It is the epitome of what Tolkien called Faerie stories. Many of the tales are romantic, but most of them are tragedies in the classic sense. My favorite tales are those of Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin. The former tells of the love between a mortal man and an Elf maiden who must give up her immortality in order to be with him. However, her father is the King and demands a Silmaril (a jewel containing the light of the two trees of Valinor and fashioned by Feanor, greatest of all Elvish craftsmen, and stolen by Ungoliant, a giant spider, and taken by Melkor) from the crown of Melkor before he will let Beren marry Luthien. An adventure ensues in which Beren and Luthien travel to Angband, the Iron Stronghold of Melkor in the North, accompanied by a giant talking dog named Huan. Along the way we meet giant warewolves and giant cats and giant Eagles. This is the stuff of pure unhindered imagination at its best...the stuff of myth. JRR Tolkien once noted that we as human beings, being made in the image of a creator, are ourselves entitled to creation of our own (though I think he put it more eloquently). The Silmarillion is among the most innovative and imaginative creations of mythological literature. And for those interested in fantasy it is a unique experience and arguably the single highest pinnacle of achievement in the genre.
Rating:
Summary: A hard read, but worth the trouble, I promise!
Review: Ahh, Tolkien, Lord of Fantasy and Creator of worlds! After reading the Lord of the Rings, I found myself seeking more writing by the master of fantasy, J.R.R Tolkien. That's how I came across the Silmarillion. I admit that Tolkien's style may not appeal to many (I personally love the way that he writes); it's too dry or too hard.... Tolkien starts of retelling the Story of Creation (or rather, just before Creation). The depth came be a bit hard to grasp, because the beginning of the book is basically retelling Genesis in Tolkien style. The first few hundred pages is a snore if you don't like fantasy, but I swear that as soon as the Elves make it to the domain of the Lords of the West, the whole tale really picks up. It's important to keep in mind that the Elves are immortal, and many of them reoccur in several places later in the book. Keep track of the events, and you'll be sure to pick up everything that happens in the story. There is one thing that I have to remind you of, though: YOU CANNOT SKIP OVER ANYTHING IN THE BOOK! If you do, you'll definately be lost very quickly. If you tried Tolkien over and over again and still don't like it, then I suggest the following authors/books to you as a fantasy fan: Robert Jordan--The Wheel of Time, Melaine Rawn--The Dragon Star & the Dragon Prince, Dennis McKiernan--The Iron Tower Trilogy, George R.R. Martin--A Song of Fire and Ice. Also, pick up any of the older classics, like the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Just because you didn't like Tolkien doesn't mean that you have to give up on fantasy all together!
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece
Review: "The Silmarillion" is, in a single word, a masterpiece. J.R.R. Tolkien writes a mythic and epic story in a very poetic form that is polished lovingly until it glistens. Credit should also be given to Christopher Tolkien for his masterful compilation of his father's notes. This book illuminates some of the great mysteries remaining from the "Lord of the Rings", describing the early history of Middle-Earth and the people that lived there from the creation of the world to the end of the Third Age. The poignant thing about this book is the feelings of sadness and regret that permeate the later parts of it, a feeling that the world is in an inescapable state of decline without hope of redemption. This book, far from being a let-down, however, actually uplifts the reader, giving one a feeling of being part of an adventure as old as time. This is an amazing book and a wonderful story, and one that everyone that still believes in a bit of magic should read.
Rating:
Summary: A jewel of a book
Review: I first read this book in sixth grade. Then, all it did was confuse me. When I had re-read it enough to understand it, I feel in love with it. Tolkien writes so well, I would recommend this book to anyone. The imaginativeness in the book is well-worth the read itself. While I love this book, it is not for one who does not like skipping from story-to-story or the "olden" type of english. The only thing that I don't like about the book is the many names of some of the characters, when there's at least a hundred. (most likely more).
Rating:
Summary: Of Elves
Review: This book is so close to Shakespeare. It has some of the most beautiful language I've ever read. It's different then the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, but in a really good way.
Rating:
Summary: Tolkien's greatest work
Review: This tale is by far the best I've ever read. I don't suggest it to any old person, just someone who is a really strong reader, who doesn't mind the way it's built. My favorite part is The Voyage of Earendeail and The War of Wrath, which tells of the breaking of Angband, the scattering of the dark forces, the banishing of Morgoth Bauglir, and the first defeat Sauron was to experience.
Rating: 
Summary: a good background
Review: but terribly written, most pages require 2 or 3 re-reads...the book is terribly dry, but i think the background was very helpful before reading the hobbit and the lotr trilogy for the first time...still, i wouldnt suggest it, the book is just too difficult to understand.
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