Rating: 
Summary: Waste of time
Review: After reading LOTR & the Hobbit I was hungry for more Tolkien. I couldn't even finish this one. If I want to read about history I'll read a book on real history. Don't waste your time. So overrateted.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read!
Review: In a time when technology visualized the Lord of the Rings series for us (I am talking about the movies), it also introduced Tolkien's literature to many people. If you watched and enjoyed to movies and then (or before that for many of us) you have read the books and you still think that you want more of it, you should try Silmarillion. It is a beautiful book written on the history of the elves of Tolkien's world. I have to say it's not one of those easy go, have some fun type of books. It is a major work that requires intensive reading but it is definitely worth it. If you think you are a Tolkien fan, go for this one, you won't regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: History 101 for Middle-Earth
Review: This book is essential reading for any serious Tolkien fan. Be prepared for a slow start though. The first 130 pages are rather like going through a very dense textbook - there are too many names, places, and events crammed into too tight of a framework, allowing for little or no character development. Because of this it can be rather hard to get into the earlier stories, and even harder to retain the information afterward. After about 80 pages I was sincerely beginning to reconsider my decision to read the book, but I'll tell those who may be having similar problems - keep going! It does get better, I promise.The Silmarillion begins with a shorter sub-book, the Ainulindalë, which is the Creation story of Middle-Earth. It tells how Eru, or Ilúvatar, the god of Tolkien's mythology, created the Ainur, holy beings who shape the world through their song. The Ainulindalë goes on to speak of the Ainur who went to dwell in Arda, the earth, and became known as the Valar; the two races created by Ilúvatar to inhabit Arda - the immortal Firstborn (Elves), and the mortal Followers (Men); and also of how the first evil came to be, as the Ainu known as Melkor and later Morgoth challenges the will of Ilúvatar and falls out of favor, eventually to become the first Dark Lord of Middle-Earth. Next is the Valaquenta, a short section which defines and describes the Valar, the Maiar (the slightly lesser "servants and helpers" of the Valar), and the Enemies (namely Melkor and those he manipulates to do his will). The main body of The Silmarillion, the "Quenta Silmarillion," is the history of the Silmarils, sacred jewels created by the elf Fëanor, and all the events that take place around them. It is divided into chapters which take the form of short stories. As I mentioned earlier, the first several of these can be rather difficult to wade through - the abundance of character and place names alone will throw the reader for a loop. These early stories cover topics such as the shaping of the world by the Valar, the coming of the Elves into Middle-earth, the creation and loss of the Silmarils, the unleashing of the evil of Melkor, the rebellion of the Elves against the Valar, and the general layout of Middle-earth at that time. If after this the reader is a bit overwhelmed, don't despair! I found that, beginning with Chapter 16 "Of Maeglin" which begins on page 131, the stories really begin to pick up. From here on the tales are easier to follow and the characters are more fully developed and easy to identify with. Subsequent chapters deal with the coming of Men into Middle-earth and their migration westward, the continued malice of Melkor and the battles between his followers and the Elves and Men that remain good, the famous love story of Beren and Lúthien (the first joining of man and elf), the tragic life of Túrin Turambar, the ruin of the realm of Doriath, the eventual overthrow of Morgoth, and of how the Silmarils came to their final resting places in the earth, the sea, and the sky. Following the main body of the text are two more sub-books, the first of which is the Akallabêth, which tells the story of the Númenóreans, the race of men that dwelt on the island of Númenór, closest to the sacred realm of Valinor in the far west. Ultimately the temptation to seek out Valinor overcomes them, and in punishment a rift is opened in the sea, swallowing Númenór and forever cleaving Middle-earth and Valinor apart. A few of the Númenóreans survive and dwell in Middle-earth, and from these is descended Aragorn, who appears in The Lord of the Rings. The final section of the book is entitled "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," and concerns just that. It speaks of the rise of Sauron, who had been Morgoth's primary servant and ally, and who comes into power of his own following Morgoth's downfall. The book provides a brief overview of the battles between Sauron and the peoples of Middle-earth, which come to a temporary halt when Isildur cuts the One Ring from Sauron's hand. The events thereafter are picked up in the stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This second edition of The Silmarillion includes at its beginning a letter written by author J.R.R. Tolkien to good friend Milton Waldman in 1951. I found the letter very interesting, as it provides a nice overview of the material covered in the book, tying it all together in condensed form and helping to provide a framework that holds the stories together as the reader goes along. At the end of the book are supplementary materials that are equally valuable, including lineage tables of the key characters, a brief treatise on pronunciation, and an extensive index that also serves as a useful dictionary of names, places, and other Middle-earth terms. At the very end there is a map of Middle-earth as it looked at the time of these stories. The Silmarillion is not what I would call an easy read, but for an attentive and interested reader, it should not be overwhelmingly difficult either. The information within provides a very detailed background for the events of Tolkien's most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. Some of the stories in The Silmarillion are excellent, self-standing short tales even without benefit of the rest of the history, and could probably have made very engaging books in and of themselves had Tolkien decided to develop them to that extent. Overall I would highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn more of the history of Middle-earth, though I strongly suggest finishing both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings beforehand.
Rating:
Summary: Get the Audio Books!
Review: I first read the LOTR Trilogy, then the Hobbit. When I purchased and skimmed through the Silmarillion I realized that I would never be able to get past all of the similar (to my eyes) names. So I went out on the internet and found the the audio books for the LOTR trilogy and also the audio book for the Silmarillion. What a joy! I first listed to the LOTR trilogy. I figured I would wind up not pay close attention to the audio book but I was wrong. The Audio Book narrated by Rob Ingles is perfect! I was glued to my headset for the exciting battle scenes and enthralled for the dramatic parts. I would have never made it through the Silmarillion if I had only tried to read the book. The narrator for the Silmarillion is another gentleman but he was perfect for it. The names in the Silmarillion became recognizable to me. Now I can pick up the book and comprehend what is going on. I have let friends borrow my audio books and now they are hooked also. I'm an adult and I haven't had anyone read a story to me since I was child. I'm glad I've discovered these audio books. I highly recommend them, especially for the Silmarillion.
Rating: 
Summary: True aficionando:YES - General reader: Horrid
Review: Tolkien geeks will absolutely love the Silmarillion. Everything you wanted to know about the background and origins of Tolkien's world is there, albeit much of it briefly stated. For the average person who really liked LOTR and just wants some more background, might I suggest that having lit bamboo splints shoved under your eyelids is less painful than trying to plow through this book. Many, if not most characters in this morality play have a number of names they are known by and you never know which name they are going to be referred to by. I found myself constantly going to the name in the back of the book to refresh myself as to which name went with who. There are many characters and much information that you ask, "SO?" about after reading it. It doesn't take long to see that the Nordor (Deep Elves) are one bunch of dumb bunnies. They are reminiscent of the Isrealites. Etc. etc. Anyway, if you are Joe Blow and just want to pick up some additional info on the bigger Tolkien world, might I suggest there are several internet sites that will make it much easier. If you insist on trudging through this book, allot 2 packs of yellow post-it notes and 3 months to fully read, remember and digest it. I made it through but I'm not sure why.....
Rating:
Summary: A companion to LotR
Review: Have you finished reading LotR and seen the three movies and are looking for more work by Tolkien to read? Or have you not yet read LotR and are looking for somewhere to start? Either way, read this book. It tells of the events that happen 100s of thousands of years before the lord of the rings and the origins and early life of many of its characters.
If you have already read LotR, the events that happen there will have more meaning as you read this book. If you haven't read it yet and read this first, you will have a sense of continuity when you do read the Hobbit/LotR.
Rating:
Summary: definently amazing, a little better than LOTR
Review: I love LOTR, but once you read this book, you'll notice that way more time ( like many years! ) were put into the making of this book and that it about the creation of middle earth and tales that go along with it. Its just marvelous how Tolken was able to create so many ideas and tie them all together the way he did. though i have to point out that at many times the book can confuse you because it doesnt seem like it was put together perfectly, but thats only a minor drawback. this book covers over many thousands of years of middle earth and of the line of the Noldor race, from their creation, to Feanor and his sons, to the end when they all leave and middle earth is controlled fully by men. so many great tales like those of love, loss, friendship, betrayl, formation of kingdoms and their destructions, creation of the Valor, and much more are in this book, and it even summarizes the events of LOTR ( very short summary though ). i think this book is the best in the middle earth book series, and its definently the best book ive ever read! its a must have for LOTR fans!
Rating:
Summary: Silmarillion - History of Middle-Earth
Review: The Silmarillion is a very detailed book of the history of the Middle-Earth. It tells about: The beginning of Middle-Earth. Tale of the Simarills, the war, the Love story of Beren and Luthien and lots and lots more. The "Lost Tales" were written by John Ronald Reul Tolkien while in trenches when he was a soldier in World War 1. The Silmarillion was not published until after his death by his son Christopher Tolkien. The Silmarrilion is very interesting to read but is very hard because of the overwhelming information. Overall this is a masterpiece of a book.
Rating:
Summary: An execellent elaboration of the existance of Middle Earth
Review: The events in Lord of the Rings, though important in the overall history of middle earth, are only a fraction of that that's read in "The Silmarillion".
It's a tough read, and to those that lose interest in things in a relatively short span, will probably not be interested. It is a beautifully written book nonetheless. Those that are deeply interested in more than what's written in "Lord of the Rings", will be very egrossed by this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for Tolkien fans
Review: I just finished this book, and I must say it is my favorite of Tolkien's work thus far. That said, this book is not for the beginner. Read The Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy before tackling The Silmarillion. This book gives a lot of great background on stories and people mentioned in the above mentioned books and also details the beginning of the world and the First Age. The last two stories (not a part of The Silmarillion, but in the book): "Akallabeth" and "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" really bring the entire saga full-circle.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Tolkien's work.
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