Rating: 
Summary: simply astounding
Review: It's impossible to see how anyone could give this masterpiece less than a five...unless they don't understand it. It is not meant to be a novel per se; it is more of an anthology, doubly removed from the reader. The stories that make up the Silmarillion are considered history to Frodo and Sam, so to the reader they seem like biblical text. However, in this relatively short book are assembled some of the most powerful stories of all time.The story of Turin Turambar interweaves some of the greatest story lines into a lyrical tour de force. He is the classic tragic hero, reminiscent of Oedipus in more ways than one. The elves-men dynamic also allows for great romance and poignancy, as in the story of Beren and Luthien. Possibly the greatest aspect of the Silmarillion is that it can portray classic gods, pitched battles between good and evil, as well as many other cliches, yet still maintain an undeniable believablity. All the small stories are just abridged sagas of equal breadth to LOTR that will surely delight both new readers and diehard Tolkien fans alike.
Rating: 
Summary: Tolkein almost got me a detention
Review: Yes, Tolkein almost got me a detention, if I recall correctly. I was roused up by my study hall teacher for falling asleep yet again for reading Silmarillion. I have fallen asleep during other times, but especially when reading Silmarillion. I did not want to touch it constantly. Finally, with a deadline approaching, I went to the library (and had to sleep once while there) and read a lot of it. It was there that I ran into the tale of Beren and Luthien, a love story in which Luthien, a Valar, determines to give up her eternal life to be with the mortal Beren. Charming. Epic. I loved it. Stories like this gave the book redeeming value. But you pretty much had to wade through it. I can't recall the details of any of the book that well, because it is told in historical form, the reader assuming an omnipotent god-like view. I guess this could have its merits. This book seems more for the die-hard Tolkien fan, willing to sacrifice his time for each tidbit. Not me. I read this book as a precursor to the rest of the series (which I still have yet to touch). Since it's been some time since I've read this (about two months), maybe I should forebear, but considering what this book did to me (and considering I can't remember the details that well...) for now it gets two stars. Maybe when I read it again someday (if I read it again someday) this review might improve. But as for now, it gets two stars.
Rating:
Summary: Unparalleled imagination...
Review: At the core of The Silmarillion, as well as LOTR is a very simple plot, but the characters, environment, and drama Tolkien weaves is truly mind boggling. Tolkien considered The Silmarillion his finest achievement, and I can't agree more. The Silmarillion was released posthumously by his son, Christopher Tolkien. The scope and grandeur of the story behind The Silmarillion is hard to describe. If you're familiar with LOTR, let's just say that the Sauron is a mere sidekick of the big bad guy in The Silmarillion. In fact, Sauron gets his butt kicked big time by a human King, who unfortunately gets brainwashed by him later and invokes the wrath of god-like beings called the Valar. You learn how Sauron was able to escape with his deceits, to come back to Middle Earth. With this book, you come to learn the background on Elves, Dwarves, and Humans. You'll learn about the Undying Lands in the west where the Elves sail to. You will learn Gandalf's past, Sauron's past, how Orcs were once Elves. The tragedy of the love between Beren and Luthien is enough to make a grown man cry. The Silmarillion is biblical and mythical in breadth and really takes your breath away. It can therefore be intimidating to a casual LOTR reader. What I can say is that if you really, really loved LOTR, you will absolutely love The Silmarillion. The Silmarillion can be hard to follow because there are so many different characters with unusual, hard-to-pronounce names. But if you can get over this "difficulty", the reward is great. It truly is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read in my life. As an aid to reading this book, I used "The Complete Guide to Middle Earth" by Robert Foster and also read along with an unabridged reading on CD by Martin Shaw (Bantam Double Day). Martin Shaw has a great voice reading along with him was extremely helpful. The CD helped me get past the difficult names of the characters and places, and the Guide was a fantastic reference book. The Silmarillion is by no means casual reading for most people, but if you don't mind putting a little mental effort with remembering names, you will find it extremely enjoyable and rewarding. Recommended to "hard-core" LOTR fans.
Rating:
Summary: One of the 10 best books of the 20th century
Review: This book is for people who crave knowledge about the origins of the history alluded to in LOTR. It is presented in the form of a chronicle, without any charming furry-footed creatures to personalize the story; those looking for another 'The Hobbit' will likely be disappointed. 'The Silmarillion' combines the epic quality of The Iliad, the Old Testament, and the Icelandic sagas of the 12th and 13th centuries in compositional style with a feeling of remoteness in time and space, which lends it an unparalleled authenticity . Additionally, you will never find a better example of the expressive beauty of the English language, and the continuity displayed in the fictional personal and place names reflects the author's philological background. Christopher Tolkien did an admirable job of ensuring that the legends and languages were consistent with those already published in LOTR(i.e. Noldor, rather than Noldoli). While purists may prefer to sift through the original unfinished and often contradictory accounts found in the 'Book of Lost Tales'(2 vols.), 'The Lays of Beleriand', and 'The Shaping of the World', those looking for a challenging read that satisfies the reader's desire for detail and taste for fairy tales told in "the old grand style" will find 'The Silmarillion' well worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: The Silmarillion
Review: Excellent! The writings of Tolkien are the most imaginative and mentally stimulating books I have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Everything you ever could have wanted to know about LOTR
Review: This is a book to drown yourself in. It IS heavy reading, but well-worth delving into, even if only in small doses at a time. It is actually more like a whole library on the subject of middle earth and gives readers alot of insight into how Tolkien worked out "the Hobbit" and "the "Lord of the Rings" Trilogy later in his writing life.
If you have a wanna-be writer in your life who has been inspired by "Fellowship of the Ring", etc. Give them this book. They will go crazy first reading it, and thank you later.
Take it from one writer who did.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for Tolkien adicts only
Review: Only read this if you love Tolkien and want to fully understand the history of Middle Earth. I only really began to understand and enjoy this on my third reading (the first was 15 years before the second however). This book is a great and rich history of Middle Earth that starts from the beginning of time up until the end of the Lord of the Rings. Tolkien basically worked on this from his time in the trenches during the Battle of the Somme until his death and changed it a lot over time. What you will read is the edited version by his son that uses a lot of unfinished notes, I don't think this distracts from the overall product.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding, The Real Backbone Behind LOTR
Review: Honestly I first became aware of LoTR after my friend drug me to the theatrical release, but the next day I went to Waldenbooks and picked up the Red Book. Immediately after I wanted to know ALL the backround and I ordered this book along with re-reading the Hobbit (as virtually everybody reads it in elementary school), and acquiring some of the other pieces of Tolkien's work such as Unfinished Tales, The History of Middle-earth and Tales From the Perilous Realm. Above all these, if you're interested in understanding a little more about Middle-earth and its inhabitants, The Silmarillion is definently the place to start. Beginning with its own creation myth taken from several cultures, The Silmarillion describes for the LOTR fan the exact lineage of Aragorn, the mysterious appearance of Stoors (Gollum) and Hobbits, the war and strife of Gondor's past, and the terrific stories of ancient Beleriand; the land to the west of Middle-earth destroyed in an enormous clash of titans. If you're looking for myriad stories of heroes and legends, or simply backround information on how Middle-earth came to be, The Silmarillion is a fantastic read that'll do the job.
Rating: 
Summary: Touch And Go!
Review: This book is a prequel to The Lord of The Rings. It starts with the creation of Middle Earth and how it came about. It talks about the fall of one of The Valor and the first wars. This book is a must read for any Lord of The Rings fan, it gives you the history and fills in some of the gaps the Lord of The Rings leaves for us. However, as I say in my title the book is touch and go. The book is well developed in some areas and in others you can notice the lack of development. I will not lie this book is poorly written, but this can be attributed to the death of Tolkien before it's completion. I found the book at times hard to follow and it was often slow reading. The ease of reading the Lord of The Rings is not present in this book. The jumps in time or place are often abrupt and jagged, almost irritating. If you are not a patient reader, I would not recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: it would've been better fully writen by tolkien
Review: as it says at the top, christopher tolkien compiled the book through his fathers notes, and i loved the plot and ideas... but i found it read to muc like a text book and seemed to drone on through ages without dialog or anything...
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