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Summary: The foundation of the other 4 books
Review: I agree with the previous reviewers who suggest you read the 5 books in the following order: The Hobbit, LOTR, and THEN, if you've gotten into the previous 4, dig into The Silmarillion. The Hobbit obviously has a very light style; the 3 LOTR books have a much more serious, epic tone; and the Silmarillion is told in a much more abbrieviated, academic style that requires you to pay attention. Contrary to the horror stories you've heard, the Silmarillion is not nearly as convoluted and heavy as the old testament. I mean, come on, man, it's got a talking dog in it! Well, then again, the old testment had a guest appearance by a talking SHRUB, for crying out loud. But nevermind that. The point is this: if you were all busted up when our Nine Fingered friend and his buddies went sailing off to the Grey Havens and you'd like spend a little more time with that world without it becoming a full-time hobby, then, yeah, you'll want to read this. It acts as the foundation of the other 4 books-- why stop now?
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Summary: Beautiful
Review: From the master of fantasy comes this jewel of jewels. The Silmarillion is the story of the Silmarils, the most precious gems ever crafted. In telling the story of these treasures he presents the tale of the creation of middle-earth -- a sort of mythological beginning which involves a hierarchy of greater and lesser gods and later brings the creation of the elves. It also tells the story of Morgoth, the first great dark lord under whom Sauron was only a lieutenant.
As the elves divide, multiply, and spread upon middle-earth, changes gradually take place, and strife appears. Soon men are created, and the dwarves come out of the east. Wars rage and Morgoth wreaks havoc upon the land with his army of balrogs and dragons. This, then, is the story of the first age of middle-earth.
Along with the tale of the Silmarils comes a story of Numenor, the ancient land where men dwelt and from whence came the lord of Gondor. Also included is a tale of the forging of the rings of power, and an account of the first defeat of Sauron. Altogether, this book encompasses the first and second ages, as well as a sketch of the events of the third.
For true Tolkien fans, this will be a wonderful addition to The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien's writing style is beautiful, and the story is very well written. Any fantasy fan will enjoy this book greatly. It should be remembered, however, that this book has more of a mythological base, and there is less attention to detail and much less dialogue than the Lord of the Rings. Instead it is told as a sort of epic history, given as an overview rather than a detailed account.
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Summary: Stirringly beautiful
Review: The beauty of Tolkien's world, especially that of his elves, surpasses anything I've encountered in fiction. I was surprised to enjoy this more than I did The Lord of the Rings. The lives of Tolkien's elves will leave you breathless. This is, in my mind, the definitive "fantasy" book. LOTR succeeds brilliantly in building the world of men on top of this foundation, but if you want your fantasy pure, this is the ultimate.
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Summary: Reading The Silmarillion
Review: The Silmarillion is not a book that can be read passively. If you read it in this manner, even if you read it cover to cover, it will only appear as a fragmented, if beautifully written, quasi-mythology. Instead it should be 'undertaken' more so than simply 'read'. The deeper you delve into the details of the book, referencing names, etymologies, maps etc the greater the pleasure you will derive in the long run. This can be difficult and frustrating at first (especially if you are hopeless at remembering names of people and places like I am) but in the end it is totally worth the effort. Like all good books this one requires the reader to be an active participant, to fill in the gaps created by the narrative. The reward? Simply Beauty.
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Summary: A review from a 14 year old...
Review: The Silmarillion is definately one of my favorite books. The characters are so determined and loyal to their cause, however hopeless it may be. It had me quite depressed for a while because most of the stories are very tragic.
The book isn't confusing at all in my opinion, it's just written like the bible. If it wasn't written like that it wouldn't have half the depth and beauty that it had.
JRR Tolkien would be proud.
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Summary: Tolkien's "The Silmarillion"
Review: This book is the greatest of all Tolkien's works I believe. It is an epic novel that deals with the very shaping of Middle-Earth and life itself. The book begins with the song of anuir and the shaping of the world and Illuvatar's Children (Elves {The Noldor}, and Men {The Edain}). It shows how Melkor became lustful and greedy and fell from his place of high honour.And how he then desired to rule all. And all the while when this was talking place at one point an elf was born, he was named Feanor. And he was the greatest smithy, and the most powerful elf of all time. He created the silmarils. And Melkor (later named Morgoth by Feanor after "The Rape Of The Silmarils") It talks of the elves exile from valinor and their war with Melkor. This Book I believe is a wonderful book and all people who enjoy this type of mythologic book should read it. I feel though that this book should be read prior to the other works of J.R.R. Tolkien because it gives an history of Middle-Earth.
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Summary: Not as confusing as some claim
Review: First I'd like to point out that a lot of people made this book out to be one of the lost books of the bible. At first reading some of the reviews I almost didn't purchase this book b/c I thought it would be too hard of a read. What a MISTAKE that would have been. It was more complicated than the smooth flowing pages of the LOTR and The Hobbit but it was nothing like what some of the reviewers made it out to be. It took a few pages to get used to the structure of the book but after that it was smooth sailing. Reading this book one can finally find out more about the creation of the world we all came to love. If you ever wondered why the sword Aragorn had re-forged was so special or what made the 2 trees of light so special, you'll find your answers here. There are some things however this book does not cover or covers very little of.For example, if you wanted more information on the Ents and the Entwives keep looking. How about info on Tom Bombadil, nothing. This book does not cover in detail the histoty of the Edain or the Dunedain like one would hope. That's why I only gave this book 4 out of 5 stars b/c of the frustration factor. Other than that it was a Great book to read and very informative for the Tolkien fan. To those that might be reading this review and contemplating whether or not to purchase this book especially after reading some of the other reviews, all I have to say is that if you have at least a high school education, this book should not be challenging at all. Pick it up and enjoy. See where the Tolkien universe began.
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Summary: Calling all Tolkien Freaks
Review: Much has been said about the dryness of this book, and it is true; it reads like a cross between a text book and the King James Version of The Bible. With that said, if you loved the Hobbit, the Ring Trilogy and have a particular fondness for elves, you MUST at least skim this book. Even though this is not a page-turner, or a book you will read cover-to-cover, you will probably enjoy getting Tolkien's thoughts (which drive the stories in the above-mentioned books) about the beginnings of Middle-Earth. It's also very handy as a reference book and the pronounciation guide and glossary in the back of it are invaluable. :o)
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Summary: Approach with open eyes
Review: If you've wandered onto this page, you've probably already read either the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings or both and are hungry for more. The Silmarillion will deliver that --- sort of. The Silmarillion is not a tale in the tradition of LOTR. It is a compilation of the historical stories Tolkien wrote as the background for that magnificent work. It fleshes out the details of the stories only hinted at in the poems and appendices of the Lord of the Rings. Here you will find out how Middle Earth was created, how the elves fell from grace, about the War of the Jewels between Morgoth -- to whom Sauron was but a servant -- and the sons of Feanor -- the fiercest and most powerful elf ever born. It even includes one appendix on Ahkallabeth -- the downfall of Numenor and one on the Rings of Power. You will be able to read all about the treachery of Sauron the Deceiver and his war with men and elves. HOWEVER --- the story is not told like LOTR. It's more like a history book. The characters mostly exist as historical figures. The first story especially -- Music of Ainur -- does not fare well in the leadoff spot. On the other hand, there are some stories that are simply amazing. The tale of Beren and Luthien Tinuviel is one of the most touching and epic love stories ever penned (Tolkein, in fact, had his wife's tombstone engraved to "Tinuviel"). The story of Turin Turambar is a heartbreaking Greek-style tragedy. The confrontation between Fingolfin and Morgoth is amazing. Reading the Similarilion is like reading a history book and finding an epic poem in the middle of it. If you, like me, read the appendices to LOTR in rapture, you'll love this book. Buy it in hardback and treasure every word. On the other hand, if you found those boring, then you should probably buy the paperback and flip foward to the best stories. Otherwise, you'll probably put it on your shelf, forget about it, and deprive yourself of some of the best stuff to ever come out of the golden pen of Tolkien.
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Summary: The Grandest of Epics for those with a peculiar taste
Review: There are many people who have reviewed the Silmarillion and have given it five stars, calling it one of the best stories ever, and there are people who have given it one star, calling it the most difficult, boring book ever assembled. Neither are right and neither are wrong. Before you either go to read it expecting a masterpiece or discard it as another overrated cult book, let me explain who the Silmarillion is for. The Silmarillion is a book made for readers with a peculiar taste. Not that they have more taste than other people, or that they're more intelligent or philosophically endowed than other people, simply that it is only for people who enjoy the style of prose Tolkien used to craft his masterpiece. Just as one person adores spinach and the other despises it, so the Silmarillion can be equally distasteful or succulent in the hands of the right reader. Is the prose slow, dry, and boring? Well yes. But at the same time it is profound, epic, and exciting. Its style is that of an ancient mode, easily comparable to the Illiad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid (though, as hard as the Silmarillion is to read, the Aeneid still stands as the worst story ever as far as readability goes). It is one man's attempt to create thousands of years of myth for his country in the span of his own lifetime. As such, only a few people will enjoy this book. It is for fans of Tolkien, because it is hard for me to imagine anyone reading it without at first loving Tolkien's works to some degree. But it is not for all Tolkien fans. It is not exclusively for those who are deeply devoted readers, because even many of them cannot enjoy that style of writing. The first time I read it, I was around the ages of 12-13 and I couldn't get past the first 50 pages. I have since read it six times and will continue to do so lovingly now that I've developed the taste that I have. Now that I've read it, I've found it to be the greatest of Tolkien's stories in its epic proportion, its prose, and its themes. I suggest that every Tolkien fan at least attempt to read the Silmarillion. If you are enjoying it by the end of the chapter entitled "Of the Darkening of Valinor," then continue reading! I guarantee it is a worthy experience. If, however, by the end of that chapter you still find yourself agonizing over every minute of it, then put it down and let it go. But please do not condemn it. It is simply a book that isn't your taste.
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