The Silmarillion

Rating:
Summary: Pure, Unadulterated Literary Genius
Review: By now, thanks to the efforts of PJ and crew, most people know the story of Frodo, the brave little hobbit who could, and the rest of the LOTR gang, but, sadly, few who have been won over by the movie, or even the books, seem to ever dig deep into the origins of Middle-Earth, and the ones who do rarely ever "dig" them (Please forgive me for that one). Now, I'm not saying that the Hobbit & LOTR can't exist on their own; they did that for over thirty years, but anyone that considers himself a moderate Tolkien (By the way, it's Tol-Keen, rather than Tol-Kuhn) fan should at least read the Silmarillion once, at least to understand the significance of Earendil, the light from Galadriel's smial and the other mythic passages of LOTR (Plus, the cute bookish girls will swoon if you can quote Beren's lament for Luthien). That isn't to say that the Silmarillion is important merely as a peripheral to LOTR or a prop to improve your social status; on the contrary, it's one of the most remarkable, brilliant and satisfying works in the English language, dripping with poetry, mysticism and emotion and held together by Tolkien's mastery of the English language; he's on par with Scott and Shakespeare and surpassed only by Peaks in fluidity and grace.
Many people are scared off by its reputation as being "difficult", and I admit it's rather hard to take in at first (I made the mistake of trying to read it at eight. Let's just say I didn't get too far), but in the end it's more than worth the small struggles to bask in the warm sun of Middle-Earth for even a short time.
While the Lord of the Rings was concerned to an extent with minutiae (One is presented with a day-to-day calendar of events in the appendices), the Silmarillion is astonishing in its sweep; the book takes place over hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of years of civilization, chronicling the events from the very creation of the world (in the Ainulindale) to the passing of the Eldar that signaled the end of the Third Age. Along the way we get heartbreaking stories of romance (The Tale of Beren and Luthien, which make Romeo and Juliet look like a tenth-grade hack-job in comparison), equally heartbreaking, though more swashbuckling, tales of chivalry and adventure (Finrod Felagund), incomparably epic wars (the Fall of Gondolin; the Dagor Bragollach)and accounts of the effects of betrayal and greed (the Sons of Feanor and the Kinslaying of Alqualonde), along with too many other brilliant things to mention.
Whenever I write a review I try to keep an aura of professionalism; no screaming BUY THIS NOW!!! or blatant grammatical errors, but when it comes to the Silmarillion it's rather hard for me not revert to fan-boy mode and express my total, unfailing love for this book; Tolkien was a genius who created a fully realized world with its own history, languages and even physics (That's all "magic" is, really) and then graciously allowed us to visit it through his works. Frankly, I think we need to give him a profound thanks for that.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful, grand, and epic mythology
Review: Although it was indeed a post-humous publication, the Silmarillion is truly the work of J.R.R. Tolkien (with a little organization by his son) and as such, it is probably his crowning achievement as a writer. Embodying everything that he desired to acomplish linguistically as well as creatively, the Silmarillion stands as the greatest volume by the accomplished philologist.

Perhaps the greatest achievement of this work is its grand scope, covering the earliest years in the history of Middle Earth. Written in an extremely mythic style, the story begins telling the tale of creation. Due to his devotion to Roman Catholicism, Tolkien indirectly imbues these early myths with Judeo-Christian sentiments, leaving room for other northern-European influences as well. Because of this basis in true-world mythology, the early tales of the Silmarillion stand out as more than isolated tales of a fictional world. Indeed, they inspire the reader to imagine beauty which is beyond the confines of Middle Earth, renewing awe in the nature of the world and Man's place in there.

The main body of the work, the tale of the Silmarils and the events surrounding them is a story which is once again mythic but yet is a most excellent heuristic for looking at hubris as well as the corruption of evil. Indeed, this is an ongoing theme in the work, linking, in many ways, to Judeo-Christian teachings and myth. The overall theme of the work approaches the idea of subcreation and the beauty AND responsibility that come with it. The development of all the characters reflects the ramifications of free choice and the temptations that can stem from the abilities granted to individuals.

Because of its wholistic nature and thorough integration, the Silmarillion is a superb work which stands on its own as a fantasy mythology. However, this development lets the work to refresh the reader's view of the world and also grants insight and reflection on the responsibilities of mankind. Because of this, I highly recommend the Silmarillion for all who are willing to take the time to make through its elegant prose.

Rating:
Summary: A hard read
Review: This book was a hard read for me. The book is basically the story of the first couple of ages of Middle Earth. I like to think of it as the "Elvish Bible." It has a lot of elements of 'Paradise Lost' in it which I admit I'm a sucker for. If you have ever read any religious text such as the Bible, I think you'll find a lot in common with those and this book--like not using proper grammer and stringing complex ideas and concepts in a single paragraph. This book is defining the beliefs of the Elves and most of the other cultures in Middle-Earth. If you start with that mindset it will make the book easier to read.

I think it's pretty clear that Tolkien had all of these characters and the universe they live in clear in his mind from the beginning. I think that many times he just doesn't get that across on paper that well. For example, he introduces many concepts, places and characters on a whim right in the middle of a long drawn out sentence. I found myself many times going back to the index to look up definitions so I wouldn't get lost. Thank goddness Tolkien had the foresight to write these sections to help his readers.

The great irony of Tolkien's work is that he puts in so much detail about places and characters that everyone who reads it gets a different vision of what it should be. That is the mark of a great writer.

I would recommend that you read "The Hobbit" and all of the "Lord of the Rings" before tackling this book. I think those books are a good introduction to Tolkien's style and will give you a better framework to start from. IMO, those are much better books than this one because there is more of a story line to follow.