Rating: 
Summary: A Superhuman Epic of Magic and Passion
Review: I've read the first hundred pages (through chapter nine) of The Silmarillion once, and the rest of the book more times than I can remember to count.Tolkien's 1938 "Faery-stories" lecture defined the modern fantasy story in terms of its climactic "eucatastrophe," not exactly a happy ending necessarily but a moment of heartbreaking joy, which he variously demonstrated in each of his fictions. The Silmarillion's is even better than the one in Unfinished Tales, precisely because the "Quenta Silmarillion" proper is Tolkien's most tragic saga, a superhuman epic of magic and passion. Nothing can quite prepare you for it, because there isn't anything else quite like it. The "Quenta Silmarillion" is also Tolkien's purest tribute to the medieval literature that didn't survive. It reflects the centrality of the Old Norse Elder (or Poetic) Edda (a cycle of songs accidentally discovered in Iceland, which imply far more of both mythology and metaphysics than they actually record) in Tolkien's critical view of medieval literary history. Paragraph one of chapter ten demonstrably scans in Sievers staves. It should be noted that the shorter sequels following the "Quenta Silmarillion," "Akallabeth" and "Of the Rings of Power," require knowledge of the first two appendices to The Lord of the Rings. My own personal hypothesis is that the "Quenta Silmarillion" was metahistorically written by Galadriel, its most domestic character, at Gandalf's behest, when he first arrived in Middle-earth, a thousand years before The Lord of the Rings. It's not true that there are no hobbits in The Silmarillion, but it wouldn't make much difference if it were. I'm waiting to see them make a movie out of this one: there's no conversational dialogue at all, only speeches. And yet there are great love and great wisdom. Readers of both the Classics and the Bible will be better prepared than most.
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Summary: Wow... Tolkien has created a masterpiece!
Review: I have just finished reading this wonderful book. I am afraid, however, that those who do not generally love to read will not get very far. My favriote part in the book is the Ainulindale (Am I spelling right?), or The Music of the Ainur. I also love the compassionate story of Luthian (spelling?) and Beren. Tolkien created just the right ending for them. As well as good reading, this book also clarifies a great many things from the Lord of the Rings. Practically all the songs in the trilogy are found in longer, more comprehinsible, story format. What was the religion of Middle Earth? How did Gandalf survive for so long? How come he didn't take offense when Elrond said, "Men are weak"? Who's Elbereth? Why did Bilbo write a song about Earendil and the someone (I forgot who) said that he was brave? Learn all this, and more... *cuts to ominous music*
Rating:
Summary: The Silmarillion
Review: I am a huge fan of Tolkien and am currently reading Unfinished Tales. The Silmarillion is a beautiful but brief book that sketches and outlines the history of Middle Earth. I believe that it is an essential read for anyone interested in Tolkien. It answers many questions and gives wonderful background info for The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. The names in The Silmarillion are simply gorgeous! Besides the familiar characters from the Trilogy you will meet and fall in love with their Elven ancestors. I personally read The Silmarillion after I read the Trilogy, but the order in which you read them is irrelevent. However, I strongly recommend reading The Silmarillion before Unfinished Tales and the series that is started with The Book of Lost Tales 1. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Background Info for Die-hard Tolkien Fans
Review: For those who have gobbled up Tolkien's novel "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" and are wondering where to look next, this is the obvious first choice. However, the buyer should be cautioned: this is not a "novel" in the way that Tolkien's other two books are. Rather, it is more like an extension of the appendices at the end of "The Return of the King." If you were bored by those appendices, you probably are not so interested in the pre-history of Middle Earth and maybe you do not want to buy this book. You could turn elsewhere to "The Book of Lost Tales" instead. However, if you loved all that pre-history, then this book is for you and will open your eyes further to the incredible world and mythology Tolkien created. As to this edition: I would recommend it over the others. It is slightly large and therefore easier to handle than standard trade paperbacks (most of which are too small for my taste), with good thick paper (slightly beige - not that awful shiny white stuff), well bound with an appealing cover and good taste. You will like having this book lying around. Also, it is part of a series edited by Christopher Tolkien, so if you end up buying the other books in the series (I hear they are quite good), then you'll want matching editions. So, it may be worth paying a bit more for this one. What do you get? Well, first you get a story about the creation of Middle Earth, which for the first time clearly lays out the religious underpinnings of Tolkien's mythology. The One God, Eru, and his angels (the Valar) are hanging out. Eru gives them a song to sing, and they sing it, but one bad angel (a Satan-figure) rebels and starts singing his own tune, creating dissonance. Some angels follow him, and soon the song is cacophanous. Eru introduces a new melody, but the bad angels rebel again. Finally Eru says "Stop!" and it all ends. He then says: "What you have sung, you will now see created" (I'm paraphrasing horribly), and their song becomes Middle Earth -- the forces of good and evil, etc. Amazing concept. We then get a long narrative about how the Valar came down to Middle Earth, how the first-born (Elves) were created, then the dwarves and Men. How Sauron came out; who the Numenoreans were; what "O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!" refers to; how Galadriel got to Middle Earth; how Sauron became evil; why the elves go off to the Blessed Realm; how the rings of power were made; etc. If you've wondered about all these questions - the answers are all here (or most of them, anyway). Apart from the opening story about creation, the writing is not easy; it is dense and not very story-like at times. Often it feels like a poorly written history book. But if you survived (and liked) "The Lord of the Rings", then no doubt you can handle Tolkien's writing and you'll be fine (Believe me - I think he writes beautifully at times, but not always in this book!).
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Summary: The Best of Them All...
Review: As far as I'm concerned this is the BEST of Tolkien's books. It doesn't get bogged down in detail. It sweeps a much larger range of time than Lord of the Rings. It answers so many questions. Its story is so much more touching and compassionate. It's so much easier to read. I lost my copy...but I'm going to, after so many years, buy it again!
Rating: 
Summary: THE SILMARILLION-JUST TOO EPIC!
Review: Anyone who loves the Hobbit and then the Lord of the Rings as much I do is left wanting more. So naturally "The Silmarillion" is the next obvious choice. Sadly this grandiose work falls short of J.R.R 's earlier work.One could say that this was his son's influence on the text but sadly I think that both father and son had lost sight of the true magic of Middle-Earth. Namely great story telling.Yes with in depth history to back up the myth but not at the expense of the narrative. Still there are some great insights. Not enough though to sustain what is essentially a history (of biblical proportions) of Middle Earth and Numenor and lands beyond from the dawn of creation. I love escaping into fantasy but not to this degree. I even found the sheer wealth of detail a little unnerving.Good Luck!!!
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Summary: Modern mythology adds new dimension to LOTR
Review: I had heard and read a number of reviews of this book. Most seem to agree that the book was dry at times and not as good as the LOTR trilogy. Reading the first few chapters, I would strongly agree. There are a great number of people and places and it soon becomes challenging to keep them all straight. However, have no fear...the rewards are great. The reader soon realizes that this book is more than just a historical supplement for the LOTR trilogy. In fact, Tolkien has created an entire mythos comparable to Greek and Roman mythology of old. Be prepared, for the text reads like mythology. The stories move quickly and there is lots of action but little detail. My favorite story is that of "Beren and Luthien." Seriously, this is one of the best stories that I have ever read and worth working your way through the beginning of the book to get to it. If you liked the LOTR trilogy, I would strongly recommend this book as it does provide good background and answers most of the commonly asked questions from the series. In addition, there is a handy glossary in the back of the book that helps the reader keep track of all the names in places in the series.
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Summary: Sweet
Review: i am not going to bore you with a huge review. i recently bought this book and WOW!! it is sooo cool! it is extremly hard to understand, but dont let that get You down. i noticed how many people look at the reveiws for this book. i am only 130 pages into it....but it is awsome!! i am only 13 so maybe if you are older you might understand it better. but you NEED THIS BOOK!
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Summary: A fantastic work of fantasy
Review: To most people, Tolkien is known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This is his other great work, published after his death and assembled by his son, a history of Middle Earth prior to the Ring books. If the Hobbit is designed to appeal to kids and The Lord of the Rings to appeal to teens and young adults, this one is definitely for an older crowd. I say this not derogatorily, because these works are all great, but the Silmarillion is not an easy read compared to the others. It is the complexity of this book that shows just how skilled Tolkien is. This is a tale of myths and legends, designed almost to be a bible of Middle-Earth. It is not a novel but a collection of stories dealing with the days when the world was young. When you read this book, you realize how deep in detail Middle Earth is, and how comparitively shallow most other fantasy worlds are. Beyond this, although not as simple to read as other Tolkien stories (but still entertainingly readable), the tales in this book are exciting and compelling. This work reaffirms what the general state of the fantasy genre is: .... To truly appreciate what fantasy can be, this is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Best Tolkien Book!
Review: I must say when I was reading LOTR I thought there was a feeling of that events had happened before. I asked my brother-in-law and he told me about the Silmarillion and told me it was only for the hardcore fans. I picked it up after I finished LOTR and I guess, no, believe I am hardcore fan then. I loved this book completely. The most comprehensive and real emotion and storytelling I have ever read. The tale of Turin Turambar and all the many characters, so complex and eventful. You begin liking a particular few characters and then you ca switch when you hear what they did to another character you grew to love. Not that you hate any of them but you feel as you read it up that these are great characters and events! Definitely recommended!
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