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Summary: In the beginning there was The Silmarillion
Review: The Silmarillion is a journey through the imagination of J. R. R. Tolkien. It begins with the creation of Arda (Middle Earth) and gives us a history of the world up to the Lord of the Rings. The novel is split into four main parts; The creation, The First Age, the Second Age, and the Third Age.
The Creation sets the stage of our story by telling the story of how Arda, Elves, Men, Dwarves and all living creatures came to be. We see how the land and sea are formed and we are told of the fallen that bring evil into the world.
The First Age tells the story of the many Wars between the Elves and the Evil One (and all of his Orcs/Goblins). We also see the transition between the old world of the past and the new world of Middle Earth from LOTR.
The Second Age revolves around Men and their growing influence in the world. The live on an island called Numenor aka Atalante (sound familiar). Here they live and prosper for generations as we read of their exploits. The Second Age ends with tragedy as you can guess from the Numenor's other name.
Finally, The Third Age tells stories regarding the Ring of Power. We learn more about the Ring and how it was forged, and we are given insights from the perspectives of various characters concerning the forging of, search for, and destruction of the Ring.
All in all, this is a GREAT history of Middle Earth. This is Tolkien's real life's work, as he started writing it in his early teens and worked on it until his death. We are given insights into history and language and we are transported to another world that seems that it could have really existed.
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Summary: Floods the sense, overloads the emotions...
Review: And finally, when all is said and done, you close the final page of The Lord of the Rings. You believe that this is as good as it gets, and that you have come a long way. Yes that is partially true.
But you never knew how deep and rich the genius of Tolkien really was. You never know why he held back so long on his final work, his magnum opus, which he did not live to see published. Which his son Christopher Tolkien had to publish after his death.
This work is Silmarillion.
The Silmarillion is biblical is scale and breadth. It is legendary and epic. All the stories and myths of Arda, Middle-Earth, are laid bare before you to see. The incredible bliss and agony, the depths and heights, from end of end, you see just how good it can get.
A theme of enduring sorrow and decay runs through the works of Tolkien, and this starts from the Hobbit. I have noted this theme in my earlier reviews.
In the Silmarillion you finally come face to face with the purity and innocence of an age lost in time, when the world was new and young and the first born walked upon it, gazing at the stars in wonder.
It was an age when demons of the underworld and dragons of fire were as numerous as flies. When mighty battles where fought that broke the earth and mountains, and tossed asunder the very essence of Arda.
It was an age where acts of heroism and valour occured that sowed legends. Acts that inspired legions of heroes for ages to come.
Though that age is forever lost, the spirit of that age remains. It endures and comforts. You see that spirit in The Lord of the Rings.
I think some folks will agree reading this work can bring a sweat to your brow. It is not light bedtime material. The density of the writing is like trying to eat blocks of granite, however if you are strong and well entrenched in simpler Tolkien works prior to this, you will make it.
And when you finish the Silmarillion, you will get a sense of satisfaction and completeness. Only then will you truely have made the complete journey that began with the Hobbit. Only then will you grasp the COMPLETE essence of the imaginative genius of Tolkien.
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Summary: Tolkien's finest.
Review: Many have criticized The Silmarillion for being a dull, slow, and wholly uninteresting novel. While those who have actually read the Silmarillion cover to cover will first have the question of whether these people actually read beyond the first 20 pages before spouting off with their opinion pop into their heads, they must also question whether these individuals are fans of Tolkien's LOTR or Hobbit series at all. True, the Silmarillion is at times very slow and without action - the entire beginning of the book can be classified as thus. However, both the LOTR trilogy and the Hobbit can be similarly labeled. Almost half of the Fellowship of the Ring is dull and slow-moving, and so are sizable portions of Return of the King and the Two Towers as well as almost the entire plot of the Hobbitt. The Silmarillion is an entirely different book than any of these, as many fans have already noted. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The Silmarillion is clearly a stand-alone novel - one need not have any knowledge of Middle Earth to enjoy this book, and readers of the LOTR trilogy may be surprised to find out just how different the original world of Tolkien was than the one they encounter in LOTR and the Hobbit. The Silmarillion is, in my opinion, unquestionably better than either of Tolkien's more famous works. A sprawling mythological epic history, The Silmarillion weaves a tale of a world strange to ours, but not strange to those of the ancient Norse and others. Its characters are tragic and inspiring. The stories are moving (I must confess that at times my eyes began welling up at certain points, especially during the saga of Turin) and engrossing. Tolkien's writing style can be a bit heavy at times, but it is nothing that readers of LOTR or the Hobbit are unused to. Beyond mere storytelling, Tolkien does an excellent job examining the morality and ethics of his created world. The Silmarillion is simply a masterwork on every level, and any fan of Tolkien, mythology, or simply great epic writing would be remiss not to have this novel on their shelf.
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Summary: Very different, yet the same
Review: Tolkien wrote three major works about Middle Earth: The Hobbit, Lord of The Rings, and The Silmarillion, and they were written in three vastly different styles. The Hobbit reads like a children's book, the LOTR reads like a great epic quest written for adults in the old style of Nordic mythology, and the Silmarillion reads like a cross between an ancient semi-biblical history and an elegiac poem. To be honest, I first picked up the Silmarillion after reading and falling in love with the LOTR expecting to find more of the same. It wasn't and isn't, and the first time through the book I felt really bored and disappointed. The style was far different from LOTR, more confusing and dry in places, and the characters I fell in love with from LOTR weren't there. I finished it frustrated, but, after a few months, still yearning for more of Tolkien's world, I decided to give it another chance. With my expectations set differently, I found a completely different book, one that I ended up loving more than LOTR itself. Taken on its own terms as a poetic blend of theology, mythology, and history for Middle Earth, the Silmarillion is a work of astonishing beauty and tragedy unlike any other book you will ever read. The poetry is high-poetry in the best sense, and the history, which can seem dry upon first reading, is as rich and interconnected as any you will find in the ancient histories of our own real world. This book provides everything you will need to create your own, fully 3-D conceptualization of middle earth and the magic that underlies its magic. And the language is often extraordinary and inspired, reaching the level of song-in-prose at many points. If you are the kind of person who is willing to put some work into what you read, I highly recommend The Silmarillion because it rewards your efforts doubly.
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Summary: Tolkien's Heartwork
Review: 'The Hobbit' was a bedtime story for his children; 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy was a story to amuse himself and his friends; 'The Silmarillion' was Tolkien's life's work and best-loved heartwork. To read 'The Silmarillion' as if it were just a piece of fiction is to do it an injustice; it is the Bible of Tolkien's world. With a beauty surpassing prose, it is best heard...read aloud, sung or chanted. It is not for everyone. If you are looking for another Rings trilogy, look elsewhere. If you are looking for the innate beauty and sorrow that can only be felt in great spiritual literature such as the King James' version of the Bible, Homer's Iliad, or India's Bhagavad-Gita, then I would say this book is for you.
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Summary: Brilliant!
Review: I had read Lord of the Rings and i thought it was great. both entertaining, multileveled and smart. I wanted more so I was thinking of reading the SILMARILIAN. I heard from some people who said it was difficult to read and not really worth it, but i got a copy anyway. I am only a college student but I did not find it difficult to read at all, and halfway through it, it is the best thing I've ever read. It is amazingly well constructed mythology, and history. I understand now why Tolkien is hailed as a genius and great litterary mind. I loved The Lord of the Rings but I think The Silmarillion is a million times better. It is so rich and well thought out, I think any students looking for something interesting and something they could learn from should read this book, as well as any fans of mythology, or of Lord of the Rings. Parts get a little dry where "so and so is the son of so and so who came from the line of whats his name..." but still the whole thing is amazing and wonderful and full of magic and mystery in the tradition of imagination as well as education and understanding. Very entertaining on top of everything else. i read half of it in two days...once i read the first paragraph of Ainulindale i couldnt put it down and still have trouble doing so. Especially recomended for art, music, and literature students, or likeminded people or areas of interest. Also it fills in a lot of holes in your mind about where Sauron comes from and illuminates the poems and brief histories and origins of characters given within The Lord of the Rings. I am certainly glad they decided to release this, which as i understand was origionally just something Tolkien wrote to establish the history of his story.
I wish i had come across this book long ago.
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Summary: Even better than lotr! - but beware!
Review: IMO, this is the best book by Tolkien. He spent his whole life writing it (he started when he was young and never finished it), and that's probably why it's so good. Some people (like my parents) say it's boring as hell, and yes, it is in some places, but I think it's very gripping in others. I am of course, a hardcore Tolkien fan, and I'm more into Tolkien than others, but really. Read it! At least give it a try! And if you got far enough (100 pages or so) and you suddenly got bored, just bear with it, it'll get better... Of course, if you're no Tolkien fan at all, then don't buy this, but if you are, IMO it's even better than lotr itself!
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Summary: Best book ever...flat out
Review: When I started reading this i stopped it was terrible, it made no sense.(3 months later) I gave it another chance, which i am so grateful for, I found out there was a index of definitons in the back....I skipped the first 50-75 pages (too hard to read). I had much trouble but once after page 100 I couldnt stop reading it! This book means so much to me and I cant even think what would happen if I never read. On the other hand my friend, who got me to read Lord of the rings, tried to read it but couldnt make it past page 75. So it is up to you wether you wanna read the best book ever, which opens you up to many other Tolkien books (Unfinished Tales, History of Middle-Earth(which is a harder read then Silm)) I ask you to read this and you'll get a new stronger perspective on everything Tolkien did and how hard he worked on his books.
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Summary: This book may not be for some people
Review: I LOVED lord of the rings and the hobbit so I decided to read this book even though at first I had no clue what it was about.When I first started reading it I was fascinated at how deep it delved into the history of middle earth, so now if you see any references to lore in the lord of the rings after reading this book you can say "hey I remember that". However this book can probably only be read by serious readers who can stand what is basicly a history book. There are man6y interesting tales in this that are part of the shaping of middle earth in fact the entire book is. Some people have tried to associate tolkien with the ocult but all that is a huge lie(seriously the guy was a christian) in fact some of the story
line is similar to the bible like the fall of the Noldar.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for the feint of heart
Review: I am going to preface the following by admitting that I have not read more than about 8 pages of this book. I am neither stupid nor uneducated, but this book was simply too much for me. I'm only giving it 2 stars just in case I'm totally missing something here. If you enjoyed Lord of the Rings it doesn't mean you'll enjoy this. It is a _very difficult and confusing_ read. I have spoken to 3 other people who attempted this book. My father was one of them and he reads all the time including old english poetry and he found that this book was just not worth the mental effort. You have but to read one page and you'll see what I'm talking about. Two adult friends of mine have failed reading this book as well. Obviously SOME people here enjoy it, but I'm guessing that we don't hear from those who couldn't be bothered to finish it - and I would feel absolutely confident in saying that this is the majority of those who try. Perhaps the book gets easier but my father made the greatest headway completing 100 pages of it and he never got into it. If you are looking for a comfortable read sitting by the fire with some wine look elsewhere.
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