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Summary: The Bible of The Lord of the Rings
Review: I used to think that this book was only for people obsessed with LOTR, but I finally got my hands on a copy. It was slow going at first because it goes through the whole creation and mythology, but I kept at it and soon found myself absorbed in the struggles of the elves against themselves and Morgoth. What I loved most about this book is the background it gives for LOTR. Having read this, everything else makes so much sense! For example, Galadriel's starlight vial holds new meaning and the relationship between elves, men, and dwarves all comes clear. This is a must read!!! The illustrated hardcover edition is especially nice because it has a gorgeous colored map inside the cover that doesn't require unfolding! Get this book! You won't be sorry!
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Summary: Good but not overwhelming...
Review: Great book, but no overwhelmingly good as everybody says. LORD OF THE RINGS is much better. This Silmarillion seems like the first book of LOFR, "Fellowship of the Ring", which is the worst and slowest of the three books.
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Summary: GOOOOSCH ...!!!!! REALLY HARD READING !!!!
Review: Tolkien is the master of fantasy. No doubt about it. So, I supose what I'll say below will leave many of his fans upset. The truth is the following: this book is boring. The concept is grandious, the creation of Arda magnific, the battle between the elves and Melkor amazing. But Tolkien's style is typical of some British writers. It is dry. Even when he writes about beautiful moments or beautiful scenarios, it's dry and emotionless, almost if it was just a newsman relating it. So, enduring reading the whole book is already a victory. Please pay attention to the fact that I'm not saying this is not a great book. This would be insane. I'm just saying the writing style is boring.
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Summary: Better than either of the others.
Review: This is an exeptional book that no one else has ever, could ever, attempt. It is better than TLOTR, mainly from the absence of Hobbits. Mind! I like the little fellows, but they are so much like real people that it hinders the true spirit of the elves from coming through. In the SILMARILLION there are no Hobbits, and the true magic of Middle-earth shines through. On the whole, I like the books in this order: The Silmarillion The Two Towers The Return Of The King The Fellowship of the Ring The Hobbit (Don't get me wrong-- it far surpasses most books, but Tolkein was that rare thing-a genius)
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Summary: Scholarly Writing on Middle Earth
Review: Tolkein never intended for this book to go to print. He used it as background information to lend body to his masterpieces: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. While the Silmarillian may provide information to the die-hard Tolkein fan, don't expect it to evoke the same magic Tolkein's other works weave so adeptly. It contains neither the personal element of seeing Middle Earth through the eyes of the human-like hobbits, nor the redemption of a single coherent plot. This book reads like a history text, which is, in fact, what it was conceived to be.
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Summary: Wow
Review: Tolkien is a genius and this is his magnum opus. LotR was the greatest fantasy series ever and this book (which he never meant to publish) is the reason why. The ammount of thought that he put into the background and history of middle earth is astounding. It will never be matched.
Rating:
Summary: Meh...
Review: To enjoy this book you need to REALLY want to know more of the history of middle-earth. Superbly written, and vivid description, but there is too much to take in in 300 pages. At times it is boring, at others exciting, but quite interesting all the way through. Reommended if you want to learn more about Tolkien's world, but otherwise, I think you should stay away from this one.
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Summary: A gem beyond compare
Review: The crowning masterpiece of the greatest author of the 20th century, The Silmarillion can alternately break one's heart and stir it to excitement unlike any other literary work. The themes are familiar: courage, love, loyalty, obsession, greed, treachery, et al, but it feels to the reader as if one was encountering them for the first time in literature, by a master of the language, and the effect can be almost overwhelming: many are the passages that will effectively halt a reading until your tears are dried: Yavanna lamenting over the Trees, Fingolfin's hopeless duel with Morgoth, Finrod Felagund's "First Contact" with the Fathers of Men and subsequent death saving Beren, and Hurin's last stand at the Fen of Serech are just a few. I have owned this book since it was first published in the 1970s, and with each reading, my appreciation grows deeper, and my thanks to Tolkien more heartfelt. No one should be without this treasure.
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Summary: The Master of Creation
Review: Anyone who says that The Silmarillion is dull compared to LOTR or The Hobbit, has not truely stepped foot on Middle Earth. It is designed in such a way that it seems like your reading a collection of really good short stories but they are all related in one way or another. Some will make you laugh and others will have you screaming, some still will even make you teary eyed. To all adults and children alike...do yourself a favor and read THE BOOK by THE AUTHOR. I found reading them in this order made it truly enjoyable: Hobbit, LOTR, Silmarillion, LOTR...Hobbit, LOTR, Silmarillion....get the point?!?
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Summary: Shows the true depth of Tolkien's genius
Review: While not as immediately engaging as "The Hobbit" or "The Lord of the Rings", "The Silmarillion" is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the true depth of of Tolkien's work. This is not so much a novel, as it is the collected mythology of a place and time that never existed. This work reveals in even greater depth than his other works, Tolkien's inspirations. Furthermore, his background in linguistics is revealed as the evolution of Middle Earth's denizens gives rise to a host of languages of amazing depth and consistency. This is not the easiest book to read. But a close reading will offer hundreds of delightful tidbits and will provide an incredibly thorough historical foundation for the events in "The Lord of the Rings".
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