Rating: 
Summary: Aure entuluva! Day shall come again!
Review: As noted by other reviewers, "The Silmarillion" is not for everyone. It is not for those who cannot appreciate the Truth and Beauty of Myth. It is not for those who want their stories carefully pruned of any hint of sadness or misery. It is not for those who seek "relevance" (actually narrow-mindedness) in their literature. Nor is it for those of Tolkien's fans who see the history of Middle-Earth as nothing but a backdrop for the real action, for it delves deeply into that very history, starting at the very beginning -- Creation. "The Silmarillion" is for those who know that Truth and Beauty are timeless -- that people of all ages everywhere throughout all of history can resonate with the courage of Hurin facing the hordes of Morgoth Bauglir, or the love of Beren and Luthien, or the sorrow of the Elves, Dwarves, and Men after the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, or the fury of Feanor at the theft of the Silmarils. It is for those who realize that fantasy, which can deal with universal themes that all of us -- rich and poor, black and white, male and female, ancient and modern -- can relate to, can often teach us more about the "real world" than "contemporary fiction", which can only tell us about one person's experience of one part of one country in one time period. It is for those who realize that fantasy, when it is well done, teaches us about ourselves -- about what we truly desire, about what our true purpose is. It is for those who realize that fantasy, as written by J.R.R. Tolkien, helps us answer those eternal questions -- "Who am I?" "What is life's purpose?" and "Why am I reading this review?"
Rating: 
Summary: and excelent book ....but
Review: HelloIf you read the Hobbit , Lord of the rings and wont to dive in to middel- earths history this is the book for you ! But don't expect it to be like Lord of the rings /Hobbit or you might be dispointed ,the silmarillion is a History book ! , ( one wich i wish i hade in school :-)) and like them it might be tught to read , ther is no 1 story but a lot of them , all conected from the first criation of ME to the days of Lord of the rings . For thows of you who know the English language BUT not well i do recomend 1 of the 2 get the cd /caset or get some days off and start reading. have fun this book is worth it.
Rating:
Summary: The work of a master storyteller.
Review: The Silmarillion is J. R. R. Tolkien's masterpiece of mythology. It tells the tales of the Elder Days of Middle Earth: of the deeds of Men, the sorrows of the Elves, and the blessed days in Valinor where the light of the Two Trees was yet unsullied, while the World was yet young. The Silmarillion is full of potent and moving stories, that reflect our own deepest joys and greatest sorrows; told by a master storyteller, in a way that will fill your heart with gladness, yet make you weep.
Rating:
Summary: History authors, take note
Review: The Silmarillion is perhaps the most well-written "history" I have ever read. If only our own history authors were so vivid! There are times in the reading that I feel as if I'm reading the true accounts of our own country's founding fathers, or that I am reading forgotten tales of Greek mythology. These characters stick clearly in your mind and Tolkien's style always manages to make the unbelievable believable. These characters cry out for devoted material (such as solo novels) as much as Bilbo Baggins.
Rating:
Summary: Great Background Check
Review: This was a wonderful way to answer all the historical questions of Lord of the Rings. The strange thing may be that Silmarillion can't be read first; it'd be like reading a history book to a world you know nothing about. I enjoyed every moment and everything was put into it's place. Now I understand more about Elrond and Galadrial. And I know where the dwarves really came from, but Tolkien still leaves Olorin a bit mysterious. I loved it and anyone who loved Lord of the Rings will too!
Rating:
Summary: Consuming
Review: I have heard a lot of people say that the Silmarillion is unreadable.....hmmph! It may not have a lot of dialogue, or cater to most third-grade reading levels, but so much the better! The realistic world of Middle-Earth is alive with a fantastic history, noble and tragically heroic characters, themes that hit close-to-home, and language that surpasses so much of the mundane piles that are published today. Be enthralled by the brilliance of the Noldor lord Feanor. Experience the hope inspired by the love story of Beren and Luthien. Feel the tragedy of the pitiable hero Turin Turambar. Discover the power of the Silmarils and what drove the Oath of Feanor to wreak as much havoc as it did over the face of Middle-Earth. Anyone with an imagination will be satisfied for a long time with the images conjured in Tolkien's life-long labor. Just stick with it, and you will be glad you did!
Rating: 
Summary: a snooze
Review: I thought this book was very boring. There was too much going on and it was too confusing. Everyone says this book is so great but whats so great about it. Iwould not advise you to buy this book. It is a bad buy.
Rating:
Summary: Words cannot describe. . .
Review: "The Silmarillion" is to "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" what the books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) are to the Gospels. While it is certainly possible (indeed, probable) to obtain a certain understanding about the life and ministry of Jesus by reading the Gospels and ignoring the entire Old Testament, one obtains a much fuller vision of the meaning of the Gospels if one has an understanding of the Old Testament. This analogy fits very well with the relationship between "The Silmarillion" and Tolkien's other fiction. In "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" one examines in close detail two specific episodes at the end of the Third Age of Middle Earth, just like the Gospels give an account of the brief life and ministry of Jesus. "The Silmarillion", like the Old Testament, provides a grand, sweeping background of thousands of years of history, making the later stories come alive in a new, more deep, more rich fashion. Like the Old Testament, "The Silmarillion" is not always an easy read. But who says that great books have to always be easy? And "The Silmarillion" is indeed a great book. I've read it now about 20 times, and re-read it usually about twice a year. I can no longer go through it without being literally reduced to tears. Who can fail to be moved by the creation of the world? Or by the great duel between Fingolfin and Morgoth? Or by the love and devotion of Finrod Felagund? And who can even begin to claim to understand any of Tolkien's thought without having been immersed in the tale of Beren and Luthien? My heart is moved, and my emotions rise to the surface merely by writing these words. If you do not read "The Silmarillion", you will be turning your back on one of the greatest, most beautiful works of fiction ever written in the English language.
Rating:
Summary: The Bible As Literature
Review: J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion (Ballantine, 1977)
availability: endlessly in print In the sixties, something changed. Perhaps Mother Church realized that people were turning away from her; perhaps a cadre of teachers decided the younger generation needed to get in touch with its cultural roots; whatever. We ended up with a course in either the religion, literature, or both departments at many universities: The Bible As Literature. Seems they decided that the definition of "literature" (as it all too often is) is "something that's very difficult to read, but should be read by school students because someone, somewhere, has deemed it of great importance." (And thus Charles Dickens continues to be foisted on high school students everywhere.) And under this definition, the Bible-- which most certainly is difficult to read and is considered of great importance by tens of millions the world over, fits. Some would even attach a broader definition to it-- that it contains a bang-up plot, pretty good characterization, an elucidating theme, etc. Problem is, when it boils right down to the soup bone, the Bible is not all that well-written. Certainly, a number of other creation legends are entirely more readable and fun, despite having far fewer buckets of blood splashed across their pages. Wandering into all this is a linguist who wants to create a creation myth for a world he's developed, a word loved by tens of millions the world over. He's already got the second half of the definition, so all he had to do was pen something difficult to read. And he did so, in spades. The Silmarillion is without a doubt, the thickest (language-wise), most obtuse, hardest-to-follow book I've attmpted since I gave up on nineteenth-century authors who were paid by the page for their stuff. I gave it the best shot I could, but it fell by the wayside.
Rating:
Summary: A Woven Tapestry of the Elder Years
Review: I had the grand fortune of reading this classic within a year of its first release in 1977. Though I was yet a child I remember the awe that filled me as I read each page. Each tale in the book is lovingly written, and masterfully fashioned in epic prose that few have mastered before or since. The stories are captivating, moving, at once tragic and uplifting. I have read this book at least once a year for 22 years, now, and the awe still remains, and each tale re-read unfolds something magical that previously had been hid. I recommend the book to any serious reader, not just as a mainstay of classic fantasy, but as a classic in fine literature, as worthy as Shakespeare or Dickens or Greek tragedy.
|
