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Summary: The Silmarillion is Great
Review: The Silmarillion is one of the most wonderfully written fantasies ever.I suggest that everyone reads this incisive book because it delves deeply into the problems of greed and lust and how they can affect the future. An example of this in the book was when the Noldor made an oath to regain the Silmarils. It destroyed their people with lies and deception. It also tells of Men's part in the evil plan Morgoth and his evil servants had. It shows that through deceit,lies, and death beauty and light can still prevail against darkness in any form. I loved this book because it is fantasy filled yet relates to life today in many ways.
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Summary: The story of the creation of a world
Review: This is an incredibly intruiging book, although you can't be hesitant in the beginning. It starts off as very incredibly hard to understand, and I had to read it various times to really apprieciate the story.This book attempts to uncover the myseries of the creation of the world that we have grown to know and love. It starts from the very beginning, with the creation of Arda, the world where middle earth exists. It tells the story of the gods, of the elves, of the men . . . and of a world so unlike our own that you don't want to leave. It also makes the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit so much more enjoyable, taking away the mysterious aspects, and shedding light on the questions that we used to ponder. The releasing of the Simlarilion was a very risky move for Christopher Tolkien, especially so close after the release of the Lord of the Rings, I guess because one of the most appealing aspects of the Rings is it's in depth history. Either way, I found it both helpful and enlightening. I strongly recommend this book to all Tolkien fans.
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Summary: Tolkien's Bible
Review: Hark now to The Silmarillion, the Bible of Tolkien's fantasy world. This is not a work to be taken lightly, for here we at last uncover the great truths of Middle-earth, and hear of its creation. The Silmarillion, simply put, is a tragic book, beautiful, with one flaw that nearly kills it. It was unfinished. We do not know (or ever will) how much different it would have been if Tolkien live to complete his greatest work. Christopher his son has done as well as can be expected, but there are quite a few style shifts betraying his pen instead of his father's. This is to be read with such seriousness as The Illiad or The Odysse. It is a mythological work that should be studied. This is not for a conventional reader, this is for the serious student. Without the knowledge his other two novels (for Lord of the Rings is one novel, not a trilogy) The L. R. and The Hobbit, The Silmarillion is not near as rewarding as it would otherwise be. The Hobbit is for children, The Lord of the Rings is for adults, and The Silmarillion is for students of this great work. All students interested in literature should read this, flawed as it is because of the mortality of man. It also shows how strong Tolkien believed in God. His world was very much a Christian world, set up in the likeness of God. God is never mentioned in the L. R., but as I remember he is in The Silmarillion. You see him with the Ainur create the world. Truly, this is a master of fantasy, and a great Christian man.
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Summary: The Silmarillion Audio Book
Review: The Silmariollion Audio book read by Martin Shaw is a great buy for Tolkien fans. The book, to listen to is at first hard to follow since there are so many strange names and a cast of hundreds (most of which are named). The book is well read and the narrator gives energy and enthusiasm to lines that might seem boring when read. Also it is nice to finally learn how to pronounce some of the character and place names. The Silmarillion gives a much better history of Middle Earth than what is given in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. After reading (or in my case listening) the Silmarillion, one is compelled to go back and reread the trilogy with a better understanding of the lore and history that surrounds that timeless masterpiece.Thumbs up to the Silmarillion, and thumbs up to the narrator Martin Shaw.
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Summary: filled in the blanks of my curiosity of Hobbit/Lord of Rings
Review: I used to wonder who this Elbereth/Githoniel person was and why only the high elves spoke of her. I used to wonder who Shelob really was and where she came from. But after reading the Silmarilion, all my questions about the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were answered.
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Summary: On par with The Lord of the Rings
Review: This is my favorite of the Tolkien books. I must agree with the person below who said it explains what the characteristics of Middle-Earth and Valinor were. I completely disagree with the rather misguided reader who gave the Silmarillion two stars. He or she evidently "skipped over" The Lord of the Rings, going directly from the Hobbit to the Silmarillion. The reader compared the two saying that he "loved the Hobbit", but that the Silmarillion was "boring", with "too many names to remember. This is not anything like the Hobbit, which was almost for children. It is a serious document which almost might be an Iliad-like description of an ancient civilization's comflicts. I might forgive this person if they were a child, but even then, he should read The Lord of the Rings first.
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Summary: A Fascinating Work!
Review: The Silmarillion is simply great. It is Tolkien's genius and imagination put on paper. It is the equivalent of an epic and a mythology, at the same time moving, tragic, enchanting, beautiful and grandiose (I especially love the tales about "the Darkening of Valinor", "the Flight of the Noldor", "the Ruin of Beleriand", "the voyage of Earendil and the War of Wrath", and "Akallabeth"). Besides from being a great work on its own, the Silmarillion is very informative about the entire history of Middle-Earth, starting from the creation of Arda to the departure of elves from Middle-Earth at the end of the Third Age. We learn, in the Silmarillion, of a world torn between the conflict of good and evil since its creation, of a world where the distinction between good an evil sometimes becomes diffuse and ambiguous (for example, on which "camp" would you place Feanor and his sons?), and of a world where suffering and tragedy never seem to be absent for long. Anyone who wishes to know more about Middle-Earth should absolutely read this book.
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Summary: This should have been Tolkien's masterpiece!
Review: The first time I read Silmarillion I didn't rate it nowhere near as highly as LoTR, there were too many names and events, but though I still haven't read LoTR the 2nd time, I have gone through S. several times, and enjoy it more every time. The stories are short, the number of personalities are countless, but the true depth of Tolkien's vision is always evident. It is very different from the LoTR in style, and therefore many who loved that one will not like S. as much. But I still recommend The Silmarillion deeply.
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Summary: Awe-Inspriring, Beautiful, Genious
Review: I have read the Silmarillion twice now and plan on reading it a third time very soon. The Silmarillion is a deeply emotional yet historical account of the First Age of Middle Earth. This book has nearly brought me to tears several times due to the magnitude of its epic tales. With literally thousands of characters presented, you're sure to find one or more to relate to and that will really help with this book. It is by no means an easy read and the childish style of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit is not evident. Someone with a limited intelligence or attention span will not, I repeat will not, appreciate or even remotely like this book. You need to really devote some attention to grasping its ideas and seeing what Tolkien had in mind with it. Still, even if you don't plan on reading it, buy it. It's the next best thing to the Bible so in my opinion, everyone should own at least one copy.
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Summary: excellent, excellent read
Review: This book is an excellent, excellent read - though probably not for those with limited attention spans. I find that you must read it at least twice through to begin to grasp the larger picture, and the more times thereafter the better it gets. It is also an excellent companion read to The Lord of the Rings. Though not an epic in the same sense as LotR, it is a complete work in its own right and a detailed and interesting history of the elder days of Middle Earth. It is also a must-read for the LotR fan in that it goes into depth about the origins and history of the Elves, which is scarcely covered in LotR, but is fascinating in its own right. Definitely to be read again and again. I only wish that Tolkien had been able to do more towards finishing The Silmarillion as a complete and cohesive work before his death.
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