Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book From A Great Author
Review: This is Tolkien's best work. The Silmarillion tells about the history of the Elder Days in easy to understand ways. If you can get past the first pages it is truly a remarkable book. The Index of Names is very helpful for the avid Tolkien fan. Definately worthy of 5 stars.
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Summary: A MUST READ for any body who enjoyed The Hobbit or LOR
Review: This book was wonderful, but complicated. To get the full story you have to read the book a few times over. But after reading it a few times over you'll be overwelmed. I loved this book not only because Tolkien wrote it, but because he had again made me vividly imagine the landscape and characters of Middle Earth!
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Summary: A before or after to Tolkien's Classic triligy...
Review: Behold! The ultimate story to the beginning of the hobbit's universe. A great book for anyone who loves the Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. This book tells about Eru (the One) and Melkor in his rebellon, the Valar and the coming of the Elves, the Rebellon of the Noldor, the coming of the dwarves, the coming of man, and many, many, many more wonderful tales of the beginning of the world of the Hobbit. THIS IS A MOST READ FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYS TOLKIEN!!!
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Summary: Tolkien's Mythology revealed in it's entirety. Spectacular!
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien began the Silmarillion in 1917 and never stopped working on it until his death. Edited and compiled by his son, Christopher, it has become the masterwork of his lifetime. The tales contained therein span a "history" of approximately 37,000 years, from the creation of "Arda", the world, to the ending of the Third Age, when the Dominion of Man begins. The prose is rich, the imagery fantastic, the stories inspiring, uplifting, and heart-rending all at once. I've read the Silmarillion over and over again, and I've never gotten tired of it. The Lord of the Rings, being the personal account of the hobbits, only scratches the surface of Tolkien's great history of Middle-Earth. The Silmarillion fulfills it. The characters in tLotR; Gandalf the wizard, Galadriel the elven queen, Master Elrond, Cirdan the shipwright, Aragorn the ranger, Sauron the Dark Lord, Saruman the White, and even Treebeard the Ent, all come into clearer focus and their re! levance to the entire story become deeper, and gain more import, in the reading of the Silmarillion. You learn what all the fuss in tLotR was really all about. The Ainulindale, the story of the Great Music in which the world was created, is pure, and satisfying mythology in a grand style. Nearly biblical. The tale of the revolt of the Noldorin elves high adventure. The story of mortal Beren and elven princess Luthien's love and quest, pure romance. The tale of Turin Turambar is a twisted tragedy. The story of the downfall of Numenore is Tolkien's allegory to the legend of Atlantis. And "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age", the last installment in the book, tells concisely of the immediate background plot of The Lord of the Rings, from the elven standpoint. This book may be a difficult read for those who are used to mundane language, but a persistant reader who already appreciates J.R.R. Tolkien's work will come away from it with a whole new insight to what tha! t work is all about. THIS BOOK IS A MUST-READ!
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Summary: A great addition to fantasy
Review: This book is very good and if you enjoyed Tolkien's previous books though this is more depressing and much more romanticand the storytelling is much more detached though overall it is a great book
Rating:
Summary: Even better than the Lord of the Rings
Review: I read the Hobbit when I was about 10, and the LOTR much later, but the idea of the Silmarillion (the time before the Third Age) struck me as perhaps too much of a history book, and anyway, what could better the Lord of the Rings? I have to say that the Silmarillion is not only better, but also a must read for any fan. One of the best books I have ever read!
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Summary: Brilliant !!!!! what else can I say?
Review: This is a great , masterpiece. I think it does justice to Tolkien. The Silmarillion is a fit memorial and Christopher Tolkien has come as close as any man could to filling his father's shoes. For your own sake read the Silmarillion!!
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Summary: A masterwork of storytelling and mythmaking.
Review: Tolkien's Silmarillion, published posthumously from manuscripts he labored over all his life, stands as a brilliant legacy to his ability to mine our collective unconscious and construct a towering structure of myth, allegory, symbolism, and salvation. It is the fantasy masterwork of the English language, and certainly succeeds in his attempt to establish a "mythology" for the British Isles (and all those deriving their cultural traditions from Britain). Peoples, deities, places, languages, and events are meticulously brought into being -- and are they any less real than our ancient stories or legends? Of course not. We enter a parallel world in the Silmarillion, but not necessarily a different one. From the first notes of the Great Music to the terrible Downfall of Numenor, behold the visions of a place and time we only dimly and imperfectly remember -- such is the evil of Morgoth still -- and dream again of what was and again may be.
Rating:
Summary: This is the best book of all time.
Review: This is the best book of all time...by far. Not only the best Tolkien book, but the best book ever. All of the boring, unnecessary detail is cut out and it becomes a greater work of art. It is 100% plot. The characters are brilliant, and it really makes an impression. This is just a no nonsense, excellently written, good book.
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Summary: Great Pre-history/mythology/folk tales of Middle Earth
Review: I gave this book to my brother, a great Tolkien fan, for Christmas when it was first published and he didn't like it. So I didn't read it until 10 years later when a friend told me it was great. I agree, it is great, but it will not appeal to every Tolkien fan. It is a pre-history, which includes the creation myth and the development of the "gods/goddesses" who inhabited the universe and middle earth before man and the elves came, as well as the story of the elves and also a little prehistory of men. The trilogy is primarily about men and this book is primarily about elves. The early parts of the book will interest those who like mythology. The later chapters are the pre-history and folk tales which are often mentioned as historical/legendary events or figures in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The trilogy does not delve into that history, it merely piques our interest in the legendary characters which are mentioned. The Silmarillion gives us the stories of these legendary battles and characters. I reread the Silmarillion last year and truly enjoyed it. Particularly the story of Beren and Luthien. The history of the two trees is also especially lovely. If you like fairy tales and folk stories. There's a lot of material here for you. The style of writing is often different from the trilogy. But I find it altogether enjoyable.
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