The Silmarillion

Rating:
Summary: A hard read
Review: This book was a hard read for me. The book is basically the story of the first couple of ages of Middle Earth. I like to think of it as the "Elvish Bible." It has a lot of elements of 'Paradise Lost' in it which I admit I'm a sucker for. If you have ever read any religious text such as the Bible, I think you'll find a lot in common with those and this book--like not using proper grammer and stringing complex ideas and concepts in a single paragraph. This book is defining the beliefs of the Elves and most of the other cultures in Middle-Earth. If you start with that mindset it will make the book easier to read.

I think it's pretty clear that Tolkien had all of these characters and the universe they live in clear in his mind from the beginning. I think that many times he just doesn't get that across on paper that well. For example, he introduces many concepts, places and characters on a whim right in the middle of a long drawn out sentence. I found myself many times going back to the index to look up definitions so I wouldn't get lost. Thank goddness Tolkien had the foresight to write these sections to help his readers.

The great irony of Tolkien's work is that he puts in so much detail about places and characters that everyone who reads it gets a different vision of what it should be. That is the mark of a great writer.

I would recommend that you read "The Hobbit" and all of the "Lord of the Rings" before tackling this book. I think those books are a good introduction to Tolkien's style and will give you a better framework to start from. IMO, those are much better books than this one because there is more of a story line to follow.

Rating:
Summary: For a serious devotee, this is great.
Review: I definitely agree with what Gregg wrote below (so read that review). The Silmarillion is very different than The Hobbit and LOTR. I rated it at 3 stars because I think the book would be of interest mostly to just serious fans of Middle Earth. Just because you enjoyed (or even loved) The Hobbit or LOTR, it is not necessarily true that you will enjoy The Silmarillion. It is a difficult read. There is not much of a connecting narrative. A big reason for these qualms is the simple fact that it was not actually completed by JRR. Rather, his copious notes and writings were tackled by his son Christopher. I think he did a very good job in a difficult situation. However, what results is not a cohesive story. Therefore, I think that unless you are a serious fan of Middle Earth and are interested in delving very deeply into its deep past, The Silmarillion is probably not a great choice for you.