Rating: 
Summary: History of Middle Earth
Review: With the openings of the movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's expansive trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings," many have wondered what has caused the circumstances the now-famous Fellowship have found themselves in. Travelling backward in time, we begin indeed at the very start - and not merely of the Fellowship, but of the world itself. "The Silmarillion" journeys through the creation of the world, the time during which the lesser gods realized that a world was meaningless without inhabitants, and the creation of the firstborn, the elves. Moving forward with the beginnings of each of the most important species of Middle Earth and the circumstances they find themselves in, we soon learn that Sauron was not the ultimate evil that our beloved friends had ever seen - there is another.
Rating:
Summary: PURE genious
Review: The Silmarillion is not to be missed by fans of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. It is truly an epic novel. It takes a bit of patience but it is WORTH it. I've read it twice already. Buy it, read it, treasure it.
Rating:
Summary: The Three Holy Silmarillions
Review: "There was Eru, the one, who in Arda is called Illuvatar and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offsprings of his thoughts, and they were with him befour aught else was made".One of the greatest Litterature starts like this, the beginning of everything and the Ainurs make a great Music and in this music Eru Illuvatar creates the world Middle-earth that we later know in the lord of the rings. The silmarillion retells the legends of Middle-earth, from the creation of the world, the making of elfs, humans and dwarfs to the destructive power of the greatest Ainur, Melkor. The silmarillions are three holy crystals that holds the remaining light of the two holy tree`s destroyed by Melkor and Ungoliante. The elfs wage war towards Melkor and go against the mighty Ainurs to hold the silmarillions for themselfs. A book of power, corruption, hope and fantasy and noone should be left without it. The Masterpiece of J.R.R Tolkien in a Beautifull Illustrated hardcover edition, if you are looking for a great book, then this is for your eyes only
Rating: 
Summary: Great Read
Review: wow this really put the whole world of middle earth in perspective
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating story of adventure and history
Review: This book is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. It contains thousands of years of history, and amazingly detailed and enjoyable tales and sagas which all relate to one main plot. The sheer complexity of the work will demand respect from you, but to those who are not fantasy readers, or Tolkien devotees, it will read somwehat like a textbook. Overall, a magnificent saga of a whole seperate world, but only for hard core fans.
Rating:
Summary: no dont read this first
Review: david young in one of these reviews said that you should be reading this before you read lotr well that wouldnt be a good idea because this gives away the ending
Rating: 
Summary: Tolkien goes Biblical
Review: The Silmarilion has never quite been up there with Lord of the Rings, in terms of popularity. Perhaps it is because Tolkien never actually finished this book himself - his son reworked and rewrote his fathers sketches - or it may have something to do with the lack of a clearcut adventure, with a single hero and a clear beginning and end. The Silmarillion starts of as Tolkiens version of the Old Testament, and ends up as an adventurous collection of tales from the history of Middle-Earth. All the appendices with family trees and elvish dictionaries are pretty geeky, but I must admit: I really loved all the stories and sagas about Feanor, Turin, Beren, Luthien and the other 'new' characters. It is just as mesmerizing as LOTR and, fortunately, not to be made into a motion picture anytime soon.
Rating:
Summary: Read me first
Review: If you are watching the films as they come out, or reading the trilogy, you are doing yourself a diservice not to read this first. The trilogy is really the end of the story where this is the beginning. If you like Tolkien, and you wouldn't be reading this if you weren't, you MUST get this and read it.
Rating:
Summary: The real jewel is the work itself.
Review: This was one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read, and if you want to understand many of the references in the other books then this book is what you are looking for. The Silmarillion includes some of the most beautiful yet tragic tales I have ever read as well as some of the most heroic. While the book is not without its flaws (a long description of who begat who and who is from where is important but truly the slowest part of the book)these do not over shadow a book that keeps you looking for more of the story even after you reach the final page.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent rendition
Review: Martin Shaw is wonderful in this audio version of The Silmarillion. He has a rich voice, and does an excellent job performing the different characters, and changing his tone when warranted. He clearly researched The Silmarillion before performing it; the pronunciations are correct, and the gravity of the book is maintained. If you've never read The Silmarillion, this is a good way to start, and if you're a fan, you should enjoy this version.
| 
