Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful, grand, and epic mythology
Review: Although it was indeed a post-humous publication, the Silmarillion is truly the work of J.R.R. Tolkien (with a little organization by his son) and as such, it is probably his crowning achievement as a writer. Embodying everything that he desired to acomplish linguistically as well as creatively, the Silmarillion stands as the greatest volume by the accomplished philologist.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of this work is its grand scope, covering the earliest years in the history of Middle Earth. Written in an extremely mythic style, the story begins telling the tale of creation. Due to his devotion to Roman Catholicism, Tolkien indirectly imbues these early myths with Judeo-Christian sentiments, leaving room for other northern-European influences as well. Because of this basis in true-world mythology, the early tales of the Silmarillion stand out as more than isolated tales of a fictional world. Indeed, they inspire the reader to imagine beauty which is beyond the confines of Middle Earth, renewing awe in the nature of the world and Man's place in there.
The main body of the work, the tale of the Silmarils and the events surrounding them is a story which is once again mythic but yet is a most excellent heuristic for looking at hubris as well as the corruption of evil. Indeed, this is an ongoing theme in the work, linking, in many ways, to Judeo-Christian teachings and myth. The overall theme of the work approaches the idea of subcreation and the beauty AND responsibility that come with it. The development of all the characters reflects the ramifications of free choice and the temptations that can stem from the abilities granted to individuals.
Because of its wholistic nature and thorough integration, the Silmarillion is a superb work which stands on its own as a fantasy mythology. However, this development lets the work to refresh the reader's view of the world and also grants insight and reflection on the responsibilities of mankind. Because of this, I highly recommend the Silmarillion for all who are willing to take the time to make through its elegant prose.
Rating:
Summary: Pure, Unadulterated Literary Genius
Review: By now, thanks to the efforts of PJ and crew, most people know the story of Frodo, the brave little hobbit who could, and the rest of the LOTR gang, but, sadly, few who have been won over by the movie, or even the books, seem to ever dig deep into the origins of Middle-Earth, and the ones who do rarely ever "dig" them (Please forgive me for that one). Now, I'm not saying that the Hobbit & LOTR can't exist on their own; they did that for over thirty years, but anyone that considers himself a moderate Tolkien (By the way, it's Tol-Keen, rather than Tol-Kuhn) fan should at least read the Silmarillion once, at least to understand the significance of Earendil, the light from Galadriel's smial and the other mythic passages of LOTR (Plus, the cute bookish girls will swoon if you can quote Beren's lament for Luthien). That isn't to say that the Silmarillion is important merely as a peripheral to LOTR or a prop to improve your social status; on the contrary, it's one of the most remarkable, brilliant and satisfying works in the English language, dripping with poetry, mysticism and emotion and held together by Tolkien's mastery of the English language; he's on par with Scott and Shakespeare and surpassed only by Peaks in fluidity and grace.
Many people are scared off by its reputation as being "difficult", and I admit it's rather hard to take in at first (I made the mistake of trying to read it at eight. Let's just say I didn't get too far), but in the end it's more than worth the small struggles to bask in the warm sun of Middle-Earth for even a short time.
While the Lord of the Rings was concerned to an extent with minutiae (One is presented with a day-to-day calendar of events in the appendices), the Silmarillion is astonishing in its sweep; the book takes place over hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of years of civilization, chronicling the events from the very creation of the world (in the Ainulindale) to the passing of the Eldar that signaled the end of the Third Age. Along the way we get heartbreaking stories of romance (The Tale of Beren and Luthien, which make Romeo and Juliet look like a tenth-grade hack-job in comparison), equally heartbreaking, though more swashbuckling, tales of chivalry and adventure (Finrod Felagund), incomparably epic wars (the Fall of Gondolin; the Dagor Bragollach)and accounts of the effects of betrayal and greed (the Sons of Feanor and the Kinslaying of Alqualonde), along with too many other brilliant things to mention.
Whenever I write a review I try to keep an aura of professionalism; no screaming BUY THIS NOW!!! or blatant grammatical errors, but when it comes to the Silmarillion it's rather hard for me not revert to fan-boy mode and express my total, unfailing love for this book; Tolkien was a genius who created a fully realized world with its own history, languages and even physics (That's all "magic" is, really) and then graciously allowed us to visit it through his works. Frankly, I think we need to give him a profound thanks for that.
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.
Rating:
Summary: A Superhuman Epic of Magic and Passion
Review: I've read the first hundred pages (through chapter nine) of The Silmarillion once, and the rest of the book more times than I can remember to count.Tolkien's 1938 "Faery-stories" lecture defined the modern fantasy story in terms of its climactic "eucatastrophe," not exactly a happy ending necessarily but a moment of heartbreaking joy, which he variously demonstrated in each of his fictions. The Silmarillion's is even better than the one in Unfinished Tales, precisely because the "Quenta Silmarillion" proper is Tolkien's most tragic saga, a superhuman epic of magic and passion. Nothing can quite prepare you for it, because there isn't anything else quite like it. The "Quenta Silmarillion" is also Tolkien's purest tribute to the medieval literature that didn't survive. It reflects the centrality of the Old Norse Elder (or Poetic) Edda (a cycle of songs accidentally discovered in Iceland, which imply far more of both mythology and metaphysics than they actually record) in Tolkien's critical view of medieval literary history. Paragraph one of chapter ten demonstrably scans in Sievers staves. It should be noted that the shorter sequels following the "Quenta Silmarillion," "Akallabeth" and "Of the Rings of Power," require knowledge of the first two appendices to The Lord of the Rings. My own personal hypothesis is that the "Quenta Silmarillion" was metahistorically written by Galadriel, its most domestic character, at Gandalf's behest, when he first arrived in Middle-earth, a thousand years before The Lord of the Rings. It's not true that there are no hobbits in The Silmarillion, but it wouldn't make much difference if it were. I'm waiting to see them make a movie out of this one: there's no conversational dialogue at all, only speeches. And yet there are great love and great wisdom. Readers of both the Classics and the Bible will be better prepared than most.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, awe-inspiring work
Review: If you're a true Tolkien fan, this is definetly a book you should read!
To find out about the Valar, how Middle Earth came to be, why Melkor became Morgoth, the story of Luthien, I can keep going, but there are many other amazing stories in this book.
The one thing is, it's a little harder to read for some as it's a blend of stories, not one big one like Lord of the Rings, and not a light as The Hobbit. But I still believe that people, besides Tolkien fans, should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Approach with open eyes
Review: If you've wandered onto this page, you've probably already read either the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings or both and are hungry for more. The Silmarillion will deliver that --- sort of. The Silmarillion is not a tale in the tradition of LOTR. It is a compilation of the historical stories Tolkien wrote as the background for that magnificent work. It fleshes out the details of the stories only hinted at in the poems and appendices of the Lord of the Rings. Here you will find out how Middle Earth was created, how the elves fell from grace, about the War of the Jewels between Morgoth -- to whom Sauron was but a servant -- and the sons of Feanor -- the fiercest and most powerful elf ever born. It even includes one appendix on Ahkallabeth -- the downfall of Numenor and one on the Rings of Power. You will be able to read all about the treachery of Sauron the Deceiver and his war with men and elves. HOWEVER --- the story is not told like LOTR. It's more like a history book. The characters mostly exist as historical figures. The first story especially -- Music of Ainur -- does not fare well in the leadoff spot. On the other hand, there are some stories that are simply amazing. The tale of Beren and Luthien Tinuviel is one of the most touching and epic love stories ever penned (Tolkein, in fact, had his wife's tombstone engraved to "Tinuviel"). The story of Turin Turambar is a heartbreaking Greek-style tragedy. The confrontation between Fingolfin and Morgoth is amazing. Reading the Similarilion is like reading a history book and finding an epic poem in the middle of it. If you, like me, read the appendices to LOTR in rapture, you'll love this book. Buy it in hardback and treasure every word. On the other hand, if you found those boring, then you should probably buy the paperback and flip foward to the best stories. Otherwise, you'll probably put it on your shelf, forget about it, and deprive yourself of some of the best stuff to ever come out of the golden pen of Tolkien.
Rating:
Summary: Good listen of a good read
Review: Several friends warned me that trying to listen to The Silmarillion while driving could be asking to fall asleep at the wheel. On the contrary, I found Martin Shaw's reading of this classic to be a very pleasant way to experience Tolkien's unabridged work. Shaw has a powerful, engaging voice and since there is very little dialogue in The Silmarillion, he doesn't need to adopt many different personalities in his delivery. Many other reviewers have covered this title from the perspective of its greatness in a literary sense so I won't bother adding to that. But as far as the quality of this audio book edition, I give it full marks.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: The Silmarillion is another ingenious work of the great J.R.R. Tolkien. This book has it all; deception, war, greed, jealousy, and all those other real world emotions which most of us can relate to. While the book does have Elves, Dwarves, Magic, Dragons, and the like, it does carry with it an extremely serious tone. One thing that might turn some people off is the length of it. It is a whopping 480 pages! If you have the patience however, it is worth a try.
The beginning of the book starts out with a god-like entity who is referred to as Iluvatar. And from the head of Iluvatar sprang a bunch of angelic creatures known as the Valar. While that sounds like something written by someone who has spent too much time at a Grateful Dead concert, it all fits in with the story. After `creating' the Valar, Iluvatar then makes a world for them to shape any way they see fit. One Valar by the name of Melkor however, doesn't just want to help create this world; he wants to dominate it. So he goes about creating fortresses and causes problems for the others by destroying everything they create. This seriously upsets Iluvatar, because he planned to create new creatures to inhabit the world they were making. So after a long war with Melkor, the Valar finally subdue him and chain him up, only to have him rise again when the new creatures are created and attempt to control them. The rest of the book deals with the struggles the new creatures of the world have with Melkor.
It is a very compelling overall story, however the way it is put together may make most readers shy away from it. It has a very old English style of writing to it, which makes it seem like it was taken from The Bible or a history book. While that adds an authentic feel to the story, it may be tough for normal readers to get in to. I had to constantly re-read sentences that have old phrases and words that we no longer use. For instance when Iluvatar is informing a certain Valar of Melkor's misdoings, it reads "Seest thou not how here in this little realm in the Deeps of Time Melkor hath made war upon thy province?" While this style of writing is interesting, it is a little difficult to comprehend.
For those of you who enjoy finding ways to relate stories to real life, you could relate this book to a real world event that happened around the time Tolkien started writing the Lord of the Rings; WWII. The main evil in this book, Melkor, could easily be related to Hitler, and his orc pawns could be related to the Germans that Hitler had brainwashed. The Elves and other races could represent the Allies: how they had their differences with each other, and yet all came together in the end and united to stop the one thing threatening their freedom. That's of course just my view, and I'm sure you, the reader, could find different ways to relate it to different events.
I recommend this book to anyone who is a big Lord of the Rings fan and insists on knowing every little detail, like me. Also, anyone who is a fan of fantasy in general (and has a lot of patience) would most likely find this book an interesting read. Though it is hard to get into, it is worth the effort. This is, in my opinion, one of Tolkien's greatest works, and answers all those questions left from The Lord of the Rings.
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: THE REVIEW
Review: This book was awesome! I love how Tolkien describes the way that Middle-Earth is formed. But I advise, this book is not for you if you don't know alot about Middle-Earth. YOu should know the Quendi Elves, Dwarves....
|
