The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
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Book Reviews of The Silmarillion
Book Review: SO much better the second time through...
Summary: 5 Stars
I first read this book in January, 1978, right after it came out. At the time I was nineteen and had just read _The Hobbit_ and _The Lord of the Rings_ the year before for the first time. Like many Middle-Earth readers, I found _The Silmarillion_ to be a difficult read, and not nearly as satisfying as LotR. Now, 25 years later I have just read _The Silmarillion_ for a second time, and I have a completely different response to it.What made me like this book so much better the second time around? I think two things were at work: age and `commentaries'. Taking the latter first; in all the blizzard of Tolkein hoopla recently, I came across Tom Shippey's books about Tolkein and Middle-Earth. Both books were erudite, yet illuminating about Tolkein's work. While these books focused primarily on LotR, they also each spent considerable space `commenting' on the Silmarillion. From these books I received a greater understanding of what Tolkein was doing, and also the motivation I needed to revisit the Silmarillion.
But I think that age and maturity were really the primary factors in my greater enjoyment the second time through _The Silmarillion_. Even though we all read Shakespeare, Milton and the Greeks in high school and college; most of us don't really appreciate it. Many of us don't yet have the life experience to appreciate and understand tragedy. And I believe that is what made this book inaccessible to me the first time around. This time I found the book fascinating, gripping, and full of heartfelt emotion. I was brought to tears by the rash deeds of the Noldor: the kinslaying at Alqualonde and the burning of the ships at Losgar. And O the story of Turin... I realize now much better than I did 25 years ago, how closely the themes of these stories resemble the reality we live in.
So... with a caveat to the reader about accessibility, I heartily recommend this book. Especially if you read it once before years ago, and were disappointed. Revisit it, I urge you.
Book Review: A Superhuman Epic of Magic and Passion
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Book Review: Lay of the Silmarillion
Summary: 5 Stars
The Simarillion--what can I say?
One of the greatest books in every way.
In language, in tone, in subject matter,
Most other literature compared just shatter.
A history of woe, mixed with hope.
Someday Middle-Earth shall stop its downward slope.
The Elves will stop fighting for the Silmarils--
Those mighty jewels with which legend overfills--
Which through the ages have driven elves to kill,
Hatred in their hearts to fill,
Drove them to betray their kin,
And caused their hearts to lose peace within.
Someday this shall cease, at the very end.
When Beren and Luthien are only known by song,
When the lives of the Elves have grown weary and long,
Driving them to the land of Valinor,
Where they shall find peace, and joy evermore.
Yet what of the Men, and the Dwarvish clans?
Shall they be left desolate, until the last one stands?
This is not Eru's plan for his creation.
All of his creatures, of every nation,
That did not submit to the evils of Morgoth--
Though their suffering was great under his torment wroth;
The wars of the ages, the Orcs of Angband,
Bloodshed and torture and fear throughout the lands--
These who did not bow, shall join in the great song
That Eru had planned for all to sing ages long
In joy and peace, and true fulfillment.
When Morgoth is chained, to suffer the torment
Of his own mind, as he exists in the Void.
Then shall Middle-Earth, and all of Arda,
Live in peace, in innocence's bright aura.
If you like what you read
On this page that you see
Then you must proceed--
You truly do need--
The Simarillion to read.
Ryan Robledo
Author of the Aelnathan:
Book Review: The Silmarillion
Summary: 5 Stars
Jessica Woytko, October 31, 2002 The Silmarilion, J.R.R. Tolkien, 0-618-12698-8
Therefore Morgoth came, climbing slowly from his subterranean throne, and the rumour of his feet was like thunder underground. And he issuded forth cald in black armour; and he stood before the King(Fingolfin) like a tower, iron-crowned, and his vast shield, sable unblazoned, cast a shadow over him like a stormcloud.But Fingolfin gleamed beneath it as a star; for his mail mail was over laid with silver, and his blue shield was set with crystals; and he drew his sword Ringil, that glittered like ice. Then Morgoth hurled aloft Grond, the Hammer of the Underworld, and he swung it down toward Fingolfin like a bolt of thunder. If you like that then you'll the Silmarillion, which is about the history of middle earth from when it was created by Iluvatar to the third age. The Silmarillion has a bunch of fierce and heroic events that ring with healdic fury as much as medieval romances that sweeps you off your feet and into another. Ilutavar created the Valar which was the beginning of the story and after that Ilutavar created elves and made middle earth for them to dwell in until they are ready to reaturn to Valinor, he also made middle earth for mortal men and dwarvs to live in too but they don't get to reaturn to Valinor because they don't live for all eturnity unlike the elves.
I really enjoyed this epic faiy tale book because it had events and stories that will stick in your mind. The book just sucked me into it's tale as I kapt on reading eagerly. Sorry to say, but this book isn't for everyone, I would say people with a higher reading level and who like fantasy and knowing the history of J.R.R. Tolkien's world would be able to read this masterpiece of Tolkien's.
Book Review: The History of Middle-Earth
Summary: 5 Stars
Want to know all about how exactly Middle-Earth, the rings of power, Frodo and all those involved in the LOTR trilogy came about??? READ THIS BOOK! It's an essential read if you've already read the trilogy or watched the movie.
Initially i was pretty skeptical reading the synopsis of the book but when i started reading the first few chapters i couldn't put it down.
The first chapter (when Eru creates the "vision" of earth) was kind of hard to comprehend at first, but sooner or later you'll get the picture of what's going on. The first few chapters have a kind of mystical/ spiritual feel about it; talking about Eru Illuvatar (God) and the Valar (his so-called angels or great influential spirits) and how they were sent on a mission to create and design a world fit for the coming of elves and men.
And did you know that there was actually a first Dark Lord who also tried to ruin Middle-Earth and take it for himself before Sauron?? Now that really got me interested in the story.
Read about how dwarves were created even before the elves came to be, about the Great Eagles, Balrogs, Orcs (who were once elves btw), and the most important piece of information : What exactly lies in the west that the elves of the Third Age are so obsessed about.
It helps to have a reference guide like an encyclopedia of Middle-Earth, or just log online to read up more on the characters.... this helps a lot to piece many of the sequences and chain of events together. After reading this book i can now fully appreciate the entire LOTR trilogy. At the end of it you'll almost want to believe that Middle-Earth actually exists.