The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
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Book Reviews of The Silmarillion
Book Review: The Simarillion of biblical resonance
Summary: 5 Stars
The book is without doubt my favourite in Tolkien's landscape. It completes the epic with biblical resonance. Moreover, those familiar with Old Testament theology will quickly spot the parallels between the Fall of humans from paradise (Eden) and subsequent cycles of pride, sin and tragedy and the world Tolkien paints for the relationship between the Elves and their sub-creators (the Valinor). Ultimately the Elves are restored in their relationship with the Valor through the heroism of humans (the "lesser" race). In this quest the centrepiece of the book contains the most dramatic piece of romantic adventure I have read; the Beren, Lutherien and Huan epic.The later part of the book describes the Fall of the humans and leads into the Lord of the Rings. Of course here the humans are ultimately saved by the hobbits (the "lesser" race). My only gripe with The Silmarillion is the direct cut and paste of the unique biblical phrase "hardening of hearts" to describe the Fall of humans (the context is exactly identical). My reasoning is simply that up to this point in the book the Old Testament was ever present but never spoken,...
In the same context that the bible describes complete logic in God's relationship with creation from Genesis to Revelation, e.g. unity, rebellion, eternal re-unity, Tolkien attempts the same, giving his work a sense of greatness.
Tolkien used many influences beside the bible to shape his world e.g. Finnish, Icelandic and Germanic sagas hence the "polytheism" of the Valor. The central plot however and thus my great liking for this book is undisputedly biblical.
Further supporting evidence is not stated here.
Michael
Book Review: Beautiful
Summary: 5 Stars
From the master of fantasy comes this jewel of jewels. The Silmarillion is the story of the Silmarils, the most precious gems ever crafted. In telling the story of these treasures he presents the tale of the creation of middle-earth -- a sort of mythological beginning which involves a hierarchy of greater and lesser gods and later brings the creation of the elves. It also tells the story of Morgoth, the first great dark lord under whom Sauron was only a lieutenant. As the elves divide, multiply, and spread upon middle-earth, changes gradually take place, and strife appears. Soon men are created, and the dwarves come out of the east. Wars rage and Morgoth wreaks havoc upon the land with his army of balrogs and dragons. This, then, is the story of the first age of middle-earth.
Along with the tale of the Silmarils comes a story of Numenor, the ancient land where men dwelt and from whence came the lord of Gondor. Also included is a tale of the forging of the rings of power, and an account of the first defeat of Sauron. Altogether, this book encompasses the first and second ages, as well as a sketch of the events of the third.
For true Tolkien fans, this will be a wonderful addition to The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien's writing style is beautiful, and the story is very well written. Any fantasy fan will enjoy this book greatly. It should be remembered, however, that this book has more of a mythological base, and there is less attention to detail and much less dialogue than the Lord of the Rings. Instead it is told as a sort of epic history, given as an overview rather than a detailed account.
Book Review: In the beginning there was The Silmarillion
Summary: 5 Stars
The Silmarillion is a journey through the imagination of J. R. R. Tolkien. It begins with the creation of Arda (Middle Earth) and gives us a history of the world up to the Lord of the Rings. The novel is split into four main parts; The creation, The First Age, the Second Age, and the Third Age. The Creation sets the stage of our story by telling the story of how Arda, Elves, Men, Dwarves and all living creatures came to be. We see how the land and sea are formed and we are told of the fallen that bring evil into the world.
The First Age tells the story of the many Wars between the Elves and the Evil One (and all of his Orcs/Goblins). We also see the transition between the old world of the past and the new world of Middle Earth from LOTR.
The Second Age revolves around Men and their growing influence in the world. The live on an island called Numenor aka Atalante (sound familiar). Here they live and prosper for generations as we read of their exploits. The Second Age ends with tragedy as you can guess from the Numenor's other name.
Finally, The Third Age tells stories regarding the Ring of Power. We learn more about the Ring and how it was forged, and we are given insights from the perspectives of various characters concerning the forging of, search for, and destruction of the Ring.
All in all, this is a GREAT history of Middle Earth. This is Tolkien's real life's work, as he started writing it in his early teens and worked on it until his death. We are given insights into history and language and we are transported to another world that seems that it could have really existed.
Book Review: In the beginning there was The Silmarillion
Summary: 5 Stars
The Silmarillion is a journey through the imagination of J. R. R. Tolkien. It begins with the creation of Arda (Middle Earth) and gives us a history of the world up to the Lord of the Rings. The novel is split into four main parts; The creation, The First Age, the Second Age, and the Third Age. The Creation sets the stage of our story by telling the story of how Arda, Elves, Men, Dwarves and all living creatures came to be. We see how the land and sea are formed and we are told of the fallen that bring evil into the world.
The First Age tells the story of the many Wars between the Elves and the Evil One (and all of his Orcs/Goblins). We also see the transition between the old world of the past and the new world of Middle Earth from LOTR.
The Second Age revolves around Men and their growing influence in the world. The live on an island called Numenor aka Atalante (sound familiar). Here they live and prosper for generations as we read of their exploits. The Second Age ends with tragedy as you can guess from the Numenor's other name.
Finally, The Third Age tells stories regarding the Ring of Power. We learn more about the Ring and how it was forged, and we are given insights from the perspectives of various characters concerning the forging of, search for, and destruction of the Ring.
All in all, this is a GREAT history of Middle Earth. This is Tolkien's real life's work, as he started writing it in his early teens and worked on it until his death. We are given insights into history and language and we are transported to another world that seems that it could have really existed.
Book Review: Good Read
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is every bit as good as Lord of the Rings and in some ways better. It does take a while for most people to read. But actually, I didn't find it too difficult. The hardest part is just keeping all the names strait, and that's mostly because the book spans several thousands of years. It talks about the creation of Middle Earth by Illuvitar all the way up to a small mention of a hobbit finding the One Ring. Of course if you've read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, you know that hobbit is Bilbo Baggins. It also goes into how the Dwarves were made (they were not part of Illuvitar's plan). One of the things I love about the book is there's a little Elvish-English dictionary in the appendix.
This book is great if you want to know more about the history of Middle Earth and what caused everything that's going on in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and wanted to know a little bit more (well, ok, a lot more) about the Elves.
There are some parts of the book that I didn't find too interesting, like when Tolkien goes into the geography of Middle Earth in a little too much detail for my taste. But hey, in the version I have, there's maps of Middle Earth in there, so you can just skip that chapter and refer to the map if needed.
Definately recommend this one to fantasy and Lord of the Rings/Hobbit fans. I think I'm going to read it again and then read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, just so that I can read them all in the order Tolkien intended them to be read.