The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
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Book Reviews of The Silmarillion
Book Review: The Glorious Prequel to Tolkien's "Middle Earth" fantasies
Summary: 5 Stars
In writing "The Silmarillion", J. R. R. Tolkien set out to create a mythological prehistory for the War of the Ring chronicled in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, devoting much of his adult life towards this ambitious work. Left unpublished at the time of his death, it was subsequently edited and published by his son Christopher in the mid 1970's, and remains an essential part of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle Earth sagas. Here is the origin of "Middle Earth" and the various tales chronicling the major events of the First Age, starting with the origins of the elves, dwarves and humanity. At the heart of these tales are the wars and battles fought for the possession of the Silmarils, fantastic jewels made by elves and subsequently seized by Morgoth, the original Dark Lord of Middle Earth. These tales are splendid introductions to Elrond and Galadriel and Sauron, Morgoth's chief lieutenant, who are major protagonists in the epic War of the Ring. And there are spellbinding accounts on the rise and fall of the human kingdom Numenor and the tragic love affair between the human Beren and the elf Luthien. All of this is told in Tolkien's graceful, lyrical prose. I concur with others who recommend reading "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" prior to "The Silmarillion", yet those entranced by Tolkien's Middle Earth will find "The Silmarillion" well worth waiting for.Book Review: The Silmarillion
Summary: 5 Stars
Forming the mythological backdrop to the Lord of the Rings, the Silmarillion is a different work than the classic Lord of the Rings. It is not a simple novel. It is a epic mythology of creation and tells of the long history prior to the Lord of the Rings. Tolkien, over his long lifetime, created an incredible work, and the Silmarillionis almost indescribable. Easily suprior than anything by the Greeks, Shakespeare, Dante, Dickens, Tolstoy or others masters of literature, it shares some of the greatness of those works. It will move you to tears of sadness and you may shed tears for its beautiful, moving poetry. The deeds are heroic and grand, dark and deadly. Pride and hatred vie with beauty and love. The Tales of Beren and of Turin are heartwrenching to any reader with even an iota of compassion. It has all the elements of a great mythos: the ultimate evil, despairing heroism, epic love, anguish and joy, oaths sworn in anger, doom and despair. It explores all the themes of epic lieterature and does so far far better than any other work of fiction, before or since. Like the Lord of the Rings, it deserves rereading and each time it will demonstrate some new facet that will take you to new heights of literary pleasure. It is incomparable, it has never been surpassed. It simply is the greatest.Book Review: Absolutely Amazing
Summary: 5 Stars
There are few words that can describe the immense nature of this novel. Spectacular, magnificent, grandiose...I do not have the skills to shower my praise in words. This is not for the regular reader either, this is for those who are truly interested and willing to sift through all the information of Middle Earth. For starters, the beginning is wholly beautiful and interesting, yet its boring. The creation of Middle Earth is one of the most intriguing and beautiful ideas that Tolkien ever had. Yet just the way it's presented can make any reader weary. After the creation, it only gets better. The treachery of Melkor in the beginning lays the foundations of the evils of The Lord of the Rings. The history of the Elves is by far the most interesting aspect. From their early days in Middle Earth to the Noldor uprising to the destruction of Gondolin, this will enchant any reader. The story of Luthien and Beren is spectacular to read. Then comes the early history of Men and their dealings with the dread of Morgoth in the East and in the West. Then the dealings with Sauron and the forging of the great rings provides a spectacular prelude to the Lord of the Rings books.
If only Tolkien had lived long enough to finish this, then it could've been a 10 out of 5 stars. Definetely a classic read.
Book Review: Brilliant is an understatement
Summary: 5 Stars
I had the pleasure of reading this masterpiece soon after my first completion of The Lord of the Rings. When I first started I found the book to be rather boring and I stopped reading it. Three weeks later I picked it up with an open mind and read the book over the course of two weeks. I found this book to be amazing. Tolkien was a profoundly religious man, and The Silmarillion makes it evident. The Silmarillion is his life's work, and it is obvious that he was very passionate about his mythology and his creations. The opening pages are parallel to the book of Genesis, and the overall content is very similiar to that of the Bible. It's similarity to the Bible makes it difficult to understand at times. There are many characters in the book and many different family trees to remember. At times the reading is rather slow, but there are other times in which the content is so exciting that I never wanted it to end. The battles were epic to say the least, and I am very glad that I read this book. I recommend it to anyone who has read The Lord of the Rings and wants to find out about the legends that the characters sing about in their poems and songs. It is difficult sometimes, but in the end you will feel nothing short of satisfaction. That is a gurantee.Book Review: Brilliant is an understatement
Summary: 5 Stars
I had the pleasure of reading this masterpiece soon after my first completion of The Lord of the Rings. When I first started I found the book to be rather boring and I stopped reading it. Three weeks later I picked it up with an open mind and read the book over the course of two weeks. I found this book to be amazing. Tolkien was a profoundly religious man, and The Silmarillion makes it evident. The Silmarillion is his life's work, and it is obvious that he was very passionate about his mythology and his creations. The opening pages are parallel to the book of Genesis, and the overall content is very similiar to that of the Bible. It's similarity to the Bible makes it difficult to understand at times. There are many characters in the book and many different family trees to remember. At times the reading is rather slow, but there are other times in which the content is so exciting that I never wanted it to end. The battles were epic to say the least, and I am very glad that I read this book. I recommend it to anyone who has read The Lord of the Rings and wants to find out about the legends that the characters sing about in their poems and songs. It is difficult sometimes, but in the end you will feel nothing short of satisfaction. That is a gurantee.