The Silmarillion

published	1985 by Del Rey
first published	1977
binding	Mass Market Paperback
isbn	0345325818 (isbn13: 9780345325815)
pages	480
literary awards	1979 Locus Awards Winner (Fantasy)
description	The Silmarillion is J.R.R. Tolkien's tragic, operatic history of the First Age of Middle-Earth, essential background material for serious reade...more [close] The Silmarillion is J.R.R. Tolkien's tragic, operatic history of the First Age of Middle-Earth, essential background material for serious readers of the classic Lord of the Rings saga. Tolkien's work sets the standard for fantasy, and this audio version of the "Bible of Middle-Earth" does The Silmarillion justice. Martin Shaw's reading is grave and resonant, conveying all the powerful events and emotions that shaped elven and human history long before Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf and all the rest embarked on their quests. Beginning with the Music of the Ainur, The Silmarillion tells a tale of the Elder Days, when Elves and Men became estranged by the Dark Lord Morgoth's lust for the Silmarils, pure and powerful magic jewels. Even the love between a human warrior and the daughter of the Elven king cannot defeat Morgoth, but the War of Wrath finally brings down the Dark Lord. Peace reigns until the evil Sauron recovers the Rings of Power and sets the stage for the events told in the Lord of the Rings. This is epic fantasy at its finest, thrillingly read and gloriously unabridged. (Running time: 14 hours, 6 CDs) [close]
date added	12-24-06 edit book

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Brandon rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

05/18/08

bookshelves: inkling

recommends it for: Everyone over the age of 14

A must read for any Tolkien fan. This one lays out the foundations of Tolkien's amazing world. Here are a few thougths on Tolkien's theory and purposes.
When Owen Barfield read poetry, he would at times come across a passage which would impress him very strongly. It would cause what he called a “felt change of consciousness”. As he began to make an in depth inquiry into this phenomenon, it grew into an epistomology: a theory of knowledge, and meaning. Barfield was a member of the ...more

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3 comments

Jake rated it:

07/09/08

bookshelves: epic, fantasy, favorite-authors, favorite-titles, series

The Silmarillion is one of those books that I’ve meant to read for years, literally. It is, according to some, the book that separates casual Lord of the Rings fans from truly hard-core Tolkien lovers. My first girlfriend confessed to preferring the Silmarillion over the Lord of the Rings, which she was unable to finish.
[info]murpheyslaw likewise holds that the Silmarillion is the preferable work, being more true to Tolkien’s desire to create an epic that the Lord of the Rings is. Or someth...more The Silmarillion is one of those books that I’ve meant to read for years, literally. It is, according to some, the book that separates casual Lord of the Rings fans from truly hard-core Tolkien lovers. My first girlfriend confessed to preferring the Silmarillion over the Lord of the Rings, which she was unable to finish.
[info]murpheyslaw likewise holds that the Silmarillion is the preferable work, being more true to Tolkien’s desire to create an epic that the Lord of the Rings is. Or something like that. He can come in here and explain himself better, if he wishes.

I’m not sure I can go that far, but the Silmarillion is a damn fine piece of work. In essence, it is the Bible of Middle-Earth, telling the history of the creation of the world, and it’s long history up to the rise of Sauron, and the events of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. Technically, it even covers those, though it does so in about a paragraph, so it hardly counts. Mostly, it occurs as series of shorter works that detail particular events and moments in the life of Middle-Earth as a whole. There is something of a coherent narrative to the story, but it’s a historical narrative, not one that follows any one particular character or group of characters throughout the entire work.

The Silmarillion, arguably, plays to many of Tolkien’s strengths, while covering many of his weaknesses. Tolkien is an excellent world builder and myth-maker, and the Silmarillion is nothing but world building and myth-making in narrative form. These are not small stories; they are stories of great men and women doing epic deeds. As with all good epics, the characters do not always succeed, nor are they always good people. The theme of corruption and fall from grace runs pretty heavily through the book, and there are a number of characters that come to unfortunate ends. Which is as it should be; after all, epic does not mean heroic, or even successful.

Because many of the stories are shorter, the Silmarillion also avoids two of the things that most Tolkien detractors (and even some Tolkien fans) tend to dislike about his writing. The first is Tolkien’s tendency (mostly in the Lord of the Rings) to describe the environment in great, sometimes excessive detail. Because Tolkien is mostly painting with broad strokes, there is not the same kind of loving detail given to each vale or field; instead, we get brief glimpses, followed by details of the things that are truly important to the story. Some of those descriptions are glorious (the woods where the Dark Elf lives…yes, Tolkien has a Dark Elf, but he does not wield scimitars, nor does he have a pet panther), but readers who disliked the detailed wanderings of Frodo and Co. in Lord of the Rings may find this more palatable.

Second, there are those who believe that Tolkien doesn’t do characters well, or at least, not with depth. I happen to disagree with this assessment, but for those who do, the Silmarillion…well, it doesn’t necessarily have more depth, but there’s less of a sense that the characters are meant to. They are, for the most part, epic archetypes as much as characters, filling in their roles in the story that is the world, and so a reader may feel less cheated by the lack of in-depth characterizations.

As a fan of the epic in general, I loved the Silmarillion. It’s rich, it’s fun, and it is epic. It also paints a very clear picture of Tolkien’s world, and anyone who wants a much clearer picture of the events of the Lord of the Rings would do well to read it.

The $20,000 question of course is, which one of Tolkien’s works to I like better? Honestly, that’s hard to answer. The Lord of the Rings is a childhood favorite—I remember sitting with father when I was maybe eight years old, listening as the Ringwraiths chased Frodo towards the ferry, and wondering if Frodo would make it. It’s a book (and let’s face it…it is one book) that’s shaped my consciousness throughout my entire life. It is at the top of my desert island list. I’m not sure anything can topple it.

And yet, the Silmarillion is a damn fine piece of work, and in many ways, it’s got a lot of the best of Tolkien’s writing (despite some slightly shoddy editing by his son), without a lot of Tolkien’s flaws. At the end of the day, I think I prefer the Lord of the Rings, because it contains some more human elements that the Silmarillion lacks, but I’d happily read either one....less

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Jessica rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

07/22/08

recommends it for: LOTR fans (die-hard), sophitiscated readers

I first read The Hobbit and THe Lord of the Rings as a 12 or 13 year old. I loved them from the start, and once I discovered that Tolkien had written more about the history of Middle-Earth, I had to get it. This book is so helpful for truly understanding Middle-Earth--why the Elves sail over the sea, where and what Numenor was, etc. Also, many of the great legends alluded to in the LOTR are given here in full--Beren, Turin, Feanor, etc. A word of caution, however--it is not a book in the sens...more I first read The Hobbit and THe Lord of the Rings as a 12 or 13 year old. I loved them from the start, and once I discovered that Tolkien had written more about the history of Middle-Earth, I had to get it. This book is so helpful for truly understanding Middle-Earth--why the Elves sail over the sea, where and what Numenor was, etc. Also, many of the great legends alluded to in the LOTR are given here in full--Beren, Turin, Feanor, etc. A word of caution, however--it is not a book in the sense of a normal novel. It is a collection of stories, and while they are placed in general 'chronological' order, sometimes they repeat previous material or start with a completely new set of characters and places. You will probably need to refer to the geneological charts and maps--these are very helpful in keeping everything straight. Throughout, Tolkien's higher, archaic (Biblical almost) writing style prevails--after reading LOTR, it is like reading the Old Testament in comparison to the New Testament or Book of Mormon. Some of the stories also remind me strongly of Greek tragedy--almost sublimely sad. These are stories you think about after you read them.

This mythic and linguistic (the most important to him!) background was even more important to Tolkien than the LOTR series, and he worked on the stories that make up The Silmarillion throughout his life. This is why some of the stories repeat themselves and why some of them seem unfinished--they were collected, as is, after his death by his son, who then arranged them as best he could.

The thread linking all the stories together is the epic battle of the Elves, aided by Men, Dwarves, and a few hobbits, against evil, represented by Morgoth, the Great Enemy, and then Sauron. The main section, the true Silmarillion, discusses the Silmarills, jewels beyond price, and the war the Elves fought to keep them in their possession. It lasted generations, and becomes the forum for discussing other stories and people who lived at the same time. Other sections discuss the creation of what would become Middle Earth (a truly beautiful piece), the types and characteristics of the gods that cared for and shaped it, and the family trees of the Firstborn, the Elves. The second largest section, the Akallabeth, then goes on to give the history of Numenor and how Sauron brought about its downfall, and then the history of Gondor and Arnor. The last part gives a brief summary of the War of the Ring, which is interesting to read as a summary instead of the highly personal and detailed LOTR.
I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about the world of the Lord of the Rings. And who is willing to wade through the more difficult (but truly beautiful) language....less

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Matt rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

05/05/08

Read in May, 2008

recommends it for: Tolkien Fans

J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. by Christopher Tolkien
The Silmarillion
New York: Houghton Mifflin Company 2001
365 pp. 35.00
978-0-618-13504-2

With the introduction of a multitude of different characters and a style of writing resembling more of a formal, old English, needless is it to say that The Silmarillion is a relatively denser reading. Each section requires deciphering and complete concentration on behalf of the reader, therefore one should expect sitting down several hours in order to m...more J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. by Christopher Tolkien
The Silmarillion
New York: Houghton Mifflin Company 2001
365 pp. 35.00
978-0-618-13504-2

With the introduction of a multitude of different characters and a style of writing resembling more of a formal, old English, needless is it to say that The Silmarillion is a relatively denser reading. Each section requires deciphering and complete concentration on behalf of the reader, therefore one should expect sitting down several hours in order to make a decent dent in the novel.
Tolkien writes in an almost needlessly flamboyant manner, mimicking that of an old English. Why should passages such as “One thing only marred the design of Manwe. Feanor came indeed, for him alone Manwe had commanded to come; but Finwe came not, nor any others of the Noldor of Formenos” (75) be so drawn out? Keeping characters straight is nonetheless another daunting task, made no easier by frequent changes in name. For instance, one character, by the name of Turin “named himself Neithan, the Wronged” after he “abode long among the outlaws, and became their captain (200), the first but definitely not the last of his many name changes, as different events cause him to have changes in opinion of himself and others. Thus causing him to want to change his name accordingly. Other than persistent name changes, The Silmarillion is also highly repetitive. Typically, at the start of a new section in the story, the novel will repeat itself, restating perhaps the previous dozen pages, such as in “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age” (283), which gives a recap of “Akallabeth” (258) as if the reader hadn’t just read it. If Christopher Tolkien had combined the stories as opposed to simply chopping them off and starting another, it would transition much more nicely.
All considered, The Silmarliarion could have been much improved. For fantasy fanatics and Tolkien lore fans, this story might be considered a must. It is better read leisurely however, and not a prime choice if in a time crunch.
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michael spencer rated it:

(review of isbn 0618126988)

09/24/07

bookshelves: unquestionable-favorites

Read in September, 2007

recommends it for: those who are fans of: Mythology, Epic, and/or Fantasy (in that order).

9/18: It appears I am through one-third. The book is dense, and its nature is to make one want to pay as close attention as is possible. So far, I am impressed with the skill for continuance and weaving Tolkien possesses here. It is indeed something for those lovers of fantasy, or myth, or high olden language, but it does in fact reveal characters to whom the reader may attach and not realize it until the story turns in some unforeseen emotional way. The intricacy with which Tolkien also gives p...more 9/18: It appears I am through one-third. The book is dense, and its nature is to make one want to pay as close attention as is possible. So far, I am impressed with the skill for continuance and weaving Tolkien possesses here. It is indeed something for those lovers of fantasy, or myth, or high olden language, but it does in fact reveal characters to whom the reader may attach and not realize it until the story turns in some unforeseen emotional way. The intricacy with which Tolkien also gives poignant explanations to that which he created gives cause for wonder, but also no surprise given his extensive background in this kind of material.

9/20: Quite inspired because of this book, I decided to see what I could find to read later about one of his influences and a part of my own heritage - Celtic myth and history. On top of this, I've also decided to try to actually use my linguistical aptitude for finally learning Gaelic.

9/21: Finished it! All I can say afterwards (other than already mentioned) is the following:

Exquisite and intricate pieces of storytelling, these tales flow with a hint of the unknown so that one finds himself lost in it. This book is, for how well it fulfills its own genre, perhaps even better than the Trilogy. If one is a fan of Tolkien, or of epic myth in general, one must receive this book. It becomes obvious to the reader that a book is worth hanging onto when one fears the act of finishing it; there really is no debating such a feeling with this work. However, it is wise to read it as a group of independent tales, not as a continuance from one to another directly. Also, make good use of the helps in the back concerning pronunciation of the main languages, and family trees.

9/24: You know a book will be a classic favorite when you still think of situations in your life in the elemental terms used in the story days later.

***
It came upon the reading list, thanks to the generosity with which it was offered to me, free of charge.

Thank you, kind Sir Joseph!
***
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3 comments

Francis rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

05/12/07

Read in January, 1980

The first fantasy book I ever read and still my all-time favorite. That said, it's not for everybody. It's been compared to the Old Testament, and that's still the best analogy; if you think that Moses leading his people out of Egypt is the stuff of grand drama, then this is the book for you, Tolkien fan or not. If you don't, then you probably ought to give The Silmarillion a pass, no matter how much you liked Tolkien's other work. This is not Lord of the Rings Plus; it's quite litera...more

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Robert rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

02/11/08

bookshelves: defenestrated, owned-and-gave-away

Read in August, 2000

J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion (Ballantine, 1977)

In the sixties, something changed. Perhaps Mother Church realized that people were turning away from her; perhaps a cadre of teachers decided the younger generation needed to get in touch with its cultural roots; whatever. We ended up with a course in either the religion, literature, or both departments at many universities: The Bible As Literature. Seems they decided that the definition of "literature" (as it all too often is) is ...more

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David rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

02/11/08

recommended to David by: My parents told me it was a good read
recommends it for: advanced readers who enjoy fantasy novels

The Silmarillion, written by J.R.R Tolkien, is a fascinating novel suitable for the advanced reader. While reading this book, I found that Tolkien had created several new words to describe the characters in the story, such as Ainur or Silmaril. Because of this fact, I would recommend a future reader to look up any unknown words in the appendix in the back. This I found very useful in my reading. This book is filled to the brim with colorful imagery and descriptive language, starting from the ver...more

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Fred D. rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

12/14/07

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in January, 2005

recommends it for: Serious Lord of the Rings Fans

I know a lot of people who have complained that this book was too difficult to read and they wound up not finishing it. I disagree. I don't think it was too difficult, I would say that is was very challenging to read. I was determined to read it, regardless of how difficult it was, and I succeeded. The secret of my success was to rely heavily on the Appendix at the end of the book, and the genealogies. As I was reading, every single time I found a word or a name I did not recognize, I looked it ...more

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Guthrie rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

01/11/08

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: Geeks and Nerds

The Silmarillion, for the uninitiated, is a large compendium of stories that all occur before the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It details the cosmology of Middle-Earth, charting out how the world was formed from the music of the Ainur (the "Holy Ones") into the land we know from the trilogy.

It centers mostly on the Silmarils, three jewels forged from the light of the trees which bloomed eternally before they were smote by the dark lord Morgoth. It deals with vast amounts of intrigu...more

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Ryan rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

11/05/07

bookshelves: fiction

Read in September, 2005

recommends it for: dorks everywhere

If "The Hobbit" is a great adventure, and "Lord of the Rings" is an epic adventure, The Silmarillion" is, well, more like a history book. Or better, a collection of myths like "Bulfinch's Mythology". There may not be much dialogue in "The Silmarillion", or any detailed sideways glances, or the innerworkings of the character's mind after a simple touch, but my love for this collection of stories runs deeper and warmer than for Frodo's journey into Mord...more

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Rollo rated it:

(review of isbn 0618126988)

04/01/08

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in January, 1983

This is a book with many layers. It begins as a metaphysical philosophy and then marches into what many consider simply a dry historical treatise.

I must confess, I didn't finish it the first time I tried to read it. But when I picked it up again a year or two later, it was amazing. I found it to be a wonderful combination of theological poetry, matchless epic, and Greek tragedy.

It is the story of the relationship between created and Creator; of elvish inhumanity to fellow elf; of oat...more

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DJ rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

10/21/07

recommends it for: Fantasy & Mythology enthusiasts

In many ways I actually like this book even more than the more fully-developed Lord of the Rings. It is not a traditionally told story with several central characters and a contiguous plot, but rather it reads more like pure history or mythology and yet Middle-Earth and its creator Illuvatar (or more directly the Valar whom he created) are the central thread to all of the tales. The end result is a sweeping epic that is so grand in its scope that it carries the reader along with sheer breadth ...more

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Bryce rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

10/12/07

Read in June, 1997

recommends it for: everyone who likes Tolkien

This is the foundational work upon which Tolkien based everything else, include "The Hobbit", "The Lord of the Rings", "The Book of Lost Tales", "The Unfinished Tales", etc.

I actually love the Silmarillion better than any one of the The Lord of the Rings books (though not better than the whole series together). Beginning with the creation of Arda (the world upon which Middle Earth resides between the Black Lands and Westernesse.

I consider the Silm...more

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Mary rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

02/12/08

Read in February, 2008

recommends it for: Tolkien fans

Although I've read The Silmarillion several times before, I think this is the first time that I've really been able to focus on it and absorb the story. I'm inclined to think that this is because I've stopped taking everything so seriously, and like all good epics, The Silmarillion is completely ridiculous in parts.

That's not to say that it isn't an awesome book, though. It's not my favorite of Tolkien's works, but that's less to do with the quality of the story and more to do ...more

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PAC rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

02/07/08

Read in May, 2007

I read J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings in 1976 and have prized it above all since then, yet I didn't finish reading the Silmarillion until 2007, 30 years after having received the first edition as a gift from my freshman English professor.

All that I valued about LOTR was multiplied tenfold by Tolkien's history of the creation if Eà, and early ages of Arda, the worl...more

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Ren the Unclean rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

10/23/07

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in November, 2006

recommends it for: Fans of Middle Earth

This is sort of like a history book for Tolkien's Middle Earth. It goes, in a more or less chronological faction, through the events leading up to the third age and what happens in the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series. As a background for all the races and heroes of Middle Earth, it is really interesting and engrossing.

It is cool to see many of the heroes that are referenced in passing throughout the main series and the trials they went through during their time. Learning more abou...more

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Jason rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

08/14/07

Read in September, 2002

OK, so I know this book doesn't stack up to Lord of the Rings, and I know it reads like the King James Version of some of the more droll Old Testament books, but if you can wade through it, the history of the elves, dwarves, wizards, and villains of LOTR is really a marvel. The story of the fall of Gondolin in the First Age of Middle-Earth really does fill in some questions I had regarding the elves and the rings from LOTR, and more important (and fun) is the fact that this one gives you the or...more

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kastle rated it:

(review of isbn 0618391118)

05/07/07

Read in January, 2005

recommends it for: Tolkien Fans

As a huge Tolkien fan, this book was like the icing on the cake after reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This book is a must for anyone interested in devouring more history of Middle Earth. It details the beginnings of Middle Earth, the creation of Elves, Dwarves, and Men and the subsequent relationships that develop amongst them.
While it is sometimes hard to keep the names and relationships of the various characters straight, the story enriches the reader's acquaintance with Middle Ea...more

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