The Silmarillion in Tolkien's T.C.B.S

Feb 16, 2018 L rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-earth-history

The Silmarillion is where it all began before the creation of the Middle-Earth that we know and love in 'the lord of the rings' this is where JRR Tolkien gained all of his inspiration & ideas for the construction of the 2nd age and 3rd ages of Middle-earth and it explains how throughout history it came into being. It is the story of the first age of Tolkien's world of ancient drama where it all begins and some characters that reader of LOTR are familiar with, like Elrond & Galdriel appear right
The Silmarillion is where it all began before the creation of the Middle-Earth that we know and love in 'the lord of the rings' this is where JRR Tolkien gained all of his inspiration & ideas for the construction of the 2nd age and 3rd ages of Middle-earth and it explains how throughout history it came into being. It is the story of the first age of Tolkien's world of ancient drama where it all begins and some characters that reader of LOTR are familiar with, like Elrond & Galdriel appear right back in time here. After spending an entire life of dedication to a fictional world & given little over half a century of work it is not suprising that when one contemplates the inormity of what Tolkien achived that you cannot help but be in awre & astonishment, especially as it was not only something so complex and unimagionable but also that it was fitted in & around our real historical timeline of history (which i have never known any ficitonal author attempt before or since Tolkien). The Silmarillion is a creation of such singular beauty, a becon of magnificence that enbodies tragedy, hope & heroism in such a way that is so cpativating and utterly spellbinding. If you are a JRR Tolkein fan or love his later works that are a continuation of this book (the lord of the rings and the hobbit), then this volume not only will complete your understanding (to an extent) of this outstanding creation & knowlege of middle-earth, but it is also an indespensible guide for those who are interested in delving in deeper and wanting to find out more about Tolkien's life works. What is so increadible is how JRR Tolkien went into so much background detail that makes his creation utterly realistic & authentic because he not only created the world as such but he also slotted it into our own history so that it 'made sense' and how the Elves came into being a part of our lives. The Elves are a mixture of humanity but of a purer kind that is almost godlike, as they represent purity, beauty and immortality. I could not have loved Tolkien's work and entire creation had i not begun to delve deeper and throw myself into it, by studying the myths & legends and history that make up Middle-earth and it is not until one does this that you then find how such a small part 'The Lord of the Rings' plays within this entire fictional timeline. I am forever overwhelmed by JRR Tolkien's work, the meticulous details, the deep and rich history and characters that make him just an iconic legend of literature & for someone to dedicate so much to something i therefore take it as a huge honour that we are allowed to be able to explore something that is so personal & so close to someone's heart. Even if you are not as avid a reader of Tolkien than myself or others who are even more so than me, you will still be able to enjoy this book as a delightful read that is intesting, captivating, which is full of drama and suspense and something that is a really enjoyable & gripping read alone. I cherish my edition because the beautiful illustrations within not only are so lovely but they help to bring this story & this creation to life. Utterly spellbinding! ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2013 Philip Dodd rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When I first found out in 1977 that The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien was to be published by the end of that year, I felt very surprised and moved, but also a little worried for the book, as it was left unfinished when its author died in 1973. I felt confident that his son, Christopher, would do a good job as the editor of the book, but sad that it could only fall far short of how it could have been if its author had completed it and approved of its publication within his lifetime. If you walk When I first found out in 1977 that The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien was to be published by the end of that year, I felt very surprised and moved, but also a little worried for the book, as it was left unfinished when its author died in 1973. I felt confident that his son, Christopher, would do a good job as the editor of the book, but sad that it could only fall far short of how it could have been if its author had completed it and approved of its publication within his lifetime. If you walk round an art gallery, you would much rather look at paintings and sculptures that were finished by artists before they died, after all, rather than those left in their studios as unfinished works. I think it is sad that J.R.R. Tolkien never finished The Silmarillion, especially as it meant so much to him and that the seed to write it was planted in his mind at an early age. When reading or reviewing the book, I think it is important always to remember that it is an unfinished work, a half hewn sculpture, an uncompleted painting.
When I finally bought the book in 1977, I was certainly not disappointed by its front and back cover. On the front cover was the emblem of Luthien Tinuviel, designed by J.R.R. Tolkien, and on the back cover were five other emblems designed by him, one for Fingolfin, the others for Earendil, Idril Celebrindal, Elwe and Feanor. The emblems revealed that J.R.R. Tolkien was a fine artist, as he had already proven with his illustrations for The Hobbit. Then I started reading the book. The first work in the book, called Ainulindale, The Music of the Ainur, read to me as certainly complete and polished. I doubt if J.R.R. Tolkien would have changed it much before offering it up for publication. As it is about the creation, it seemed appropriate to me that it was written in a style that reminded me of the King James Version of the Bible. God is named as Iluvatar and his enemy is named as Melkor. It seemed obvious from the start that Melkor was Tolkien's version of Satan. According to his biographer, Humphrey Carpenter, Tolkien did not care much for the works of John Milton, but when he writes of Melkor as one who fell from splendour "through arrogance to contempt for all things save himself, a spirit wasteful and pitiless" I could not help thinking of Lucifer, the original fallen angel, who later was named Satan in Paradise Lost.
The first chapter in the book that I truly enjoyed was the one called Of Aule and Yavanna, which tells of the creation of the dwarves by Aule and the creation of the Ents, the Shepherds of the Trees, by Yavanna. That chapter and a later one, concerned with Feanor and the making of the three jewels, filled with the light of the Two Trees of Valinor, called the Silmarils, revealed Tolkien's mind truly awake, at work, fashioning his own myth. It was indeed the light of the Silmarils of Feanor that remained in my mind after I had finished reading the book. For they shone throughout the telling of the dark history of the war against Melkor, named Morgoth by Feanor after his rebellion, and with a light that was spiritual, not physical, like that from a lighthouse or a lamp.
The tale of Beren and Luthien and the Quest of the Silmaril, the tale of Turin Turambar and Beleg Strongbow, the sight of the dragon, Glaurung in the halls of Nargothrond, the drowning of Numenor in the ocean, and the vision of Earendil sailing through the heavens in his ship with the Silmaril shining on his brow, such things remained in my mind after I had finished reading the book. The way some of the later tales in the book are told reminded me of The Mabinogion, a collection of Welsh Medieval tales. The chapter, Of Turin Turambar, for example, seems to me very influenced in its style by the tales found in The Mabinogion.
One of the pleasures of reading The Silmarillion to me were the names for people and places, rooted in Tolkien's own invented languages. The names work and sound good because they mean something.
Feanor means Spirit of Fire, for example. What could sound more forbidding than Morgoth who lives in Angband, defended by the mountains of Thangorodrim or more wondrous than the hidden city of Gondolin or the caves of Nargothrond?
I first read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Smith of Wootton Major, Farmer Giles of Ham, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Tree and Leaf by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1968 when I was sixteen. I remember at the time trying to find books that were like them, expecting to be disappointed in my search, which I was. Here in 2013, of course, I have to smile when I look at the Fantasy section in a bookshop, knowing that many of the books on those shelves, such as Magician by Raymond E. Feist or Shadowmarch by Tad Williams, would not have been thought of at all if it were not for The Lord of the Rings.
To end my long ramble, I would just like to say that I am really glad that The Silmarillion exists, as edited by Christopher Tolkien, but I will always feel sad that it was not completed and published by its author during his lifetime. Still, the Silmarils continue to shine in my mind. ...more

Like · see review