From the Bookshelf of J.R.R. Tolkien…

The Silmarillion

J.R.R. Tolkien,

Christopher Tolkien (Editor)

Start date: January 1, 2015

Finish date: March 31, 2015

Discussion: Group Reads

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* Group Read September 2021-January 2022 (No Spoilers)
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last updated Jan 31, 2022 11:38AM

Group Read January-March 2015: The Silmarillion
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What Members Thought

Feb 20, 2012 Amalie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, five-stars, mythology, adventure, anthology

The is one of the most unique and THE most difficult-to-explain book I have read recently. I loved the book, but it's after many tries of finding the best way to read it. This is what the readers should do:

If you can consider The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are real legends; then think this as the non-fiction source to those legends which is discovered (by you) after learning the legends. One must read this like we read the Bible or the History books. And why wouldn't anyone dislike either The is one of the most unique and THE most difficult-to-explain book I have read recently. I loved the book, but it's after many tries of finding the best way to read it. This is what the readers should do:

If you can consider The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are real legends; then think this as the non-fiction source to those legends which is discovered (by you) after learning the legends. One must read this like we read the Bible or the History books. And why wouldn't anyone dislike either of those two books since they have the best stories! Then another way to try would be to consider The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are Historical Fiction and The Silmarillion is basically the History book.

So the best way to read this is by NOT approaching it as a "novel". It does not tell one single story with a curiously developing single plot ; rather it tells many stories in a briefer form setting out the vast historical framework within. Moreover there's a large number of characters, often with similar names and they are not characterized as Bilbo, Frodo or Gandalf who we all love; as a result the reader will not be so engaged with the characters here but you will still want to read them, I certainly did. A great thing is, the book gives a lot of unanswered questions. Then there are some unforgettable images in the book far more fantastic than what I saw in the The Lord of the Rings movies!

Here's the best reason why I feel this deserves 5 stars: Imagine the Greek mythologies, all the myths and Gods & Goddesses were developed by one man. Think how it would be if Homer completely invented all the Gods for his stories. Imagine how hard that would be to come up with your own mythological traditions as such. And just imagine what kind of an imagination it would take to convince others to share his mythological traditions and love them perhaps as much as he did! This is why Professor Tolkien is a creative genius! This is why The Silmarillion is an amazing work!

Recommended**

...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 08, 2010 Tym rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, fantasy, classics, epic-fantasy

I tried to read this over the summer between my 3rd and 4th grade year, I had just finished Hobbit and LotR and was high on Tolkien. I struggled just to get through it. I don't think I retained more than 10% of the book on that first reading. I tried again during my high school freshman year and enjoyed it more but I still didn't enjoy it much as it reminded me too strongly of some of the textbooks I was struggling through at the time.

I need to give this another go, now that I am MUCH older tha ...more

2 likes · Like · see review