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 Reads

* 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

Sep 22, 2013 Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, classics, fantasy, great-sf-f-100, aab-read-the-name-2018, have-reread, read-before-2010, 20th-century, made-me-cry, british-literature

The Silmarillion is not an easy read, but on the other hand, I don’t want Tolkien fans who might be interested to be unnecessarily scared away from it. I definitely had a rough start the first time I read it, but eventually it won me over.

I followed along with The Silmarillion Primer at Tor.com during this reread, and I highly recommend it. It’s intended for first-time readers and does a great job of explaining things, focusing on one chapter at a time. That said, avoid reading the comments at ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 18, 2012 L rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: j-r-r-tolkien

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! x ...more

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Jun 10, 2017 Heidi Garrett rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fairy-tales, mysticism

***CHECK OUT the AWESOME art thread for The Silmarillion! at J.R.R. Tolkien Epic Reads Goodreads group! ***

Amazing. This is a really hard read. Some of it is extremely repetitive, i.e battles are fought and lost ... and lost ... and lost again! But the gems—the original parts (original to Tolkien himself)—are worth excavating for any serious Tolkien fan/reader of fantasy. Tolkien's world building is mystical, poetic and mind boggling. The intricacy is both tedious and impressive. The great sadne ...more

1 like · Like · see review