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The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien
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The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien was not published in his lifetime. It was completed posthumously by the Professor’s son Christopher Tolkien and first published by Harper Collins in 1992. JRR Tolkien first began working on the history of Middle-earth in 1917 and the work continued up until his death in 1973. The paperback edition holds 480 pages.
The Silmarillion provides the background to Middle-earth, the setting of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. It is an account of the Elder Days; the First Age when Morgoth, the First Dark Lord dwelt in Middle-earth and the war waged upon him by the High Elves to recover the Silmarils, jewels containing the pure light of Valinor.
JRR Tolkien has created a compelling mythology in The Silmarillion. The many references contained within the Lord of the Rings to the Elder Days are fully explained here. It must be made clear that is not a book written in its entirety by JRR Tolkien. The Professor’s son Christopher has taken a collection of writings regarding the Elder Days and put them together in the form of The Silmarillion.
And Christopher Tolkien has done an excellent job. There were many doubters amongst Tolkien fans but what we are given is a rich set of tales that explain in rich detail the mythology behind Tolkien’s fantasy world. This is a tough but worthwhile read, the writing style is completely different to that used in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings – this reads like a history book (and one you wished was part of the school curriculum). Middle-earth has its very own creation of story, one that shows Tolkien’s love of the Greek, Roman and Norse mythologies. There is love, betrayal, friendship and power all in evidence here and the characters and races that grace The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings are given a history that not only makes you want to read the two books again but also makes you see everything in a completely new light. There is great beauty in places, the tale of Beren and Luthien being the highlight.
The Silmarillion is best read if you have already read, and enjoyed, The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. The creation of Middle-earth and the history of the Elves, Orcs, Sauron, Gandalf and much more are explained, and explained well. The Silmarillion showcases the depth and brilliance of JRR Tolkien’s imagination; it even features family trees of the characters. The full majesty of JRR Tolkien’s unfolds - he changed the fantasy genre forever when he wrote the Lord of the Rings. Readers began to expect the same amount of effort in world and character creation from all authors – some have managed to emulate but many have fallen by the wayside.
It is told among the wise that the First War began before Arda was full-shaped, and ere yet there was anything that grew or walked upon earth; and for long Melkor had the upper hand. But in the midst of the war a spirit of great strength and hardihood came to the aid of the Valar, hearing in the far heaven that there was battle in the Little Kingdom; and Arda was filled with the sound of laughter. So came Tulkas the Strong, whose anger passes like a mighty wind, scattering cloud and darkness before it; and Melkor fled before his wrath and his laughter, and forsook Arda, and there was peace for a long age. And Tulkas remained and became one of the Valar of the Kingdom of Arda; but Melkor brooded in the outer darkness, and his hate was given to Tulkas for ever after.
In conclusion, read the Hobbit and then the Lord of the Rings. If you are as captivated by them as most of the reading world is – the Silmarillion will give you the extra information you crave and answer the questions that the two prior books threw up – Who exactly are Gandalf and Sauron? How did the Orcs come into being? Why are the Elves leaving Middle-earth and where are they going?
The Silmarillion (Amazon.co.uk)
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 480
Publication date: 2001-07-16
Publisher: HarperCollins
RRP: £7.99
Lowest new price: £2.07
Lowest used price: £0.01
The popular paperback edition with a cover design by Tolkien himself, to complement the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings paperbacks. Includes a special preface by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Product Description
The Silmarillion (Amazon.co.uk)
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 480
Publication date: 1992-01-09
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
RRP: $14.45
Lowest new price: $5.73
Lowest used price: $0.01
The popular paperback edition with a cover design by Tolkien himself, to complement the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings paperbacks. Includes a special preface by J.R.R. Tolkien. The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien's world. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part. The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-Earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor. Included in the book are several shorter works. The Ainulindale is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabeth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Numenor at the end of the Second Age and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings.
Product Description
Tim Wilson from UK
Wonderful use and grasp of language was present in this book, but for me there were just too many details. A plot so well hidden in a myriad other descriptions, plots and historical facts from Middle Earth that I just could not get into it. Tolkien is a deity when it comes to fantasy, but for me this book was more of a study in the history of Middle Earth and less of a story.
Estel from Lucknow
I like fully realized magical realms with its complete back-history and mythology. The Silmarillion aptly serves this purpose. This not a typical novel but a simple chronicle of events; a guide to the wonderful realm of Middle-earth. Don’t start Tolkien straightaway from here; otherwise you would only get deluged by the vast array of characters and plotlines. I admit that the novel could have done more with a bit of finesse and sometimes it gets difficult to keep track of things (appendix at the book can be used as a reference), but it’s still great. This masterpiece demands only one thing: patience.
Andrew from Scotland
Incredible. To begin, the read is slow and at times confusing due to the huge cast as it were, but slowly you begin to realise the enormity and scale of this book and anyone studying the history of our own Earth would know that such things are as complex and lengthy as any. Just when you think the plot is lost in the midsts of the many, seemingly unconnected, chapters Tolkien time and again brings back the main thrust of the epic plot. Kudos also to Cristopher Tolkien for including the many extras which serve to aid in the understanding of the many Houses in those days and their respective histories and bloodlines. Quality.
Rowan from Australia
The Silmarillion is the highest quality fantasy there is. It is a work of indescribable majesty and breathtaking concept. Tolkien is the ultimate master of high fantasy. However, the Silmarillion is only for die-hard Tolkien fans who have already read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. It is more a history than a novel and goes into complex detail which, while sweet for Tolkien fans like myself, could be confusing for those new to Tolkien.
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