# Question for J.R.R Tolkien fans



## Patrick Skelton (Jan 7, 2011)

Has anyone read The Silmarillion?  

I'm a big fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy...curious as to what your opinions are of The Silmarillion?


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## Doug DePew (Mar 26, 2011)

I have The Silmarillion. 

I've never read it all the way through. It's very complex. I'd say it's worth owning if you collect Tolkein, but it's not really a "sit down and read it" book. It provides a lot of backstory to the rest, but it isn't an easy read.


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## davidhburton (Mar 11, 2010)

You need to be a serious Tolkien fan to get through The Silmarillion. I read it twice. Loved it. I also picked up The Children of Húrin (and loved it), but I read LOTR like twelve times, so my perspective might be a little biased.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I've read it a few times. It's something to chew on, not an easy read. If you really liked LOTR, you may well like it, but stick with it.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

As a novel it pretty much sucks. But as a fictional cultural colledction it is priceless. It definitely has to be read in the context of the LOTR as I feel that series serves as the touchstone for all the rest of Tolkiens works. It does work better if aproached as a series of short segments rather than a complete work, though if you can juggle all the places and names in your head it works either way..


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

If you've really enjoyed Tolkien's LotR give it a try. 

Just know beforehand that the language is archaic and the read sometimes difficult.

Why do it then?

Because you'll discover abridged tales as amazing as the LotR, but from Middle Earth's first two ages. Just take your time with it, read the tales one at a time. The work is on a scale that is almost biblical.

The Silmarillion is a read you take gently, it's not a page turner.


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## A. S. Warwick (Jan 14, 2011)

The Silmarillion is my favourite book.  Ever.

Some people find it dry, but the sheer scope of the history and theme of it is brilliant.

Then again some people don't think I'm exactly normal..


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I've read it twice.  It is very dry in places, other parts are very good.  I probably won't re-read it in future LOTR re-reads--at least not for many years.

The overarching story of the silmarils etc. is very interesting, but it's told in more of a history book/bible type of fashion so it's a much denser and dryer read than LOTR.  So  I'd say it's really only for major LOTR fans who basically want to read a history book about middle earth full of creation stores, legends etc.


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## Patrick Skelton (Jan 7, 2011)

Okay. Just got it from the library and started flipping through it.  Definitely looks like a challenging read.


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## Dee Ernst (Jan 10, 2011)

Challenging is a good  word for this.  I slogged through it once years ago, and I was glad I read it, but I was also glad to be finished with it and I can't imagine reading it again. LOTR, on the other hand, I've read several times.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Only for the diehard fans.  I found some bits interesting, but couldn't finish it, just petered out in my effort to read it.

A friend who completed it suggested approaching it as a history book, rather than a novel.


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## jongoff (Mar 31, 2011)

Patrick Skelton said:


> Has anyone read The Silmarillion?
> 
> I'm a big fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy...curious as to what your opinions are of The Silmarillion?


The Simarillion is an abridged collection of Tolkien's notes ideas, and so forth, developed while writing his story. They were compiled by his son. It contains a lot of the back story and world history that is only hinted at in The Lord of the Rings, and it is a fascinating look into the mind of one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. If you like Middle Earth, and want to know more of it's history the Simarillion is worth reading, but don't expect it to be an easy read. It's more of a loose quasi-historical-mythological expose.


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## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

It's all in the eye of the beholder of course, but as you can see by every post so far in answer to your question, there's not much variance with this one.  If you absolutely loved LotR, you'll probably find this at least interesting, maybe love it.  Also, you don't really have to read all of it to get something from it.  Or you can read it over time in small bites.  Have you ever read Ovid's "Metamorphoses?"  It's kind of like that.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

When you read it you'll see the seeds of other great book and movie trilogies. We'll most probably never see them, but I'd love to see some of those tales told in a fuller way. Some amazing stuff in there!


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## Justin Alexander (Feb 19, 2011)

Patrick Skelton said:


> I'm a big fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy...curious as to what your opinions are of The Silmarillion?


_The Silmarillion_ is very different from LOTR. In truth, it's different from almost any other book of fiction you will ever read. The closest thing I've ever read to it is Robert Graves' _The Greek Myths_.

_The Silmarillion_ was written as a concordance of myth. It was meant to be a sort of "source text" for other works, much like the Greek Myths or Arthurian Myths have been the "source text" for a wide variety of other works. (Tolkien's goal was to create a true mythology for England.) Because it wasn't written as a novel or even as a collection of short stories, its narrative functions in ways that can be very strange in their unfamiliarity.

But, with all that being said, I recommend it highly. There are incredibly potent stories within those pages.

Here's my other suggestion: Read it aloud. Savor the words. It's the most poetic prose I've ever read.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

Another suggestions: Try for an illustrated editon. 

Ted Nasmith's art is very complimentary. I don't know about the kindle edition, but there are DTB editons that have the colour art included. The art works to soothe in contrast to the archaic text.


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## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

Justin Alexander said:


> _The Silmarillion_ is very different from LOTR. In truth, it's different from almost any other book of fiction you will ever read. The closest thing I've ever read to it is Robert Graves' _The Greek Myths_.
> 
> _The Silmarillion_ was written as a concordance of myth. It was meant to be a sort of "source text" for other works, much like the Greek Myths or Arthurian Myths have been the "source text" for a wide variety of other works. (Tolkien's goal was to create a true mythology for England.) Because it wasn't written as a novel or even as a collection of short stories, its narrative functions in ways that can be very strange in their unfamiliarity.
> 
> ...


Seconded in full.
The Silmarillion was the second book I read in the original English (I had already read it in Italian) and I fell in love with the prose from the first page.

It's not a novel, it was not meant to be one and it shouldn't approached (IMO) thinking of it as one. It is a compilation of myths _and_ history of the first two ages so readers expecting a cohesive whole or an easy read are bound to be disappointed.

I'm of the kind that reads the Poetic Edda, the Kalevala and the Iliad for fun, it may tell you something...


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## navythriller (Mar 11, 2011)

I loved it.  Then again, I enjoy the Appendices from LOTR, and I think most readers skip that part.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

I've read (and own) both the Silmarillion and Hurin, and enjoyed both. 

They are pretty heavy / dense. Almost like reading the Bible. It's mostly top-heavy narration. Very little dialog or character development.

But if you really love LotR and Tolkien's world, these other books fill in tons of back story, which I for one found really interesting.


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## StephenLivingston (May 10, 2011)

I love The Lord of the Rings and so I read The Silmarillion.  It is good although very sad.  The Children of Hurin is also worth reading if you like The Silmarillion.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

I enjoyed Children of Hurin also, but it is a dark read.

The scope of the stories is wonderful.


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## navythriller (Mar 11, 2011)

Seleya said:


> Seconded in full.
> The Silmarillion was the second book I read in the original English (I had already read it in Italian) and I fell in love with the prose from the first page.
> 
> It's not a novel, it was not meant to be one and it shouldn't approached (IMO) thinking of it as one. It is a compilation of myths _and_ history of the first two ages so readers expecting a cohesive whole or an easy read are bound to be disappointed.
> ...


I've read the Poetic Edda, and loved it!


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## Tara Maya (Nov 4, 2010)

I love reading collections of myths and fairytales from all over the world. For me, the Simirillion was like finding a book of myths from a lost world. I would have loved it even if I had never read Lord of the Rings. But if you aren't such a die-hard fan of myths, it's worth getting for just one story, The Tale of Beren and Lúthien.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

Tara Maya said:


> it's worth getting for just one story, The Tale of Beren and Lúthien.


That _is_ a good story, but there's also plenty more. The Silmarillion is quite a treasure trove!


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## Doug DePew (Mar 26, 2011)

davidhburton said:


> You need to be a serious Tolkien fan to get through The Silmarillion. I read it twice. Loved it. I also picked up The Children of Húrin (and loved it), but I read LOTR like twelve times, so my perspective might be a little biased.


I got The Children of Hurin as an advance purchase. I've never read it all the way through, either.

I do collect Tolkien books, so I'm glad to own them. I just haven't found the right mood to read those two yet. I've read LOTR at least ten times.


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## Adam Kisiel (Jun 20, 2011)

Silmarillon is a book for more advanced Tolkien enthusiasts. Yes, I have read it.


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## Nancy Beck (Jul 1, 2011)

Patrick Skelton said:


> Has anyone read The Silmarillion?
> 
> I'm a big fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy...curious as to what your opinions are of The Silmarillion?


My hubby's read it all the way through 2 or 3 times. I've tried many times to read all the way to the end, but...no go. I get to a certain point...and it just bores the heck out of me. I just can't continue. The problem for me is that it's a very dry read. Unlike The Hobbit or LOTR, there's almost no movement. And, of course, when Christopher brought it all together, he had to decide which versions of the different histories would go in; as his father wrote and rewrote and re-rewrote . Not an easy thing to do, and I give him kudos for trying.

Maybe if I tried the audio version, I might be able to get through it, but not in book form. Doesn't work for me.


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## Alessandra Kelley (Feb 22, 2011)

_The Lord of the Rings_ is a novel. _The Silmarillion_ is folklore -- mythology, if you will. It's like the difference between reading _The Once and Future King_ and a collection of Arthurian fragments.


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## Jason Kristopher (Jun 1, 2011)

I tried. I couldn't do it, though.

Everything that I felt was wrong with the trilogy was magnified in that book, and I just couldn't force myself to read it.


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## Budo von Stahl (Aug 31, 2010)

I agree with Warwick: favorite of all time.  Hurin as well.  I salivate at the thought of The Master having been able to finish them, but alas!  I won't live long enough to see them in public domain, but I'm not worthy of the attempt anyway.  (That's how much I love them: I want to finish them, dang it!)


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## Tara Maya (Nov 4, 2010)

Doug DePew said:


> I got The Children of Hurin as an advance purchase.


Oh, I've been meaning to get this.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

Patrick Skelton said:


> Has anyone read The Silmarillion?


I haven't but I think my hubby has.


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## Doug DePew (Mar 26, 2011)

Nancy Beck said:


> Maybe if I tried the audio version, I might be able to get through it, but not in book form. Doesn't work for me.


When I was a kid, there was a serial reading of Lord of the Rings on public radio. It was FABULOUS! I would sit in the dark in my dad's den and listen to each episode. I think it played around ten at night in one hour episodes.

I loved that.


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

I've read _The Silmarillion_ twice and _War and Peace_ once. If I had to pick between the two for re-reading, I'd go with _War and Peace_. Just did not enjoy reading _The Silmarillion_.


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## jongoff (Mar 31, 2011)

Ty Johnston said:


> I've read _The Silmarillion_ twice and _War and Peace_ once. If I had to pick between the two for re-reading, I'd go with _War and Peace_. Just did not enjoy reading _The Silmarillion_.


The Silmarillion was never intended to be published. It's a collection of stories, back stories, and so forth written by Tolkien as possible scenes and as a foundation for the world he was building. The wild success of the LoTR prompted his publishers, and his son, to release the book as an expansion on the books, and a sort of historical collection. It's of compelling interest to the aficionado, and is an interesting insight into the mind of one of the seminal writers of fantasy, but it's not a completed novel.

Comparing it to War and Peace, which was a finished work and a story that had gone through multiple edits and revisions, is an unjust one. The Silmirillion is not a not a cohesive narrative. It is a collection of notes, loosely arranged into a book. It's like comparing a set of blueprints to the Taj Mahal.


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## BRONZEAGE (Jun 25, 2011)

Stephen T. Harper said:


> Have you ever read Ovid's "Metamorphoses?" It's kind of like that.


Thanks for the connection, S Harper, it IS like the _Metamorphoses_.

& Tolkien was a scholar of western European myths (and as suggested above) familiar with the Icelandic and Norse and Irish/Welsh mythologies...


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I don't know if I liked The Silmarillion or not.  When I tried to read it, I couldn't remember anything between starting to read and waking up!


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## Rashaad Bell (Oct 7, 2011)

If you are a hard core fan you will love it. If you are just a fan of the movies, I'd say it may not be up your alley. I love the book, but I've never finished it. but I've always wanted to write something as epic in scope as that


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

My hubby has read it and found it dull going, even though he's a LOTRs fan, so I've read bothered picking it up.


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## JamesHutchings (Feb 27, 2011)

I tried to read it when I was younger, but I couldn't finish it.

I've noticed that a lot of fantasy writers are overly eager to tell you about their world, to the detriment of the story. So maybe _The Silmarillion_ helped make_ Lord of the Rings_ a better book, by giving Tolkien a way to get a lot of the background out of his system.


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## RedTash (Aug 14, 2011)

JamesHutchings said:


> I tried to read it when I was younger, but I couldn't finish it.
> 
> I've noticed that a lot of fantasy writers are overly eager to tell you about their world, to the detriment of the story. So maybe _The Silmarillion_ helped make_ Lord of the Rings_ a better book, by giving Tolkien a way to get a lot of the background out of his system.


YES!


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## JamesHutchings (Feb 27, 2011)

RedTash said:


> YES!


Glad you liked it. I'll try and come out with a series of ten sequels.


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## Nancy Beck (Jul 1, 2011)

mooshie78 said:


> I've read it twice. It is very dry in places, other parts are very good. I probably won't re-read it in future LOTR re-reads--at least not for many years.
> 
> The overarching story of the silmarils etc. is very interesting, but it's told in more of a history book/bible type of fashion so it's a much denser and dryer read than LOTR. So I'd say it's really only for major LOTR fans who basically want to read a history book about middle earth full of creation stores, legends etc.


I agree with mooshie - it's a very dry read (nothing like LOTR or The Hobbit). I tried reading it twice; I didn't even get a third of the way in before I gave up both times.

My hubby, however, first read LOTR in 6th grade (about 11 or 12 years old), and it spoiled him for reading any other fiction ; he's read The Silmarillion through at least twice. So if you're really, really, really into Tolkien, you might be able to persevere.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I've read and enjoyed it a couple times. It is definately not an easy read.


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## J.R.Mooneyham (Mar 14, 2011)

I believe I read it around 30 years ago (because I read everything by Tolkien I could get my hands on after LOTR and the Hobbit). But I didn't like it (or the other lesser Tolkien books) nearly as much as LOTR and the Hobbit (and I found the Hobbit somewhat annoying for the difference in writing style from LOTR). The Silmarillion also hasn't stood the test of time too well in my memory, as I read at least 1000 sci fi and fantasy books back then, and nowadays only can recall some decent ideas from a small portion of them-- and The Silmarillion is not among those.

However, I was a big fan of the appendices in The Return of the King. So much so, that it was part of my inspiration for researching the next 4000 years of what human history might be like, and writing a few stories to go with it.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

I've read it a couple times. It's for a very niche audience. If you love Tolkien and you're a fan of history, then you might be interested. The Silmarillion is Tolkien's Bible, it's literally the creation of the universe of Middle Earth with God and angels and the devil (Melkor) and the creation of elves and men, etc. And then all of the kings and wars and creatures leading up to the war of the ring. There is no hero or plot, it's just a historical record. Interesting, but not gripping.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

I like to think of the Silmarillion as an outline of what could have been other trilogies:

_The Fall of Numenor_

_The Elves arrival in Middle Earth_

And so much more. If you really enjoyed Lord of the Rings and would like more, the Silmarillion is worth a read with an open mind, but go in knowing the prose is archaic. Try and grab an illustrated edition as the colour plates soften the read.


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## Kathelm (Sep 27, 2010)

I've tried to read The Silmarillion numerous times. I never seem to be able to read more than a third of it before I fall to the temptation to skip ahead to the sections directly related to _Lord of the Rings_.

That said, The Children of Hurin.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

Doug DePew said:


> I have The Silmarillion.
> 
> I've never read it all the way through. It's very complex. I'd say it's worth owning if you collect Tolkein, but it's not really a "sit down and read it" book. It provides a lot of backstory to the rest, but it isn't an easy read.


Complex is right! I found myself skipping, not a good thing, but lots of it are pure Tolkien. Read it and see for yourself.


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## Math (Oct 13, 2011)

I forced myself to read it when I was in my teens - It was hard going, and like one of those old school text books from the fifties - once you finish the thing - you feel you have to start it over again because you've forgotten who did what when...(I'm getting flashbacks of school here...)

It is very much like you're reading an anthology of mythology and lore (that is a difficult translation from Elvish into English!!)  

Hmm, maybe if Robert Graves had edited it...but no - the way it reads is the point of the work - and that must be kept in mind. But the good news, though, is that when you finish it, you'll feel pround you have!!! (Just don't take a test on it afterwards...)


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## jonathanmoeller (Apr 19, 2011)

> Has anyone read The Silmarillion?


I loved it. But it's not an easy read.


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## morriss003 (Feb 20, 2009)

The Silmarillion is a harder read than LOTR's but reading it will give you a much better perspective on the Rings.  This is the beginning of Tolkiens great story, in it he describes the creation of the world, Melkor's (Lucifer) role in the creation and the relationship between the Valar and the elves.  If you really want to know the story behind the enmity between the elves and Sauron, this book is a must read.


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## James Conway (Jul 7, 2011)

Yes! I read the Silmarillion and listened to it on an Audiobook. LOTR fans may or may not like The Silmarillion. It takes a much wider view of Middle Earth and the language is much more lofty which might turn some people off. One of my my favorite tales was of Huan the Hound. If I remember correctly he...never mind. Best to find out yourself.


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