Reviews

I’d tried to read this book many times and finally did it. I’m so glad I did. It was a very difficult read since it’s basically an outline of the entire history of the world - little to no dialogue and a lot of detail on family trees. You have to go into this knowing it isn’t a normal narrative, these were his unfinished notes his son put a little polish on and released. It’s just a shame that Tolkien didn’t have the time to flesh out all these older stories, there’s some great ones here. Hopefully we’ll see some good takes on it when copyright runs out.

madfil's review against another edition

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5.0

(2002)
(16 September, 2022)*

*What can one say about 'The Silmarillion' that has not been said before?

Brilliant storytelling set in one of the most meticulously portrayed worlds in all of literature. Tolkien peopled that world, Arda, with a multitude of unforgettable characters: from all-powerful Ilúvatar down to the hateful Sauron, with about a million Elves, Men and Dwarves in between.

There are a few names one cannot, should not, forget; Manwë; Aulë; Yavanna; Finrod; Melkor; Melian; Fëanor; Beren and Lúthien, the list goes on and on. If that's not enough, good ol' J.R.R. adds beautiful descriptions of the lands herein; Aman; Tol Eressëa; Númenor; Doriath and many others, one can almost see them.

The amount of detail is nuts, the story spans thousands of years, maybe millions, grief and happiness alternate unceasingly and tales of valour abound. There is a sense of loss that is beyond comprehension, even the 'happy' stories are cloaked in sadness.

My one complaint is the ending: it's broad strokes and rushed. Everything else is gold!

Reading this a second time, 20 years later, is great. Better reading skills and more familiarity with the material has allowed me to appreciate everything a bit more.

johngeebair's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

Bad things happen when you mess with the family jewels.

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