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karlin0336's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is five stars, but that means something completely different than when I rate other books five stars.
I was not engrossed in it the whole time (I really had to push through parts of it). I did not love many of the characters (there were so many names, that it was really hard to keep track of everyone). It was confusing and very, VERY slow (thank goodness for the audiobook).
No, the reason this book is five stars is because of what it accomplishes. It sets the groundwork for the fantasy epic that is arguably the greatest cornerstone of its genre. It gives us a comprehensive history for perhaps the most well-crafted fantasy universe of all time (and it's one of the reasons that universe is so well developed). The Silmarillion was confusing, yes, but that's because it is a story on such a large scale that a single readthrough just isn't enough. I fully expect to discover something new each and every time I reread it. What this book manages to accomplish is pure genius.
I was not engrossed in it the whole time (I really had to push through parts of it). I did not love many of the characters (there were so many names, that it was really hard to keep track of everyone). It was confusing and very, VERY slow (thank goodness for the audiobook).
No, the reason this book is five stars is because of what it accomplishes. It sets the groundwork for the fantasy epic that is arguably the greatest cornerstone of its genre. It gives us a comprehensive history for perhaps the most well-crafted fantasy universe of all time (and it's one of the reasons that universe is so well developed). The Silmarillion was confusing, yes, but that's because it is a story on such a large scale that a single readthrough just isn't enough. I fully expect to discover something new each and every time I reread it. What this book manages to accomplish is pure genius.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Incest, Suicide, and Grief
bone_dry's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Genocide, Suicide, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Incest, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
mlkao94697's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Silmarillion acts as a mythology for Middle Earth, and I think it greatly succeeds in this. It adds so much to the rich lore and world-building put in place in LOTR and also gave so much more context to those stories. I found myself falling in love all over again with Middle Earth. As such, it was quite a dense read, and I'm thankful for the index and family trees in the back of my edition since there are so many names that are thrown around. Plus, there are often multiple names for the same people or places. Tolkien has a unique way of conveying a tremendous amount of information through poetic and endearing stories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest and Slavery
josisteacup's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Given that it's basically a "history book" that chronicals the events from the creation of Middle-earth up until the end of Lord of the Rings its expected to be quite dense. Therefore its best to approach it like a collection of myths or folktales and read one chapter at a time. Otherwise it might be overwhelming. Especially the first chapters about the creation of Middle-earth can be a bit boring because there isn't much plot.
All in all its interesting and I'm thinking about getting the standalone stories of Beren and Luthien, The Fall of Gondolin and The Children of Hurin.
All in all its interesting and I'm thinking about getting the standalone stories of Beren and Luthien, The Fall of Gondolin and The Children of Hurin.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Incest, Slavery, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
vikingschism's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is not a traditional novel however the entire thing forms a single cohesive narrative of the conflict over the silmarils and leads into the War of the Ring described in The Lord of the Rings. It contains a multitude of tales. Many have described it as dry but I personally found it incredibly engaging outside of one chapter (Of Beleriand and its Realms). In fact, in many ways it is a lynchpin that underlies both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, painting a rich tapestry of myth and history that informs the other works
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Incest
jorgelnjunior's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Incest
hollewade's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is a gem and I flew through it. So many stories so rich and lovely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Minor: Incest
akelestee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
helenafaustina's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow... what an adventure. I loved this whole book, especially the beginning with the creation of Eä. Everything about this was so musical and lovely. The rise and fall of the good and the bad people, watching the characters you already knew be born, and understanding all the lore... and getting lost in the index of names (heh), was a beautiful experience. It's a fun, fictional history book, and one that LotR lovers don't want to miss!
I would not recommend this to someone new to Middle-earth, as it is pretty heavy writing. I think it would only be enjoyable by fans. Like how Lord of the Rings is one level up from The Hobbit, The Silmarillion is a level up from Lord of the Rings.
I would not recommend this to someone new to Middle-earth, as it is pretty heavy writing. I think it would only be enjoyable by fans. Like how Lord of the Rings is one level up from The Hobbit, The Silmarillion is a level up from Lord of the Rings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Moderate: Incest and Fire/Fire injury
godraed's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's a work that defies description, a collection of various stories presented as the mythic history of Middle-Earth. It's grand in scope, magisterial in prose, an a marvel to behold. It is Tolkien's darkest work but also contains wonderful pieces of hope that set the stage for his later works. A must-read for any fan of The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.
This review is for the hardcover edition, which has two maps and contains illustrations from the author. It is an absolutely beautiful edition and looks wonderful on the bookshelf.
This review is for the hardcover edition, which has two maps and contains illustrations from the author. It is an absolutely beautiful edition and looks wonderful on the bookshelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, and War
Moderate: Incest, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Deportation