Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

18 reviews

karlin0336's review against another edition

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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.

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bone_dry's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring slow-paced

5.0


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josisteacup's review against another edition

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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.

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pretzemilia's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25


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godraed's review against another edition

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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.

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jakepasseri's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

While the prose can be almost biblical and dense, leading to a tough reading experience initially, push past it and youll genuinely find both some of the greatest writing and stories written. Truly a masterpiece

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madamenovelist's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0


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judassilver's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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pejms's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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aisabel's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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