Reviews with content warning for Incest - The Silmarillion

Tolkien is an absolute genius and I will forever be astonished by him and his work.

This is a difficult book for me to review because it's a book that's near and dear to me in many ways, but it's also very difficult to review.

For those of you who are familiar with Tolkien's more famous works like "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" and who are yearning to know more about Middle Earth - how it came to be, it's history, the creation of all of it - this is for you.

This primarily walks us through the events of the First Age of Middle Earth with glimpses into events in the Second Age and Third Age (where the events of LotR and The Hobbit take place). It's rich, detailed and pulls you into a world that's familiar, yet full of many many layers that add to everything.

A few caveats before going in: (1) this book is best read at a slower pace. There's so much detail and rich storytelling that to rush through this would mean you'd miss a lot of things. This was a reread for me, and it nearly took me two years to finish (due to several factors). (2) If the edition you read doesn't have the letter from Tolkien to Waldman, please do everything you can to find a place to read it (you can find it online in various places). If your edition does have the letter, don't skip it. I know it's tempting, but trust me, it has a lot of important information in it.

All in all, this is a book I love and cherish and will continue to revisit many times.

A note on the TW/CWs: hese are tricky because the scope of the book is so vast there are a lot, and yet they're not super detailed while also being present (it's complicated), but some of the more prevalent ones are listed below.

Content Warnings

kirkspockreads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative 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

3.5

I FINALLY FINISHED THIS! It only took me about six tries but I DID IT!

I only give this a 3.5 because of the writing style, but if you can get past that because you’re a Tolkien nerd it’s pretty good. Tons of petty family drama with some real Elf Drama Kweens!

Definitely read this slowly and make good use of the index and family trees because you will be absolutely lost without them. Too many similar sounding names!

Content Warnings

caringosity's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense 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

Content Warnings

telcontar's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Silmarillion is a classic telling of the events of Arda and the time before before LotR. Beautiful, tragic and detailed, I consider it my favourite book (besides LotR).

It explains the struggle of the Noldor, the Sindar and the Edain (among others) against Morgoth, the Dark Lord, in the bulk of the book: "Quenta Silmarillion"; this has two prequels and sequels of sorts to it. The Silm explains all the references and the songs in LotR, making the world so rich. There are so many wonderful tales in it, from which my favourite is Of Túrin Turambar, just a wonderful depressing story; just be sure to check out the trigger warnings before reading it.

The prose is beautiful, especially in "The Ainulindalë". Tolkien knows how to write stunning and tear-jerking and powerful dialogues. Now, I know that the writing is the problem for many readers, and hence I only recommend it to die-hard Tolkien fans. It is not written like a normal story, with a continuous plot and structure. It is the entire history of the First Age of Middle-earth (and some) in one book. The somewhat difficult prose in "The Ainulindalё" gives way to Tolkien's normal style of writing. Admittedly, I also skipped Of the Realms of Beleriand on my first read. The index and maps given at the back are very useful, so please check them out before DNFing it.

The characters are diverse and some are quite complex. There are a few like Strider or Eómer or Faramir in it, those you really root for. There are others that are wholly evil, because they were made to be the corrupted versions of fair things. Then there are the complex ones. Most of them are people with great potential but they fall, a recurring theme in the legendarium. The many female characters include the Valier, Melian, Haleth, Morwen and so many others.

The themes of the Silm include greed, hope and despair, friendship and love; all of which are familiar with LotR readers. They are portrayed so realistically and deeply and beautifully as always. These, along with the rich world-building, are the reason I love The Silmarillion. Like a crystal of diamond it appears, and yet is more strong than adamant (but please do not start a war when someone snatches it away from you).

But of bliss and glad life there is little to be said, before it ends; as works fair and wonderful, while they still endure for eyes to see, are ever their own record, and only when they are in peril or broken for ever do they pass into song.

Also, Blind Guardian's album Nightfall in Middle-earth is based on this book and it adds a deeper layer of emotion to it. Just so beautiful; be sure to check it out!

Content Warnings