The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Silmarillion
Book Review: For Tolkien Purists Only, A Godsend
Summary: 4 Stars
This was the first of Tolkien's works published posthumously by his son, Chris. For fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion gives the reader a sense of the time, effort, and dedication J.R.R. Tolkien spent on the creation of Middle Earth. Most of the stories fully (or mostly) told here are, in some form, referred to in his previously published works--but the history of the elves, as presented in this format, now comes across with almost biblical grandeur and tone.
Be advised, if you are new to Tolkien, this is not--repeat, NOT--the place to start. The language is archaic throughout, and the veritable sea of names is a lot for the uninitiated to digest. And this work, unlike those published in his lifetime, does drag at times. Having said that, the bad guys of the ancient world--Morgoth and Ungoliant, to name the most prominent--register with a level of dread that make Sauron and Shelob read like Bambi and Thumper. And the horoes--most notably Feanor and Earendil--lend new definition to the terms "hero" and "tragedy".
I cannot help but think, though, that if Tolkien had wanted this backstory material for The Lord of the Rings published, he probably would have done so himself ...
(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire fantasy, "Teeth.")
Book Review: From a Lord of the Rings fan...
Summary: 3 Stars
This book, mostly written by Tolkien, with large parts edited and written by his son, is an excellent read for Tolkien lovers and purists, but if you are not one of those two, you will have trouble getting through this book. I had read Lord of the Rings twice when I tried reading this for the first time, and it took me three tries to be able to make it through the entire thing. Once I did, I was satisfyed and will most likly read it again every few years(as I do with the Lord of the Rings). Still, the language in this is not nearly as fluid, well-mastered, or as beautiful as in LOTR. And while it provides great amounts of interesting back story, and I appreciate the LOTR and the other books in Middle-Earth because of it, this was not required reading, nor was it as entertaining or thrilling as LOTR. All and all, a worthy read if you can get through it, but that may be a daunting obsticle indeed for most casual readers.Book Review: Gorgeous Production!!
Summary: 5 Stars
The story itself is haunting; the illustrations do more to invoke the readers' imagination than deaden it..Book Review: Great Book!
Summary: 5 Stars
Received the book quickly and it was in perfect condition. This edition/copy of the Silmarillion is really neat!Book Review: Great Book!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
After recently converting to the Catholic Church and knowing that J.R.R. Tolkien was a very respected Catholic. I wanted to read some of his works. I have watched all three Lord of The Rings movies and absolutely loved them. I read the Hobbit years ago and thought it was a wonderful book as well, so I decided that I would purchase the Silmarillion, The Children of Hurin, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and read them all.
After reading some of the reviews regarding the Silmarillion and noticing that alot of people were complaining that it was either boring, or difficult to read. I hesitated and almost didn't purchase it. What a mistake that would have been! I loved the book and didn't want to put it down. It is truly a page turner and even if your new to reading Tolkien like I am, you will still love it.
I have read the Holy Bible many times and unlike what some of the reviews said, this book "does not" read like the Old Testament. I just finished reading the Ilyad and the Odyssy by Homer and I found them to be alot more difficult to read then this book.
Overall I would recommend that you don't take some of the negative reviews to heart and just purchase the book. I think you will be happy you did.