The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Silmarillion
Book Review: Great and well written work of fantasy
Summary: 5 Stars
--Commentary with some minor spoilers---
Tolken's silmarillion is rather interesting in many respects. One could say that he probably knew about the doctrine of 'the music of the spheres' which is represented in his writing as the 'music of the ainur'. Several esoteric doctrines claim that the world was created through sound/vibration emanated from the mind of 'God'. What is usually referred to as 'God' according to some esoteric doctrines is the mind of creative entities/beings who apparently exist on higher planes of existence and who project aspects of themselves into lower planes to experience what these beings create on the plane of mind.
Another interesting facet of the stories in this book is the creation of 'beings of the elements' (4 element theory of Aristotle and some eastern doctrines). In this respect Manwe is a Lord of the element of air, Ulmo is a lord of the element of water, Aule is a lord of the element of earth and Melkor is a lord of the element of fire. In a similar vein, Varda is a lady of light/fire, Yavanna is a lady of earth, Nienna is a lady of water and Este is a lady of air. There are also the other Valar and the Maiar that have their specific purposes.
Tolken also delves into the dualities of light and dark and even of balance. The raising of the left hand, the right hand and finally both hands of illuvatar (during the music of the ainur) signify light, dark and the blending of both light and dark (both hands raised) into a balanced expression. Some of the Valar represent the expression of light and Melkor definitely represents the dark expression of experience. Yet the interplay of these two fundamental modes leads to the variety experienced in the music of the ainur (remember the creation of slowflakes and rain as an interplay between the forces of Melkor and Ulmo).
Another most interesting point is the appearance of the Valar before the 'Children of illuvatar'. The Valar are akin to beings of nature known in some esoteric doctrines as Devas (high order ones while the Maiar are lower order ones) and their various purposes dictate their function in the music of the ainur (the creation and evolution of manifested reality). Also several esoteric doctrines state that the Devas and their elementals existed before 'man', since they embody reality by taking form/ideas and giving them shape/matter. The purpose and function of the Valar are very different from those of the Children of illuvatar (Elves and Men) and yet both are required to evolve the music and to create new music at a later period.
Tolken limits his work to Earth/Ea but develops his stories well. After all, the accounts in this book are fictional but it is hard not to draw parallels with certain esoteric doctrines. For instance the Elves or the eldar are akin to the angelic-like humans said to have existed on Earth and who lived in harmony with the planet long before the legendary Atlantis. These are said to appear human in form, yet different from the human beings we are today. Some commentators have also drawn parallels with the Numenoreans of the Silmarillion and the Atlanteans.
All in all the stories in this book are really entertaining and well written from a literary point of view and they provide great context for the later stories found in the LOTR series. The stories can also be seen as interesting from another point of view that usually termed esoteric/occult. It is however important to bear in mind that this book is fiction and not fact and that without any knowledge or interest in esoteric doctrines or in myths such as found in the Eddas, it is entirely possible to thoroughly enjoy the stories in the book.
Book Review: Great for fans of Tolkien or Mythology in General
Summary: 4 Stars
The Silmarillion may be the most difficult book I've ever read, and likewise the most difficult review I've ever written. It's incredibly dense and filled with so much information and so many stories that a proper review would be quite long. In essence, it would be like reviewing the Bible, to which The Silmarillion is often compared, and that would certainly be no easy task. Nevertheless, I have tried, and this is the result.
I imagine any reader of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit would be somewhat familiar with The Silmarillion. This book, written as a collection of myths and legends, is epic in its scope, spanning from the creation story to the end of the Third Age (i.e., after Frodo destroys the Ring). The Tengwar inscription inside gives the best description of the book that I've read.
"The tales of the First Age when Morgoth dwelt in Middle-earth and the Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils to which are appended the downfall of Númenor and the history of the Rings of Power and the Third Age in which these tales come to their end."
That sentence contains so much in its simplicity that it's almost deceiving. It demands questions. Who's Morgoth? What are the Silmarils? Ooh, what else can I learn about the Rings of Power? And what the heck is Tengwar? While The Lord of the Rings may hint at some of these things, the answers can only be found in The Silmarillion.
So what is The Silmarillion? It's essentially the bible of Middle-earth and all of Arda. It's Tolkien's legendarium, his masterpiece and life's work. It's a history book of things forgotten by many, and cherished by others.
After I read LOTR in 8th grade, and then The Hobbit, I got The Silmarillion. I tried to read it, but I've never been much of a fan of history, and this just lacked the beauty Tolkien's other works had, so I sat it aside, intending to give it another chance some time later. After a decade of waiting, the time finally arrived.
This time through it didn't seem as much as a history book as I remembered. Sure, it was dry from time to time, but for the most part I rather enjoyed the read. For one, it felt like reading a book on some other culture's myths, and I suppose this is actually what I was doing. Also, some of these stories are so breathtaking and tragic that it's hard not to get pulled into the tales. Yes, The Silmarillion may seem like a history book, and it is, in some ways, but it is also so much more.
The entire volume is essentially one long story arc, but it is broken up into several different parts. In the beginning, after Ilúvatar has created the Ainur, one of his creations rebels and seeks his own song. It is this, the rebellion of Melkor, also called Morgoth, that has led to the ills of the world (Arda) and the problems that follow the creation. Time and time again different heroes rise up to oppose Melkor and his followers, and this is what The Silmarillion consists of, hero stories. Stories with characters you want to root for, despite their long odds. Stories with villains so dastardly that you pray for justice.
These tales are fascinating. Tolkien's mythology is humongous, and each story has the epic feel associated with things like The Odyssey or The Iliad. Yet, as Tolkien writes in The Fellowship of the Ring, the tales are all fair, "though [they are] sad, as are all the tales of Middle-earth..." Indeed, there are a few silver linings throughout The Silmarillion, but mostly everything is heavy and tragic. This certainly does not limit the enjoyment of the book, however, as we already know how it ends 'ere we start (provided some simple deduction).
One distinct difference between this work and Tolkien's others is that The Silmarillion tends to lack the overly-wordy description that is famous throughout the LOTR. Here we get some description, but nothing like the adjective-heavy words commonly associated with Tolkien. There still seems to be some extraneous information, but this was no problem really.
The hardest thing about reading The Silmarillion is the gigantic cast of characters. Not only are there numerous people named, but so are the lands and rings and swords and whatever else Tolkien fancied Proper Nouning. (Can I do that? Use "noun" as a verb?) Add the fact that there are many different languages in Arda, and you may get one character with three different names, if not more. For that reason, I occasionally got lost trying to recall who was who and who's son someone came from and the proper lineage and blah blah. If I read this again, I think I may keep a notebook handy for side notes.
The Silmarillion is a beautiful book that I regret took me so long to finally crack open. I think I had some preconceptions about how the historical writing would pan out--that I would be bored and not enjoy the read--but I was wrong. J.R.R. Tolkien is a master at what he does, and it's evident that the time and love he put into this book took many years. It's sad that the man didn't live long enough to see his life's work published, but at least the book hit publication.
Overall, for anyone that read and enjoyed the Lord of the Rings, it's a no brainer. The Silmarillion is a must read if you're interested in any of the background of Middle-earth, especially Elven history. On the other hand, I would also recommend this book to anyone with a strong interest in mythology. Tolkien borrowed from Norse and German mythology, and lovers of these legends may enjoy The Silmarillion as well. In the end, The Silmarillion is not a light book, and perusing would be difficult, but the reader will find excitement and tragedy within its pages.
Book Review: Great story telling in places, well worth reading
Summary: 4 Stars
I disagree with some of the reviews here, there much to like about the Silmarillion. It is hard reading at first, when Tolkien describes the creation of his world and the gods. But once the real heroic stories begin this is a wonderful read. The stories of Feanor, Melkor and others are riveting and have a feel of ancient heroism missing from Lord Of The Rings. My favourite story was that of Elwing going to the great city in th land of the elves and the gods. Bottom line if you've read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and feel like you want to know more about Tolkien's world or want to read more this book is ideal. It just requires some persistence to get through the beginning.Book Review: Great version of Silmarillion!
Summary: 5 Stars
though I've already have a paperback version of this book, I can't resist purchasing again this hardcover version with Nasimth' great illustrations! Really a joy to read accompanyed by those pictures!Book Review: Heavy reading
Summary: 5 Stars
I think the Silmarillion adds depth to all the other books he's written. I've read most. Although it was unfinished it doesn't affect it's powerful messages. At times I got bogged down and found it dry, but that was a signal to put it down and pick up the book the next night and approach fresh and even reread a few pages before continuing on. If you've read the Lord of the Rings, I think this will give you even more enjoyment. This is a book that you must read word for word, slowly getting used to the character's names.