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Because i saw in my mind exactly what the pictures and maps looked like. Who made and how the Silmarils came to be. I also read Tolkien's "The Hobbit" and the trilogy "The Lord of the Ring's" of which all those kept me as excited to read as this. Tolkien. I love how The Silmarillion tells you how Middle Earth was created along with who created the Elve's,dwarve's, tree's,sun,Orc's, Dragon's, Dark Lord,and everthing else that exist in Middle Earth. I also recieved it before the deliever date they estimated to me. His creation of Beleriand and Middle Earth is amazing. Amazon.com packaged the book so well that the book's dust cover nor the binding could be scratch or broken or bent.
J.R.R. Tolkien to Milton Walden in 1951 Walden wanted a brief sketch of Tolkien's work, the letter was about 14 page's. That's because J.R.R.Tolkien is a great Author, his son helped with this book because J.R.R.Tolkien passed away before this was complete, also thanks to the Illistrator I would recommend this book for children and adults alike. They also included Notes of pronunciation to help with the Elvish language,Index of names of each person and place along with page's for a quick referance,there is the family tree's of the King's,Lord's,Dwarves, Elve's, Men who they married and how they became kin, also a Appendix for those like myself whom are interested in the Eldarin language. I love also that map's are included 1 on page 114 which tells lands and kings and lords of those lands. The reason I purchased The Silmarillion from Amazon.com was while I was looking for the book Amazon.com showed a couple view's of the book, offered new and used book's I bought new.
I even love the forward, preface to the second edition. Thank you, Margaret {pardon my Spelling} I especially loved the letter from J.R.R. Amazon.com was the cheapest thou in this case.
Tolkien is a very capticating writter a book I didn't want to put down. I highly,highly recommend it." I was very happy Amazon.com had this book. "I can't say enough about this book. And the importance of them. Amazon.com also showed me other people and site's selling the book even if they were lower in price. I will be purchasing all my book needs and other's from Amazon.com. How life came threw the ages.
There are also illustration's throught out the book, but Tolkien is such an amazing writter you don't need the picture's or map's but they are a great referance. Tolkien is the most capticating Author I have read. The Silmarillion "The Silmarillion" Author, J.R.R. "The Silmarillion" J.R.R. Another map in the very back which is attached to the book but can be opened up which is 3 times larger then the book.
It would be a very tough read, but ultimately, it would still be very rewarding. There are brave heroes with moral dilemmas, epic trials and travails, and above all an imagery and imagination that is other worldly, and on a grand scale and very rich in content. It also reads like a history book spanning thousands of years (which, of course, it exactly is, fictitiously) and therefore it leaves little room for character development.Despite these problems, which would ruin any other book, the positive aspects more than offset the deficiencies. It is so rich in content, in fact, that unless you're already familiar with Tolkien's Middle-Earth, you may find yourself lost in all the names, times, and places. Still worth 5 stars. One has to overlook a couple of inconsistencies with LOTR, such as sleeping elves, Orcs attacking during the daylight (and all day long, for that matter), and some inconsistencies of logic, fauna "thriving" in a lightless middle earth, etc. One could well imagine dozens of movies being made from this collection, and all would fall short of the visions this book brings.
So reading it was a beast. Think Homer or Ovid. It is hard to explain, but Tolkien makes you think you have picked up a classical tale of the olden days. The tale of Beren and Luthien was one of my favorites. But other chapters are just plain dull. I think I bummed it from my parents when I got married, 5 years ago.Days spent reading it: 5 days.Why I read it: I liked The Lord of the Rings (who doesn't)., and my parents had this lying around the house.
Too bad it is told as dry as toast.Plenty is written through the internet about The Silmarillion. It was published by Tolkien's death by his son Christopher. It is probably very different than Tolkien intended, because he died before he completed it. But it is a comprehensive overview of the complex world that Tolkien created. I mean it really feels like you've broken open the 1611 King James Bible, only it is about elves and dwarves.
I never kept them straight in my head and had to constantly refer to the family chart in the back of the book. I would say somewhere in between.There are glimpses of wonder in this compilation of stories. It is more in line with ancient epic mythologies. The problems are numerous.
People cannot seem to agree--is it a work of genius or is it a bloated mess. But he that sows lies in the end shall not lack of a harvest, and soon he may rest from toil indeed while others reap and sow in his stead.Stars: 3 out of 5.Final Word: Dry. That gets very confusing when you are introduced to all of them in about 10 pages. Ye olde englishe doth not helpeth the causeth either.I would not recommend this book to just anyone.
TolkienPages: 365Time spent on the "to read" shelf: A few years. I loved some of the last tales in the book. For starters, it is not a novel. For example, in one of the major families that is used, we have Fingolfin, Finarfin, Finrod, and Feanor. And even of Tolkien fans, I would only submit this book to the die-hard fans. There were some good pieces in it, but you had to dig through a whole lot. Thankfully there is a comprehensive index of names and places that gives a brief synopsis of who or what they are. So I snagged it and figured I would read it one day.Brief review: This is a difficult book to review.
Not that exciting. It has received shaky reviews ever since. Also, for whatever reason, Tolkien gave many of the important (and related) characters similar names. Not for the faint of heart.Favorite quote: Long was he at work, and slow at first and barren was his labour. Title: The Silmarillion by J.R.R. This book tells the tale of the world from its creation up through the events recorded in the LOTR.The problem is that each tale is told in a very archaic language (thee, thou, etc). In a work this ambitious, you never really get to know some of the key players in a satisfactory way.
Do not expect a pure story, but rather a long recollection of sometimes related, and sometimes not related, events. If you casually enjoy the world the Tolkiens have wrought, or just watched the movies, I caution that you vary well may get bogged down in the first 30 pages or fewer. Tolkien through this work, as faithfully published by his son, Christopher, because of the incredible depth it contains. It fills in many of the blanks and answers many questions an interested reader may have after completing The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Nevertheless, the fact that Tolkien was so precise is a testament to his desire to create a believable world, and for this reason, it is tough to condemn him for giving many people and things two or even three names.
It recounts most of the history of Middle Earth from before its creation, up to a brief recounting of the events of The Lord of the Rings. Indeed, in many of the stories recounted, at least a shadow of biblical inspiration is hard to deny. I gained a renewed respect for the imagination of J.R.R. If you love Tolkien and are an avid reader, I recommend The Silmarillion. A very interesting book to say the least.
However, it is a very slow read at times, rather like the Old Testament books of 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles in the Bible. Perhaps my only criticism, beyond what I have already mentioned, is the confusion that can be incurred on the reader by the many and complex names of peoples, lands, locations, cities, and individuals of the various races.
Not one review talks about the quality of the unabridged cd's production or the narrator's performance reading the entire book. I need info about these unabridged CDs. Why are all these reviews about the hard copy book and not the unabridged narration on CD. If I wanted info about the book itself, I'd go to that product page.
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