Read the Silmarillion

Just finished a week ago. I definitely recommend the book to any Tolkein fan. I’m reading the trilogy again now.

Having read through most of the book at this point, I have a couple of thoughts. First, I think that the book is incredible. I can’t think of anything that compares to it, except for the Illiad, the Bible, and the other ancient/religious epics out there (many of which are the product of more than one author). I thought that Toklien was pretty amazing after reading the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but the imaginings of those books only touch the surface of what he thought up with The Silmarillion. Second, I don’t think that this book is for everyone. I started reading The Silmarillion with the expectation that it would be a difficult read. I’ve been jotting down notes on each page, in anticipation that I may need to backtrack and revisit certain plot points (which I’ve had to do several times). But the book isn’t all that difficult. It reads well, and doesn’t require a companion book or anything like that. You can actually read The Silmarillion fairly quickly. Basically, this book is not nearly as difficult as something like Ulysses or Gravity’s Rainbow. However, in comparison to a book like the Da Vinci Code or a John Grisham novel, one can expect to put in a bit more work. Overall, for anyone who is a fan of Tolkien, and likes epic, challenging reads, The Silmarillion is well worth the effort. I’m looking forward to reading the trilogy again with new eyes.

I’m off to a good start on this one. Read through the first 50 pages yesterday but, unfortunately, fell asleep today. So far, I think it is an amazing book that is really enhancing the trilogy for me. Will see how it goes from here.