Book Review 21 (2024) - 5/5 - 'The Silmarillion

I picked the special hardcover edition of The Silmarillion up on our Disney Cruise to Hobart late last year. To be honest, I wasn't aware there even was a forerunner to the timeless, 'The Lord of the Rings', but given it was the last one in the shop and Benji picked it out (knocked it off the shelf), I felt compelled to buy it.

I apologise in advance if I get my geek on as Fantasy Fiction is a rare but guilty pleasure of mine.
For those unsure what Silmarillion even are (As I was) they were three perfect jewels, fashioned by our protagonist and elf, Feanor, most gifted of his time. But the first of the Dark Lords, Morgoth, precursor to Sauron, stole these jewels and set them in his iron crown he himself fashioned. And yes, you guessed it, he held it in an impregnable fortress in an area not dissimilar to Mordor, called Angband.

The book covers 10,000 of history preceding The Lord of The Rings called The First & Second Ages. Following the arc of Joseph Campbell's classic Hero's Journey and Quest, our elven narrator Feanor and his kindred wage a war, hopeless despite all the heroism, against an ancient enemy to get back what was lost.

What I found most interesting, was the book also included several shorter works, like the esoteric Ainulindale, which is the creation mythos of Middle Earth that bears many similarities to Judeo-Christian texts. "There was Eru, The One...and he made the first of the Ainur, The Holy Ones...that were the offspring of his thought."

Like the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien first told his stories to his children at bed-time, and while he could not publish the Silmarillion in his lifetime, as it was a moveable feast, his son Christopher took up the mantle. He poured over his father's old manuscripts and notes and put together his father's great vision to publishable form, thus completing arguably the literary achievement of a generation.

The special edition is quite noteworthy as it presents anew many of Tolkien's illustrations, paintings and hand-written notes which reveal the beauty and breathtaking grandeur of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle Earth. A nice little Easter egg is a letter written by Tolkien in 1951 which provides a brilliant exposition of The Silmarillion as a whole and ealrier ages.

What I've always found fascinating is writers are always told to "write what you know", so it begs the question, how did Tolkien and other fiction writers like George R.R. Martin, Terry Pratchett et. al create these elaborate and rich worlds so different to our own?

Perhaps it's better not to know, and leave the alchemy of the written word to work it's magic.

Happy reading

CPH

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Clear and understandable pronunciation and volume

Andy Serkis delivers the content with passion, clarity, vocal projection and dexterity. He slows it down just enough that the listener can easily understand without being distracted

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Andy Serkis is the GOAT

Amazing story full to the brim with difficult names to follow. Serkis makes the listening a lot easier! Definitely recommend and LOTR fan listen to this.

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Otherworldly

Tolkien in this compendium displays his almost half a century devotion to developing a world so grandiose it takes one’s breath away. The way he and his son have developed and arranged the Silmarillion leads the reader to almost believe Tolkien possesses a knowledge of such a place and is merely reporting on what he has seen. With creatures great and small within Middle Earth, Tolkien yet provides the most subtle and seemingly irrelevant details which further pulls what would be esoteric fantasy into existence in the mind of his readers. Lastly, I cannot help but marvel at Tolkiens literary genius and restraint when deciding at times to leave origins and details within his world a mystery, birthing a voracious hunger in readers to discover evermore, the world of Ilúvatar.

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Amazing

Amazing book.
Andy Serkis is the perfect narrator.
The Silmarillion is packed with lore. Recommend reading with a map and family trees open to make it easier to follow.

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Amazing Lore

I don't know how anyone hates this, the story is immaculate. the narration is splendid.

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An expansive epic to accompany the masterpiece of The Lord of the Rings.

The Silmarillion is a collection of expansive and epic tales that both satisfies and kindles your desire for more of Tolkien’s immersive world. It provides a rich and deep history of the Elves and Men of Middle-earth, tying into The Lord of the Rings and thoroughly addressing many of your questions about the origins of its characters and places.

As with the audio releases of The Lord of the Rings, this version is read elegantly and engagingly by Andy Serkis.

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The stories within this book are unmatched…

The epic single combat duel between the High King Fingolfin and the Dark Lord was insane… Could only imagine what it would have looked/ felt like.
And the tale of Baren and Lúthien moved me unlike any other love story I’ve experienced.
Masterful.

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The Silmarillion

Omg, this was wonderful, I love it in book form but really came to life as an audible book

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About Andy Serkis’ performance reading audiobooks

Let me just say that Andy Serkis is, to me, the greatest revelation of the latter years!
I am most amazed by his performances in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and now in the Silmarillion!

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