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A review by athousandgreatbooks
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
5.0
For if joyful is the fountain that rises in the sun, its springs are in the wells of sorrow unfathomable at the foundations of the Earth.
The Silmarillion is the foundational epic of the world of The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. It tells of the creation of the world, the coming of the Elves and Men to Middle-Earth, and their falling out of favor with the Valar.
The Silmarils were three perfect jewels that contained the unsullied light of Valinor, created by the most gifted of all the Elves, Fëanor. When Morgoth (the First Dark Lord) steals the Silmarils and corrupts the hearts of Elves, Fëanor and his kin take up arms against him and his dominion over Middle-Earth.
The Silmarillion puts Tolkien’s entire world into perspective and provides the broader frame for the stories of Middle Earth. It is a creation myth of epic proportions, rising sometimes to the magnitude of true mythology.
I’m a sucker for unique writing styles, and no one does it better than Tolkien. Every sentence in the book can be taken apart and studied for its ingenuity and craft. I thought LOTR’s writing was impeccable, but Silmarillion is on a different level altogether.
Most of the tales are told in brief because of the sheer number of them that are found herein. Nevertheless, they are magnificent, profound, tragic, and awe-inspiring. Of these, three tales stand out the most which have also received their own standalone books – “Beren and Luthien”, “The Children of Hurin”, and “The Fall of Gondolin” (which I will be reading very soon, for even their brief telling rent my heart and brought me to tears).
In essence, the Silmarillion is the story of rebellion against the Gods, of exile from the Promised Land and return to the forsaken Earth, and of a hopeless yet heroic war against the Great Enemy.
The Silmarillion is the foundational epic of the world of The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. It tells of the creation of the world, the coming of the Elves and Men to Middle-Earth, and their falling out of favor with the Valar.
The Silmarils were three perfect jewels that contained the unsullied light of Valinor, created by the most gifted of all the Elves, Fëanor. When Morgoth (the First Dark Lord) steals the Silmarils and corrupts the hearts of Elves, Fëanor and his kin take up arms against him and his dominion over Middle-Earth.
The Silmarillion puts Tolkien’s entire world into perspective and provides the broader frame for the stories of Middle Earth. It is a creation myth of epic proportions, rising sometimes to the magnitude of true mythology.
I’m a sucker for unique writing styles, and no one does it better than Tolkien. Every sentence in the book can be taken apart and studied for its ingenuity and craft. I thought LOTR’s writing was impeccable, but Silmarillion is on a different level altogether.
Most of the tales are told in brief because of the sheer number of them that are found herein. Nevertheless, they are magnificent, profound, tragic, and awe-inspiring. Of these, three tales stand out the most which have also received their own standalone books – “Beren and Luthien”, “The Children of Hurin”, and “The Fall of Gondolin” (which I will be reading very soon, for even their brief telling rent my heart and brought me to tears).
In essence, the Silmarillion is the story of rebellion against the Gods, of exile from the Promised Land and return to the forsaken Earth, and of a hopeless yet heroic war against the Great Enemy.