I know that most people either gasp and hyper-ventilate, run in fear and agony or jump for joy at the thought of reading Tolkien's The Silmarillion. I know that most people have some very distinct opinions and thoughts on the book, as well as it's interpretation and importance in relation to the rest of his writings. I, on the other hand, don't fall into any of those categories of people. I just fall into the general category of Tolkien Lovers who read for the pure pleasure of his stories and characters. And that didn't change when I tackled and conquered The Silmarillion.
I had tried multiple times before to get through The Silmarillion. However, this was the first time that I was actually able to finish it and follow it for that matter. As with everything I've read about and from Tolkien, I was amazed at his creativity, style, imagination and capability to transport his readers to a whole other world. The various dimensions and the levels of story that he incorporated can only be described as pure genius.
At times it was hard for me to get through the book because of the many, many elvish names and places, I enjoyed getting the back story of Middle Earth. It was like reading a history book for one of my favorite places. And it seemed like the last pieces of the puzzle of Middle Earth were uncovered and put into place. It was great. Just sayin'.
One of my favorite parts about the entire story was the history of Galadriel and Elrond, as well as the wizards included in "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age." Since I have read The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings trilogy numerous times, having those histories and back-stories makes everything make so much more sense. Not to mention, the story of Eärendil and the Silmaril that appeared like a star to those who saw him in the sky. It made me understand better what Elrond would talk about in The Lord of the Rings about the light of Eärendil.
While it may not be on my Top Ten favorite list or even on my to re-read list, The Silmarillion was incredibly good and definitely worth the time that it took for me to get through it. I am amazed, as always, at Tolkien's writing and can't help but wonder just how he came up with all of his stories, languages, characters and lands. But however he did it, I'm glad he did because he has blessed the world with some amazing books. The Silmarillion included.
I had tried multiple times before to get through The Silmarillion. However, this was the first time that I was actually able to finish it and follow it for that matter. As with everything I've read about and from Tolkien, I was amazed at his creativity, style, imagination and capability to transport his readers to a whole other world. The various dimensions and the levels of story that he incorporated can only be described as pure genius.
At times it was hard for me to get through the book because of the many, many elvish names and places, I enjoyed getting the back story of Middle Earth. It was like reading a history book for one of my favorite places. And it seemed like the last pieces of the puzzle of Middle Earth were uncovered and put into place. It was great. Just sayin'.
One of my favorite parts about the entire story was the history of Galadriel and Elrond, as well as the wizards included in "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age." Since I have read The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings trilogy numerous times, having those histories and back-stories makes everything make so much more sense. Not to mention, the story of Eärendil and the Silmaril that appeared like a star to those who saw him in the sky. It made me understand better what Elrond would talk about in The Lord of the Rings about the light of Eärendil.
While it may not be on my Top Ten favorite list or even on my to re-read list, The Silmarillion was incredibly good and definitely worth the time that it took for me to get through it. I am amazed, as always, at Tolkien's writing and can't help but wonder just how he came up with all of his stories, languages, characters and lands. But however he did it, I'm glad he did because he has blessed the world with some amazing books. The Silmarillion included.
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