A must have edition of Silmarillion for any Tolkien fan

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	• The Silmarillion J.R.R. Tolkien Houghton Mifflin, 2004 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 65 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

His masterwork

It took me most of my life to really appreciate Tolkien's work (I'm slow I guess). And I have really come love and cherish LOTR. I know of nothing that comes even close to it in so many ways... except for the Silmarillion.

The scope and vision of the Silmarillion is so gigantic that if it had not ended before the events described in LOTR, but had included them in a form similar to the rest of the book, as (Middle-)Earth-shaking as they were, they probably would have been covered in a few pages... a chapter at most. Events of the scope and magnitude of LOTR occur over and over in the Silmarillion. It does not cover them all with the detail of LOTR, but the stories are profound and rich and moving. The Silmarillion must have been largely complete in Tolkien's mind when he wrote LOTR because the events of the Silmarillion during ages and centuries before LOTR profoundly (and consistently) influence not only the character and values of most of the characters, but almost every word and action they take. It is as though LOTR was a single delicious fruit and the Silmarillion was the fruit-laden tree which bore it.

Taking on the Silmarillion is a commitment. But for those who found LOTR worthwhile, I think they will find the Silmarillion at least equally worthwhile.

I agree with others who warn readers against starting with the Silmarillion even though it comes first chronologically.

It probably is best to start with the Hobbit, even though it was written with different voice and aimed at a different audience than the other works. Context-wise, it probably is the best place to start.

It is probably best to read LOTR next and the Silmarillion last... but having read the Silmarillion, you'll probably want to go back and read LOTR again, equipped with the enriched perspective you will have...

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A must have edition of Silmarillion for any Tolkien fan

This review is regarding the 2004 Ted Nasmith illustrated edition of 'The Silmarillion'. I got my copy of this masterpiece finally yesterday, after a month-long agonising wait. Since this edition will, in all probabilities, be bought only by avid fans who already own a less expensive edition of 'Silmarillion', I will restrict my review to my impressions of this edition, and not the story. (Anyways, as far as the story is concerned, I can say with confidence that, so far, no other book had so much of influence upon me than the 'Silmarillion'. 'LoTR' simply pales in comparison to this in my eyes.)

Among the renowned Tolkien artists, I rate Ted Nasmith's illustrations of Silmarillion as probably the best. John Howe and Alan Lee may have an edge in "LoTR" and "Hobbit", but they cannot beat Nasmith in "Silmarillion". His portrayal of characters might leave much to be desired, but his depictions of landscapes are too beautiful. And this new 2004 edition has over 45 of his renowned paintings. The book is a bit heavy and seems very much durable. The papers are of the glossy type that might give a little trouble in certain lighting conditions, but is otherwise quite elegant. Thus, in all ways, this book is the counterpart of the 3 volume Alan Lee illustrated box set edition of "LoTR" which, incidently, I happened to receive together with this. I think I can treasure this gem for the rest of my life.

But I have got a complaint with this edition as well. I sorely missed two of Ted Nasmith's most beautiful artworks. One is the picture of Luthien clad in a blue dress dancing in the forests of Neldoreth. Whenever I think of Silmarillion, the picture that first flash through my mind is this. I was once quite shocked (a pleasant shock, really) to see it as the title picture of a music program in a local Malayalam language TV channel in India. (Maybe the producers had no clue as to whose picture it was. They may have used it as they found it to be quite beautiful.) Instead of this, the book has another picture of dancing Luthien that does not quite measure up to the one mentioned above. Another picture I missed was that of Tuor looking upon Gondolin across the fields of Tumladen. These were pictures that captured my imagination when I saw them on a website before I knew anything about Silmarillion.

I do not know why the publishers omitted these. These were some of Ted Nasmith's best. Maybe they did not blend with the tone of the rest of Nasmith's paintings in the book. But if that was the case, they could have at least used these as the front and back cover for this edition. (They would have made a damn good cover better than the current one.) Moreover, the existing cover paintings are redundant as they are included inside the book as well.

Other than this, the 2004 Ted Nasmith illustrated edition of "The Silmarillion" is a must-have in any Tolkien fan's library.

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Of the Beginning of Days

The Silmarillion is the spellbinding compilation of JRR Tolkien's tales of the Elder Days of Middle Earth, the History of the Elves, and the Shapping of Arda. Edited by Christopher Tolkien, the Silmarillion includes such wonderful tales as The Children of Hurin, the heart wrenching story of Beren and Luthien, and the Fall of Gondolin. For fans of any of Tolien's other writings, such as The Hobbit, or The Lord of The Rings, the Silmarillion is a must read. In it's pages we find the ancient tales of the Elves, telling of the shipping of the World, the origins of the Elves, Men, and Dwarves, and many tales from the ancient struggle between the Elves and Morgoth.

RD Williams, author of 'The Lost Gate'

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For Tolkien Purists Only, A Godsend

This was the first of Tolkien's works published posthumously by his son, Chris. For fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion gives the reader a sense of the time, effort, and dedication J.R.R. Tolkien spent on the creation of Middle Earth. Most of the stories fully (or mostly) told here are, in some form, referred to in his previously published works--but the history of the elves, as presented in this format, now comes across with almost biblical grandeur and tone.

Be advised, if you are new to Tolkien, this is not--repeat, NOT--the place to start. The language is archaic throughout, and the veritable sea of names is a lot for the uninitiated to digest. And this work, unlike those published in his lifetime, does drag at times. Having said that, the bad guys of the ancient world--Morgoth and Ungoliant, to name the most prominent--register with a level of dread that make Sauron and Shelob read like Bambi and Thumper. And the horoes--most notably Feanor and Earendil--lend new definition to the terms "hero" and "tragedy".

I cannot help but think, though, that if Tolkien had wanted this backstory material for The Lord of the Rings published, he probably would have done so himself ...

(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire fantasy, "Teeth.")

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This Edition Does Justice To The Story

First, I am not an accomplished reader. You should know that I labor just to read my computer magazines by the time the next one arrives. I hope you can appreciate that I even made it through the Silmarillion!

Now, to the book: don't hesitate to buy this edition of The Silmarillion. It is nicely bound in a subdued blue cloth cover. There are no fancy gilded decals or edges. Don't let the simple cover fool you - inside are the finest illustrations of Tolkien's incredible history of the land of the Elves and of Middle Earth in the early days.

The paper is high quality, glossy and with a clear typeface. This is not one of those cheap knock-off editions by unauthorized printing houses. You're getting what you pay for in this edition. Buy with confidence!

If you don't know about the premier artists of Tolkien's works, there are three that immediately come to mind: Alan Lee, John Howe and Ted Nasmith. Lee and Howe are reknowned for their artwork in the Third Age - the days of Tolkien's LoTR and The Hobbit. Ted Nasmith brings the early first and second ages of middle earth to life. His artistry is masterful. I especially enjoy his scenery paintings. He helps bring the world of the elves to life for me.

This is a beautiful edition of The Silmarillion, almost too nice to crack open and read. For me it will remain part of my "nice book" collection - I have cheap paperbacks for reading!

As for the story of The Silmarillion, this is not lightweight reading. If you enjoy Deuteronomy or physics journals, you'll breeze right through this book! I tried unsuccessfully three times to read The Silmarillion. Ugh! All the names, places and events. Too much for my simple mind. What's worse, Tolkien isn't content to just name his characters once, he likes to use their names in other languages, as well. I think he did that to keep his works in the hands of really literate people. But, I fooled him!

I bought a copy on eBay of The Silmarillion on CDs by Martin Shaw. It is a ver batim version so I could just follow along in the book; sort of my version of "letting my fingers do the walking." It worked wonderfully and opened up Tolkien's incredible world to me.

Before tackling The Silmarillion, if you have seen the movies, read The Hobbit. It's light and breezy and even I got through it without any difficulty. Then, either read Lord of The Rings (LoTR) or watch the movies again before diving into The Silmarillion. Pay particular notice to the historical glimpses such as Isildur and Elrond in Mount Doom and to the looks of all the elves. Try to guess their ages.

Now, crack open your new edition of The Silmarillion and watch the heroic and tragic story of the elves come alive. You'll find out why Frodo's and Sam's little vials of light worked like they did, and you'll hear the story behind Shelob, the spider. You'll be astounded to know that Sauron, the evil one, was a mere shadow of the real true Evil One. His name was Morgoth. Well, that's one of his names. Melkor is another.

I promise you, buy this book and you'll have a classy addition to your library. Read this book and you'll never see LoTR the same again. And if you think elves are little cartoon characters who work for Keebler making cookies, you're in for the surprise of your life! They make humans seem so small and fallible.

I was truly sorry to see The Days of The Elves come to an end. Look in the night sky - Elendil lives! You're in for a great experience. Enjoy the adventure...

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reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

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