The Best Edition of The Silmarillion Yet Published in the U.S.

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	• The Silmarillion J.R.R. Tolkien Houghton Mifflin, 2004 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 63 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The Best Edition of The Silmarillion Yet Published in the U.S.

Since I think most readers considering this edition of The Silmarillion are familiar with the book's contents, I am reviewing here the binding, paper, print, et cetera. If you have not read The Silmarillion, and/or have doubts about whether you'll like it enough to invest in a nice hardcover edition, then you probably should start with a paperback copy (with the up-to-date text).

This is certainly the best edition of The Silmarillion so far published in the United States. In the UK, HarperCollins published a 30th anniversary edition in 2007, and a leather/india paper edition in 2001, both of which are marginally higher quality than this one, but both are very difficult to find in the US, and cost three to five times what Amazon charges for this edition. Easton Press also has an edition of The Silmarillion, in full leather with hubbed spine and gilt edges no less, but it is only available as part of a five volume set including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, at a price of nearly $300. The details:

*The cloth binding is rugged and attractive, coated with a semi-glossy protectant so that it resembles leather somewhat, but without the texture of leather or leatherette. It is a very sturdy sewn signature binding which will survive multiple readings easily, which is particularly appropriate to The Silmarillion, since most of all of Tolkien's major works readers tend to re-read sections over and over, and use the book somewhat like a reference book. The spine is foil stamped in gold, and the stamping is sharp and good looking.

*The paper stock is the same as was used in the 1992 hardcover box set of Lord of the Rings illustrated by Alan Lee (the book's dimensions are the same also). This paper is coated and slightly glossy, and takes ink very well. It also resists permanent staining or marking (dirty fingerprints or other stains easily wipe off with a damp paper towel). The printing itself is dark, clear, and consistent. In the year I've owned this book, even in the humid climate I live in, I have found absolutely NO transference of ink, either from text or the color plates. Given the glossy stock, this is an indicator of very high quality production. The fold out map of Beleriand (and part of Middle-earth) is glued inside the back cover, and is a lovely full color glossy representation, much less prone to tearing than many other maps bound into Tolkien titles.

*As for the Ted Nasmith illustrations, they are quite different in style from Alan Lee (and Nasmith's work's here in oil paint, where Lee's LOTR and Hobbit work has been mostly watercolor or tempera), but beautifully evocative, lush in color, and more "modern" and realistic than Lee's. Like the 1992 (re-issued 2002) boxed-set of LOTR, the illustrations are printed on the obverse (right hand) of the page, and the text continues on the reverse (left hand), so there are no blank page sides, which I think is more attractive. The illustrations are lovely and well complement the text. A few of these plates are new to this edition, and do not appear in the 2001 hardcover of The Silmarillion (ISBN 0618135049; jacket image of elves awaking at Cuivienen). This edition is a larger format than that book, and thus are the illustrations.

Lastly, this edition contains a new (1999) preface by Christopher Tolkien, and the famous 1951 Milton Waldman letter in which Tolkien presents one of the most comprehensive and coherent descriptions and explanations he ever made of his conception of his legendarium. The text is technically "2nd edition, revised," and thus contains a few corrections not in earlier second edition printings. I highly recommend this edition of The Silmarillion for anyone seeking a copy that is both a beautiful addition to one's library, and one which will stand up to years of reading. It is uncommon to find both qualities in one book.

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Great Book!!!

After recently converting to the Catholic Church and knowing that J.R.R. Tolkien was a very respected Catholic. I wanted to read some of his works. I have watched all three Lord of The Rings movies and absolutely loved them. I read the Hobbit years ago and thought it was a wonderful book as well, so I decided that I would purchase the Silmarillion, The Children of Hurin, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and read them all.
After reading some of the reviews regarding the Silmarillion and noticing that alot of people were complaining that it was either boring, or difficult to read. I hesitated and almost didn't purchase it. What a mistake that would have been! I loved the book and didn't want to put it down. It is truly a page turner and even if your new to reading Tolkien like I am, you will still love it.
I have read the Holy Bible many times and unlike what some of the reviews said, this book "does not" read like the Old Testament. I just finished reading the Ilyad and the Odyssy by Homer and I found them to be alot more difficult to read then this book.
Overall I would recommend that you don't take some of the negative reviews to heart and just purchase the book. I think you will be happy you did.

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The best publishing of The Silmariliion I've ever seen

The best printed revision of The Silmarillion. It is very hardly can be puchased in Russia, only within Amazon or other internet shops. Otherwise, this edtion is the best quality book "The Silmarillion" I've even taken - other originals versions and translations had less quality of printing and illustrations. The best choice to buy Silmarillion.

A fascinating, rich history of Middle-earth

For those who have read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and want more information and backstory from the earlier Ages of Middle-earth, this is where to look.

Tolkien's first foray into Middle-earth was actually one of the stories in The Silmarillion, which he began during his service in World War I. Later, after completing both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, he went back and added in more and more history for the world he'd created - too much, in fact, to finish. The Silmarillion was first published in 1977, 4 years after Tolkien's death, and even then it did not include all that he hoped to write about his world. Fortunately, some of his most beautiful and tragic tales are contained in it, including:
-The creation of Middle-earth by Illuvatar and the fall of Melkor
-Tales of the Vala and the Firstborn (Elves)
-The Tale of Beren and Luthien, the love story to end all love stories
-The Children of Hurin, the dark and tragic tale of Turin Turumbar and his sister Nienor Niniel
-The fall of Numenor

It's also worth buying this particular edition, especially if you're a Tolkien enthusiast, because Ted Nasmith's gorgeous paintings pop off the page and bring the story to life. What more could you ask for?

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the greatest book I have ever read

The sheer scope of this book is staggering. The writing of this book is a feat unmatched in the known history of the world that any one man could create an entire mythology over his lifetime and mostly in secret! I was one of the few people who read The Silmarillion before reading either The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. As such, I was blown away, even more so than when I read the latter books, by how grand this story is. It is a dark and somber tale that doesn't revel in trite victories against the forces of darkness like Lord of the Rings. Rather, it is a tragic tale of endurance in the face of unyielding evil. The Silmarillion is much longer and challenging to read than The Lord of the Rings. However, for those who persevere throughout the many thousands of characters and lengthy history of Middle Earth, a jewel of a book is to be found. I would recommend The Silmarillion for all true J.R.R. Tolkien fans and fans of mythology as well. Some fifteen years have passed since I first read The Silmmarillion, but time has not stopped it from being my favorite book.

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

The tales of The Silmarillion were the underlying inspiration and source of J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginative writing; he worked on the book throughout his life but never brought it to a final form. Long preceding in its origins The Lord of the Rings, it is the story of the First Age of Tolkien's world, the ancient drama to which characters in The Lord of the RIngs look back and in which some of them, such as Elrond and Galadriel, took part.

The title Silmarillion is shortened from Quenta Silmarillion, "The History of the Silmarils," the three great jewels created by Feanor, most gifted of the Elves, in which he imprisoned the light of the Two Trees that illumined Valinor, the land of the gods. When Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, destroyed the Trees, that light lived on only in the Silmarils; Morgoth seized them and set them in his crown, guarded in the impenetrable fortress of Angband in the north of Middle-earth. The Silmarillion is the history of the rebellion of Feanor and his people against the gods, their exile in Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all the heroisim of Elves and Men, against the great Enemy.

The book includes several other, shorter works beside The Silmarillion proper. Preceding it are "Ainulindale," the myth of Creation, and "Valaquenta," in which the nature and powers of each of the gods is set forth. After The Silmarillion is "Akallabeth," the story of the downfall of the great island kingdom of Numenor at the end of the Second Age; completing the volume is "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," in which the events of The Lord of the Rings are treated in the manner of The Silmarillion.

This new edition of The Silmarillion contains the revised and corrected
"second edition" text and, by way of introduction, a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1951, which provides a brilliant exposition of his conception of the earlier Ages. It also contains almost fifty full-color illustrations by the artist Ted Nasmith, many of which appear for the first time.

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