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The Silmarillion

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Editorial Review:

A number-one New York Times bestseller when it was originally published, THE SILMARILLION is the core of J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginative writing, a work whose origins stretch back to a time long before THE HOBBIT.
Tolkien considered THE SILMARILLION his most important work, and, though it was published last and posthumously, this great collection of tales and legends clearly sets the stage for all his other writing. The story of the creation of the world and of the the First Age, this is the ancient drama to which the characters in THE LORD OF THE RINGS look back and in whose events some of them, such as Elrond and Galadriel, took part. The three Silmarils were jewels created by Feanor, most gifted of the Elves. Within them was imprisoned the Light of the Two Trees of Valinor before the Trees themselves were destroyed by Morgoth, the first Dark Lord. Thereafter, the unsullied Light of Valinor lived on only in the Silmarils, but they were seized by Morgoth and set in his crown, which was 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 kindred against the gods, their exile from Valinor and return to Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all their heroism, against the great Enemy.
This second edition features a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien describing his intentions for the book, which serves as a brilliant exposition of his conception of the earlier Ages of Middle-earth.

The Silmarillion is J.R.R. Tolkien's tragic, operatic history of the First Age of Middle-Earth, essential background material for serious readers of the classic Lord of the Rings saga. Tolkien's work sets the standard for fantasy, and this audio version of the "Bible of Middle-Earth" does The Silmarillion justice. Martin Shaw's reading is grave and resonant, conveying all the powerful events and emotions that shaped elven and human history long before Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf and all the rest embarked on their quests. Beginning with the Music of the Ainur, The Silmarillion tells a tale of the Elder Days, when Elves and Men became estranged by the Dark Lord Morgoth's lust for the Silmarils, pure and powerful magic jewels. Even the love between a human warrior and the daughter of the Elven king cannot defeat Morgoth, but the War of Wrath finally brings down the Dark Lord. Peace reigns until the evil Sauron recovers the Rings of Power and sets the stage for the events told in the Lord of the Rings. This is epic fantasy at its finest, thrillingly read and gloriously unabridged. (Running time: 14 hours, 6 CDs)

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

• Akallebeth=Atalante=ATLANTIS!
  I purchased the paperback because they were out of hardcovers. The hardcover appears to have pictures. I have not yet read the Hobbit or the LORs. I intend to read them as well. I do own the extended DVD version of the LOR. I was told by many who have read the Hobbit and the LOR to NOT waste my time or rack my brain trying to read the Silmarillion. I tend to agree with them: however, for different reasons. Let me start by saying that this piece of literary work is simply a JRR Tolkien Masterpiece. It is... more info

• The Silmarils Now Have a Voice
  This complete and unabridged performance of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion by Martin Shaw is as much of a delight to the ears as were the lights of the Silmarils to the eyes of all who are fortunate enough to have beheld them. The eloquent prequel to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, created by J. R. R. Tolkien and edited by his son Christopher, comes alive as you listen to Shaw. Each character's voice and personality comes through, names I found difficult to read flow smoothly rather than... more info

• Lay of the Silmarillion
  The Simarillion--what can I say?
  One of the greatest books in every way.
  In language, in tone, in subject matter,
  Most other literature compared just shatter.
  A history of woe, mixed with hope.
  Someday Middle-Earth shall stop its downward slope.
  The Elves will stop fighting for the Silmarils--
  Those mighty jewels with which legend overfills--
  Which through the ages have driven elves to kill,
  Hatred in their hearts to fill,
  Drove them to... more info

• Maybe it was, just, me, but I found the book to be unreadable
  I had read the Hobbit and the trilogy of the rings and thought the The Silmarillion would be a worthwhile read. However, I found the book to be unreadable. I am not certain what the author had done differently, but I could not get past the first 40 pages and those pages required serious work to read. It looked as if the author had some very good ideas but he had put it in a manner that was difficult to understand.
  Perhaps you will do better than I did. However, this was one of only a few books that I... more info

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