The Silmarillion

This is a guest review from Deron O:

The Silmarillion is J.R.R Tolkien’s mythopoeic masterwork in five parts that begins with the creation of the universe and concludes with downfall of Sauron. The tales told are epic, spanning thousands of years. One typically comes to this book by way of their love for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. For those with a fanatical love, I highly recommend The Silmarillion as it provides a framework for understanding the events that take place in those other works and thereby enriches one’s experience upon rereading them.

It goes without saying that it is not as accessible to readers as Tolkien’s earlier published books. I’ve unsuccessfully tried reading The Silmarillion at least twice, and rather than review a book that has been reviewed extensively by others, I’d rather explain how I finally read The Silmarillion successfully, hoping my experience will help you

The sheer number of names and genealogical exposition frequently introduced on each page is daunting. Because they are based on Tolkien’s invented languages, the names are unfamiliar and their pronunciation guesswork, making them hard to remember. Specific people and places often have multiple names in the same or different languages that may change over time. Additionally, many characters have similar names, especially if they are familial. All this makes following Tolkien’s tale difficult. (These are similar challenges I’ve encountered when reading Russian literature, like Dostoyevsky.)

Immediately look up names that you’ve forgotten rather than vainly hoping the context will eventually become clear. You can quickly lose track of who is who in the story. While there is a name index in the back of the book, I found the sentence or two devoted to a name was insufficient and many times required cross-referencing to other names. Though this may seem obvious, use the internet rather than the book index as the descriptions are more in depth and you can quickly follow links to additional information.

The prose of The Silmarillion is difficult and somewhat archaic. For example, The Hobbit begins simply, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”, while The Silmarillion begins, “There was Eru, The One, who in Arda is called Illúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made.” Have your eyes glazed over already?

Take time with this book. Savor it. Tolkien delivers a lot of information in each sentence. Reread those you don’t understand. If you don’t, as with forgotten names, you’ll lose track of the story and become discouraged from reading further. Despite your best efforts, the amount of information may still overwhelm you. For that, an indispensable internet resource that I recommend is Professor Corey Olsen’s Silmarillion Seminar. Each lecture discusses a chapter, cementing the plot and themes in your head. You’ll also learn how to pronounce the names (they often sound beautiful) and how Tolkien developed his mythology. These lectures singularly convinced me that I could read and even enjoy a book that I once took as unapproachable.

I sometimes jokingly think that one doesn’t read The Silmarillion, one studies it. Reading it, really reading it, takes an effort, but an effort well rewarded in itself and because it will enhance your love many times over for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

Comment:

My father's copy of The Hobbit was the first book I ever read. I can't remember what caused me to read the book. Did my father recommend it to me or was I spurred on to read it after seeing the Rankin/Bass animated classic of The Hobbit? I have the worst memory. I'm fairly sure that I've made up most of my life in my mind.