Lord of the Rings: Silmarilion?

Question

What is the silmarilion about? Is it a good book? Can I read before I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy?

Answer 1

The Silmarillion is the history of the Lord of the Rings universe... I've heard it referred to as "the Bible of middle earth," describing when men first inhabited Middle Earth, the lineage of certain bloodlines... it isn't so much a book with an overall arching plot as it is a resource for the history of Middle Earth, with some smaller plot lines scattered within.

I'd personally suggest reading Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit first, as those have definite stories and book-long plots, unlike The Silmarillion

Answer 2

It's a collection of stories compiled by Tolkien's son after his death. I heard that it's pretty intense and (dare I say it) dry. It deals with the mythology of LOTR... such as the awakening of the Elves. According to Wikipedia:

The Silmarillion comprises five parts:

1. Ainulindalë ("The Music of the Ainur") – the creation of Eä, the world
2. Valaquenta ("Account of the Valar") – a description of the Valar and Maiar, the supernatural powers in Eä
3. Quenta Silmarillion ("The History of the Silmarils") - the history of the events before and during the First Age, which forms the bulk of the collection
4. Akallab̻th ("The Downfall of N̼menor") Рthe history of the Downfall of N̼menor and its people, which takes place in the Second Age
5. Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age – a brief account of the circumstances which led to and were presented in The Lord of the Rings

Answer 3

The Silmarilion is a compilation of notes written by JRR Tolkien. The notes were mostly a history of pre Middle Earth characters. After Tolkien's death his son, Christopher gathered the notes and published them as a guide to middle earth. The Silmarilion is more of a bunch of historical facts for Tolkiens fantasy books, than a story. The details are interesting, but very dry reading at best. Although it does clarify many of the references given in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings.
There are also two more books by Tolkien, The Smith of Wooton Major, and a book about Tom Bombadil.

Answer 4

The Silmarillion is about pre middle earth. It is a tough read, very dry, alot of lineages. The trilogy has everything, drama, details, different languages, romance, monsters and a king who wins at the end, and of course the friendship of Frodo and Sam.
Once you are hooked on the trilogy you may be interested in the Silarillion to read more than the first chapter. It is pretty boring, and then...you will pick up the trilogy and read that again and
be totally entertained. Again.

Answer 5

Silmarilion is the history before LOTR. I have tried to read it a couple of times, but didn't have the time to devote to it and really get into it like I did with LOTR. It is not necessary to read Silmarilion or the Hobbit before you read LOTR although they will give you some background information for LOTR. Actually LOTR is not a trilogy. It was written as one book, but the first publisher broke it up. As you read you will notice no break between the three (except for a title page if you get the combined volume). Enjoy!! It is one of the few books that I have enjoyed over and over....I always find something new each time I pick it up.

Answer 6

There's a whole set of tales that Tolkien wrote throughout his life, set in Middle Earth thousands of years before Lord of the Rings. The Silmarillion is a collection of those tales. They describe an extended battle between Morgoth and the Elves and Men of Middle-Earth. Other related tales can be found in Unfinished Tales and (for the stout of heart) the 12-volume History of Middle Earth.

These tales are enjoyable, but they are written in a very different style from The Lord of the Rings, and are more difficult to get into. They don't really have any direct connections to the plot or characters of Rings, either, so you don't have to read them in order to "finish the story".

I would suggest borrowing the Silmarillion from a library, reading the first couple of chapters, and judging for yourself. If you are interested enough to persevere, I'd encourage you to do so. Otherwise, you can set it aside, and enjoy Lord of the Rings as a stand-alone work.

Answer 7

Ahh the Silmarilion. Not for the faint of heart. Only for a hard core Lord of the Rings fan. I personally never got through it and I absolutely love Lord of the Rings. It gives a lot of history of middle earth and where Sauron came from and where Beren came from, etc. It is an extremely dry book though and very difficult to stay interested in. It kind of reminds me of some parts of the old testament in the bible, like the "begat" section or when it describes the ark of the covenant: a bunch of boring details that no one really needs to know, but its there in case you are really interested and wanted to study it. You can read it if you are really interested, but it is not necessary to understand the trilogy.

Answer 8

Silmarillion is much like a Bible (do not get me wrong). It contains how the world was created.... How the world came to be... How the mightiest of the Valar betray his order.... Much like that. Yes you can read it before you read the trilogy and u will probably know more and understand the trilogy if u read this book......

Answer 9

The Silmarillion is "the Bible" of Middle Earth. It describes Middle Earth's creation and how it people came into being. It has stories of heroes and wars and towards the end, how the One Ring was created. Facinating read, sort of dry in places though. LOTS of names and characters and events to keep up with. It is not necessary to read it before Lord of the Rings but it would not hurt.

Answer 10

I would definitely start with the Hobbit, and then read the trilogy, before you attempt the Silmarillion. Tolkein's writing style can be difficult sometimes and to me this progression is the easiest one. Get to know the world through the narratives before you attempt the history!