Tolkien Fans: Anyone for "The Silmarillion"?

[DivinBreuvage]

The Lord of the Rings is a richer and more polished work, certainly, but there are many things I love about The Silmarillion. It has a tragic, elemental quality like some ancient epic or chanson de geste that greatly appeals to me, and it is much darker than LotR.

A couple of personal favorites: The story of Beren and Luthien (including the lay on the fall of Finrod Felagund), and the wreck of Numenor. My second reading of The Silmarillion (I never get much from first readings, I'm ashamed to say) happened to come at a time when I was away from home and terribly homesick, and the pathos and sorrow that runs throughout the book made a very powerful impression. For several nights, I remember, as I lay in bed waiting to fall asleep I could not get the thought of Ar-Pharazon out of my head.

[Selwynn]

1. I've always wanted to know about the beginning/formation of m. earth

[DivinBreuvage]

2. Then you will want to read it. Tolkien offers a genuine creation myth

but of more interest to me are the stories of the deeds of the elves in their long struggle with the dark lord Melkor, "of whom Sauron or Mordor was merely the servant". He also expands upon many of the things briefly touched on in LotR, such as the origin or Orcs, Balrogs, and giant spiders, and the story of the king who first wielded the sword Glamdring, which Gandalf found in the troll-hoard.

[LWolf]

3. It's been awhile,

like 10 or 15 years, since I read it, but it is still occupying it's place on the shelf. I appreciated it because it helped give background to the people and events in LOTR. It helped me understand some of the interactions. I was astounded at the amount of time, thought, and effort Tolkien had put into it.

[DivinBreuvage]

4. Yes, I wonder if anyone has ever tried to estimate

how many hours he spent not just writing his books but thinking out the historical and cultural background, inventing the languages, and so on. The number has got to be huge.

Apparently he left reams of unfinished stories and notes (in fact I think The Silmarillion was left unfinished, or at least not in final draft state, at his death). His son Christopher has managed to eke out at least a couple of books from these papers, and some of the stories in them are fairly substantial. There is lots of in-depth material that never made it into LotR or The Silmarillion.

[Kellanved]

5. the writing is not as good

(some might even say worse) . I like to advise people to read the lost tales in addition to the silmarillion, as the tales are IMHO far better in style, if not as consistent.

[NashVegas]

6. Well, It's Dryer

And much less thoroughly spun than the novels. It's more like reading a history textbook.