The Silmarillion, my favorite JRR Tolkien
- Nov 9, 2017
- 1 min read
I just reviewed a few books for Goodreads and decided to share one of them here:
I read J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion after Lord of the Rings, and liked it even more. It added such glorious context and scope to the elves' struggles over thousands of years. It gave me a greater appreciation and love for the LOTR characters — as well as an amazing work in its own right, of course.
The only part I didn't love—at all!—was the intro section on the creation of the world, which seems to put so many people off. (And it is nothing like the rest of the book.) If that bothers you at all, either skim or skip past it and return to it later, once you're hooked, which you will be if you liked Tolkien's other work.
Totally agree—The Silmarillion really expands the depth of the world in a way that makes The Lord of the Rings feel even richer. That opening creation section (the Ainulindalë) can definitely be a hurdle, but once you get into the stories of the elves and the First Age, it becomes incredibly rewarding. When I take a break from heavier reads like this, I sometimes switch to something simple like Slope Rider—it’s a quick way to reset before diving back in.
If you loved LOTR and unsure about tackling The Silmarillion — this post is a reassuring guide. It reminds us that Space Waves Game sometimes the “hardest part” (intro, backstory) is just part of the journey, not a reason to stop.