It's a pity that this book is so much "underground"...

[Peter_20]

I dunno how to describe this more accurately, but in this case "underground" means "unknown".
Most people seem to associate Tolkien with Rings of Power and stuff, and they seem to think of Gandalf as a cool wizard running around; they usually don't know that he's also known as Olórin, and came from over the sea with four other wizards: Curumo, Aiwendil, Morinehtar and Rómestámo.
However, I very rarely meet someone who actually knows of people like Fëanor, Fingolfin, Thingol, Túrin and all the other strong characters.
They all seem so... natural, somehow.
I find it really frustrating that the events in The Silmarillion are so unknown; the great battles of Beleriand, the story of the Sun and Moon, and the fall of Gondolin have got to be some of the most fantastic stories ever written - and then almost nobody knows about them!
I've tried to describe parts of the book to people, but either they find it too hard to understand, or else they find it interesting but can't stand the hard-to-read book instead.
And you can't just make a movie about it either, because this movie would go on for at least 30 hours, at least if you include everything in the book.

I always thought of LOTR as a very small part of Tolkien's full story, a part that was easy enough to be accepted mainstream as well.
Not everybody can appreciate stories of how the world was created through music, or how the Sun and Moon were created from a fruit and a flower: you either find them adorable or weird.

[trolls' bane]

Originally Posted by Peter_20

I dunno how to describe this more accurately, but in this case "underground" means "unknown".
Most people seem to accosiate Tolkien with Rings of Power and stuff, and they seem to think of Gandalf as a cool wizard running around; they usually don't know that he's also known as Olórin, and came from over the sea with four other wizards: Curumo, Aiwendil, Morinehtar and Rómestámo.
However, I very rarely meet someone who actually knows of people like Fëanor, Fingolfin, Thingol, Túrin and all the other strong characters.
They all seem so... natural, somehow.
I find it really frustrating that the events in The Silmarillion are so unknown; the great battles of Beleriand, the story of the Sun and Moon, and the fall of Gondolin have got to some of the most fantastic stories ever written - and then almost nobody knows about them!
I've tried to describe parts of the book to people, but either they find it too hard to understand, or else they find it intersting but can't stand the hard-to-read book instead.
And you can't just make a movie about it either, because this movie would go on for at least 30 hours, at least if you include everything in the book.

I always thought of LOTR as a very small part of Tolkien's full story, a part that was easy enough to be accepted mainstream as well.
Not everybody can appreciate stories of how the world was created through music, or how the Sun and Moon were created from a fruit and a flower: you either find them adorable or weird.

I tend to agree.

And you are right: Tolkien originally meant the Silmarillion to be his main work.

[katya]

I get a kick out of being into things that not that many people are. When things get popular it kind of ruins it. Like Pokemon. While the Sil is great and all (my personal favourite by far), I think it's just not for everybody. I like it that way. And if we want to talk about how wonderful it is there's always Entmoot.

[Peter_20]

Originally Posted by katya

I get a kick out of being into things that not that many people are. When things get popular it kind of ruins it. Like Pokemon. While the Sil is great and all (my personal favourite by far), I think it's just not for everybody. I like it that way. And if we want to talk about how wonderful it is there's always Entmoot.

I don't really wish The Silmarillion to become mainstream either, but I do want more people to discover it.

[katya]

That makes sense. Kinda. I want some of my friends to discover it.

[Tulkas]

I wish more people knew about it and it was made into a movie, but not by someone like PJ who doesn't understand what they're turning into a movie...