Should I read this??? - Page 2

Sindarion · 02-27-2002, 03:53 AM

it is amazing!you have to read it !dont rush it because you should take your time to take in all the information!but even the first page is great
sindarion

________________________
read it
read it we know you want to!!!!!!

Glîm Iceholder · 03-02-2002, 11:08 AM

Even though I am alittle late, YES!. You simply cannot fully appreciate LOTR until you read the The Silmarillion. I reccomended LOTR to a friend to read and he went on and on about how its soo overrated, afterwards I told him to read The Silmarillion and he went on and on about how brilliant Tolkien is. It really gives Middle-Earth its depth.

Serena · 03-02-2002, 06:07 PM

I am trying to read the Silmarillion. I keep losing my focus, and I find it really confusing. I like what I've managed to read, but I can't actually finish the book.

Any ideas, please?

Nibs · 03-02-2002, 07:33 PM

Read it several times. I'm on my third, and I'm only now making connections that I forgot or skipped over the first two.

And I hope you were being facetious, Legolas_Bowking, else banter may come to blows... actually, probably not.

Kilimanjaro is a funny name for a place. Wonder who it's named after.

markedel · 03-02-2002, 07:48 PM

I prefer to read chunks of it, and go through all of it only seldom. Kind of how I treat unfinished tales.

Elvet · 03-02-2002, 08:09 PM

I am reading it for a second time. This time I am using another book 'The atlas of Middle-earth' by K.W. Fonstad to help me visualize the lands of Valinor and Numenor etc. I am getting so much more from the text now - it is wonderful!

Luineeldaiel · 03-08-2002, 02:32 PM

Greetings, All!
I have just started--took awhile to get thru the Prologue and remembering all the names is a challenge. So much more is explained and I really appreciated it regarding LotR. It's definitely worth the extra time and concentration.

Perseverance is the key

markedel · 03-08-2002, 03:28 PM

I always liked Tolkien's introductory letter. Very enlightening.

Ërendil · 03-17-2002, 06:01 PM

I need help...I have read LOTR nuimerous times and i want to read the Silmarillion. At first i didn't like LOTR becuase the beggining was boring and it was only my dad who told me that it got much better that kept me reading it(Thanks dad!) Anyhow can any1 give me some "Motivation" onto reading the Silmarillion without spoining it?

I don't know if this post makes any sense- sorry if it doesn't

Luineeldaiel · 03-17-2002, 06:54 PM

Don't despair, Earendil!
Your name even comes from The Samarillion!!! It's a little slower going because there is so much detail and names galore!! No one, it seems, has just one name. Don't skip his letter--it is very enlightening as mark said above. Tokien's style is a little different here as well, I think because he presents a history. I think, too, it will get better as we go along. I'm only about a fourth of the way through, but determined. It explains so much in LotR that I just didn't get. Keep reading!! And, just think, there are 12 Unfinished Tales to go!!!

Quote:

Even the smallest person can change the course of the world.

bropous · 03-17-2002, 08:18 PM

Welcome to the Moot, Sindarion, Glîm Iceholder, Serena, and Luineeldaiel.

Erendil (the name in Silmarillion is Earendil), the motivation to read The Silmarillion is to more deeply understand the intricate tapestry of Middle-Earth and its history. Things like the song of Beren and Luthien in LotR become more poignant and relevant, you find out who Sauron really is and how he came to be like he is, and furthermore, you find out the deep history of the Elves and their long and sorrow-filled struggle with the original Dark Lord of Middle-Earth, Morgoth the Great Enemy, whose lieutenant Sauron was, and find out the lineage of the Gondorian kings and the Numenoreans who came before them.

It starts with the creation of the Earth; continues with the fall of Melkor/Morgoth from grace with "god" and becoming the evil being he was; chronicles the creation of the Silmarils ("magical"gemstones created by the Elf Lord Feanor) and how the greed and pride of the immortal Elves led to their exile from the Undying Lands and into the sorrows of life in Middle Earth; tells of the massive wars fought between the Elves who sided with Feanor in his grudge agaisnt Morgoth and the Balrogs, werewolves, dragons and orcs who served in the Armies of Utumno, the fortress of Morgoth; tells of the "gods" of Middle-Earth intervening in the wars on behest of the half-elf Earendil the Mariner; tells of the founding of the doomed man-kingdom of Numenor and the high race of men called Numenoreans, of whom Gondor is a pale shadow; and begins the tale of Sauron the Deceiver and his crafting of the Rings of Power, which culminated in creation of the One Ring.

Maybe that is sufficient motivation.

Silmarillion may be a bit difficult to absorb the first or second time, as has been pointed out by others. Keep referring to the Index and the genealogical charts in the back of the book, and you will find it an interesting, baroquely crafted masterwork of enduring fascination and immense craftsmanship. It is "the Tolkiens at their best".

markedel · 03-17-2002, 09:49 PM

Ad I find you can digest portions of the Silmarillion piecemeal, something I can't do with LOTR.

Ërendil · 03-21-2002, 05:35 PM

bropous; my name is Erendil because Earendil is already taken so i changed it a bit. At least it is completly individual! (Actually i couldn't spell Earendil then) Thanks for the motivation!

silmälasi · 03-27-2002, 07:29 AM

this book is THE backbone of all J.R.R. Tolkiens creations .i treasure it above all his other writings.

noldo · 03-27-2002, 02:17 PM

It truly is a priceless piece, equal to the Lord of the Rings in grandeur and myth, it's difficulty pays off in fascinating and immensely beautiful tales, worlds, characters, etc...

***azalea*** · 04-14-2002, 07:38 PM

Okay, for those who are reading it right now, did you notice the similarity between the story of Fingon finding Maedhros and the part in LotR when Sam finds Frodo? The one held captive, the other one a friend who seeks him, stops and sings, which leads to the other one being found and rescued? (Also thought it was interesting how Maedhros loses his hand, just like Frodo loses a finger).

On a lighter note, the line"...their cavalry rode upon that plain...for from few their horses had increased swiftly, and the grass of Ard-galen was rich and green." Which caused which?

02-27-2002, 03:53 AM	#21
Sindarion Sapling Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: ireland Posts: 4	should you read? it is amazing!you have to read it !dont rush it because you should take your time to take in all the information!but even the first page is great sindarion ________________________ read it read it we know you want to!!!!!!

03-02-2002, 06:07 PM	#23
Serena Hobbit Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 22	I am trying to read the Silmarillion. I keep losing my focus, and I find it really confusing. I like what I've managed to read, but I can't actually finish the book. Any ideas, please? __________________ Don't forget about the little things! :-)

03-02-2002, 07:33 PM	#24
Nibs Head Hollara Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 751	Read it several times. I'm on my third, and I'm only now making connections that I forgot or skipped over the first two. And I hope you were being facetious, Legolas_Bowking, else banter may come to blows... actually, probably not. Kilimanjaro is a funny name for a place. Wonder who it's named after. __________________ "People used to ring up and say 'Don't quit your day job' or 'sell your synth', but the joke's on them: we were fired and the synth is broken!" -John Flansburgh from They Might Be Giants Ever heard of Mormons? I'm one. Click here to know more about us.

03-02-2002, 07:48 PM	#25
markedel 'Sober' Mullet Frosh Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Queen's Posts: 1,245	I prefer to read chunks of it, and go through all of it only seldom. Kind of how I treat unfinished tales. __________________ "Earnur was a man like his father in valour, but not in wisdom"

03-02-2002, 08:09 PM	#26
Elvet Elven Warrior Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Orillia, Ontario Posts: 221	I am reading it for a second time. This time I am using another book 'The atlas of Middle-earth' by K.W. Fonstad to help me visualize the lands of Valinor and Numenor etc. I am getting so much more from the text now - it is wonderful! __________________ "But do not despise the lore that has come down from distant years; for oft it may chance that old wives keep in memory word of things that once were needful for the wise to know."

03-02-2002, 11:08 AM	#22
Glîm Iceholder Hobbit Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 21	Even though I am alittle late, YES!. You simply cannot fully appreciate LOTR until you read the The Silmarillion. I reccomended LOTR to a friend to read and he went on and on about how its soo overrated, afterwards I told him to read The Silmarillion and he went on and on about how brilliant Tolkien is. It really gives Middle-Earth its depth.

03-08-2002, 02:32 PM	#27
Luineeldaiel Sapling Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 4	Greetings, All! I have just started--took awhile to get thru the Prologue and remembering all the names is a challenge. So much more is explained and I really appreciated it regarding LotR. It's definitely worth the extra time and concentration. Perseverance is the key

03-08-2002, 03:28 PM	#28
markedel 'Sober' Mullet Frosh Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Queen's Posts: 1,245	I always liked Tolkien's introductory letter. Very enlightening. __________________ "Earnur was a man like his father in valour, but not in wisdom"

03-17-2002, 06:01 PM	#29
Ërendil Elven Warrior Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 389	I need help...I have read LOTR nuimerous times and i want to read the Silmarillion. At first i didn't like LOTR becuase the beggining was boring and it was only my dad who told me that it got much better that kept me reading it(Thanks dad!) Anyhow can any1 give me some "Motivation" onto reading the Silmarillion without spoining it? I don't know if this post makes any sense- sorry if it doesn't __________________ "You're one of the Abaharaki, oh I had forgotten. Look at me, I am completly drenched! I do hate the rain, it makes me so depressed..." "Hehehehe, moeru moeru!" "That's it, set it all on fire; we're gonna smoke out Escaflowne!" "Oh, I hit the wrong target... never mind that creature was useless to us anyway. Our orders were to get the girl? So he isn't our concern, we don't need him!" ^_^ Isn't Dilandau just fantastic? You just have to love the insane, murderous pyro :-D

03-17-2002, 08:18 PM	#31
bropous EIDRIORCQWSDAKLMED DCWWTIWOATTOPWFIO Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Littleton, CO Posts: 1,176	Welcome to the Moot, Sindarion, Glîm Iceholder, Serena, and Luineeldaiel. Erendil (the name in Silmarillion is Earendil), the motivation to read The Silmarillion is to more deeply understand the intricate tapestry of Middle-Earth and its history. Things like the song of Beren and Luthien in LotR become more poignant and relevant, you find out who Sauron really is and how he came to be like he is, and furthermore, you find out the deep history of the Elves and their long and sorrow-filled struggle with the original Dark Lord of Middle-Earth, Morgoth the Great Enemy, whose lieutenant Sauron was, and find out the lineage of the Gondorian kings and the Numenoreans who came before them. It starts with the creation of the Earth; continues with the fall of Melkor/Morgoth from grace with "god" and becoming the evil being he was; chronicles the creation of the Silmarils ("magical"gemstones created by the Elf Lord Feanor) and how the greed and pride of the immortal Elves led to their exile from the Undying Lands and into the sorrows of life in Middle Earth; tells of the massive wars fought between the Elves who sided with Feanor in his grudge agaisnt Morgoth and the Balrogs, werewolves, dragons and orcs who served in the Armies of Utumno, the fortress of Morgoth; tells of the "gods" of Middle-Earth intervening in the wars on behest of the half-elf Earendil the Mariner; tells of the founding of the doomed man-kingdom of Numenor and the high race of men called Numenoreans, of whom Gondor is a pale shadow; and begins the tale of Sauron the Deceiver and his crafting of the Rings of Power, which culminated in creation of the One Ring. Maybe that is sufficient motivation. Silmarillion may be a bit difficult to absorb the first or second time, as has been pointed out by others. Keep referring to the Index and the genealogical charts in the back of the book, and you will find it an interesting, baroquely crafted masterwork of enduring fascination and immense craftsmanship. It is "the Tolkiens at their best". __________________ "...[The Lord of the Rings] is to exemplify most clearly a recurrent theme: the place in 'world politics' of the unforeseen and unforeseeable acts of will, and deeds of virtue of the apparently small, ungreat, fogotten in the places of the Wise and Great (good as well as evil). A moral of the whole (after the primary symbolism of the Ring, as the will to mere power, seeking to make itself objective by physical force and mechanism, and so also inevitably by lies) is the obvious one that without the high and noble the simple and vulgar is utterly mean; and without the simple and ordinary the noble and heroic is meaningless." Letters of JRR Tolkien, page 160.

03-17-2002, 09:49 PM	#32
markedel 'Sober' Mullet Frosh Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Queen's Posts: 1,245	Ad I find you can digest portions of the Silmarillion piecemeal, something I can't do with LOTR. __________________ "Earnur was a man like his father in valour, but not in wisdom"

03-21-2002, 05:35 PM	#33
Ërendil Elven Warrior Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 389	bropous; my name is Erendil because Earendil is already taken so i changed it a bit. At least it is completly individual! (Actually i couldn't spell Earendil then) Thanks for the motivation! __________________ "You're one of the Abaharaki, oh I had forgotten. Look at me, I am completly drenched! I do hate the rain, it makes me so depressed..." "Hehehehe, moeru moeru!" "That's it, set it all on fire; we're gonna smoke out Escaflowne!" "Oh, I hit the wrong target... never mind that creature was useless to us anyway. Our orders were to get the girl? So he isn't our concern, we don't need him!" ^_^ Isn't Dilandau just fantastic? You just have to love the insane, murderous pyro :-D

03-27-2002, 07:29 AM	#34
silmälasi Hobbit Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: finland Posts: 17	silmarillion this book is THE backbone of all J.R.R. Tolkiens creations .i treasure it above all his other writings. __________________ shadow dweller

03-27-2002, 02:17 PM	#35
noldo Elven Icon Maker Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Finland Posts: 517	It truly is a priceless piece, equal to the Lord of the Rings in grandeur and myth, it's difficulty pays off in fascinating and immensely beautiful tales, worlds, characters, etc...

04-14-2002, 07:38 PM	#36
*azalea* Long lost mooter Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Florida Posts: 3,342	Okay, for those who are reading it right now, did you notice the similarity between the story of Fingon finding Maedhros and the part in LotR when Sam finds Frodo? The one held captive, the other one a friend who seeks him, stops and sings, which leads to the other one being found and rescued? (Also thought it was interesting how Maedhros loses his hand, just like Frodo loses a finger). On a lighter note, the line"...their cavalry rode upon that plain...for from few their horses had increased swiftly, and the grass of Ard-galen was rich and green." Which caused which?

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