The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion is to The Lord of the Rings as the Old Testament is to Westboro Baptist Church. Minus the offensive stupidity. If you're a fervent Tolkien fan, you'll love The Silmarillion. If you're a casual reader or a post-Peter Jackson convert, you might find it heavy going. Actually, either way, it's a tough read. But if you're a fan, you'll appreciate the context it provides for the rest of the books.Why it made the listWhat The Silmarillion will do is increase your respect for Tolkien's genius. There is nothing in The Lord of the Rings series that doesn't have a back-story. His respect for the characters and places in the books is evident in the details of each piece of history he creates. There are elements of linguistics, of myth, and of legend woven through the narratives of The Silmarillion (this isn't a single tale) that do two things: Make it a dense work and increase your appreciation of The Hobbit and LOTR.If you ever wondered at how Saruman fell, where Sauron came from or how Middle-Earth was created, you'll find the answers in The Silmarillion. Once you get through it, re-read the other books and you'll discover things you never noticed before and see Middle-Earth in a whole new light. And when you do get through all of it, award yourself with a doughnut. Because, damn! That was hard work.

Booklists having this book

Best Fantasy Books of the 70's

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Other books by Tolkien, J.r.r.

The Hobbit

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Lord Of The Rings

Possibly the most, well-recognized world of fiction in history. The Lord of the Rings is the third best-selling novel ever written, with over 150 million copies sold. This high fantasy... Read more

Lord Of The Rings

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Lord Of The Rings

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The Two Towers

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The King Returns

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Lord Of The Rings

Do I even need to discuss it? The father of modern fantasy, the recreation of the English myth, an apex of English literature; Lord of the Rings is more than... Read more

The Hobbit

The Hobbit is one of the most well-loved fantasy novels of all time. Written by J.R.R Tolkien as a bedtime story for his children, The Hobbit is a light-hearted tale,... Read more

Children Of Hurin

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The Samarillion

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The Silmarillion

The author J.R.R. Tolkien is certainly not underrated but his majestic work, The Silmarillion gets very little attention compared to his other great works, The Hobbit and The Lord of... Read more

The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion is to The Lord of the Rings as the Old Testament is to Westboro Baptist Church. Minus the offensive stupidity. If you're a fervent Tolkien fan, you'll love... Read more

Smith Of Wootton Major

In the little town of Wootton Major, they have a wonderful tradition where a special cake is baked every twenty-four years, and eaten by twenty-four good children. But, when a... Read more

The Return Of The King

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The Lord Of The Rings

Before J.R.R. Tolkein, there really was no "fantasy" genre of literature at all. All dragons, dwarves, and wizards belonged to folklore and fairy tales of former centuries. We can't really... Read more

The Fall of Gondolin

"The Fall of Gondolin" is a posthumously published work by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and released in August 2018. The book tells the story of the... Read more

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