Hi, Luinthule. Welcome to the site.
Gimli has about summed it up really. It covers the whole history of Middle Earth and the Undying Lands, from the moment they were created to the end of the period Lord of the Rings was set in. The first part, with insights into the Creation and the Valar and Maiar, is very biblical. From then on it proceeds to tell tales of the first great elven lords, their creations and their wars with Morgoth, the dark enemy. It tells the history of the first men and their interactions with the elves, and delves also into realms of romantic sagas.
Mid-book, it concerns itself with the history of Numenor and the great achievements and failings of that proud race, and from there, the settling of Gondor and Arnor by the Faithful. Right at the end, it covers the events of the war of the ring in its final chapter. Also included are details of the forging of the rings of power, and the wars between the dwarves and the orcs.
Like Gimli says, it is a bit of a slog to get through, with lots of confusing names and places, but if you persevere, you will find it a very rewarding read. One of the main things you will find, is it will enhance your enjoyment of Lord of the Rings itself by explaining many behind the scenes parts of that book (eg. who Gandalf and Saruman really are, What the Balrog is, Aragorn's broken sword, the House of Elrond, the importance of the One Ring etc etc.)
Hope you enjoy it.

There`s a lot of good reading in the book! Very sad storys too..I cried a bit when I read about Luthien and Beren, but the most sad part was when Turin and Nienor fell in love with eachother, not knowing that they were family

How awful to find out that you`re married to your brother! That just broke my heart...oh and for those of you that haven`t read the Silm...don`t read this!

[Edited on 1/10/2002 by Celebrian]

On the 23/2/03 Delidria opened a new thread asking this question As this section already holds answers to this question, I have moved it here.

I think the Silmarillion is a masterpiece. These are the different topics covered in it:



I hope I haven't broken any copyright laws...

I agree that LotR fans should read the Silmarillion; it shows all the depth of Middle-Earth that was only hinted in LotR.

THE GREATEST OF BOOKS!!! Much better than our Bible (hope I don't offend anyone), but then ... it is the Elves' Holy Book (in a way) and as we all know, Elves are better than Men! I would recommend to all those who have a thing for history, geography, philosophy, mythology ... no! It's a book you should ALL read!

Namarie!

If you disagree with this comment for strong religious reasons, please bear in mind that this is Bugfeanor's personal opinion, and that he does not wish to cause offense by mentioning it. Please refrain from making replies which could turn the theme of this thread religious in nature. Thank You.

In the Silmarillion Reading Discussion Group, I tried to list many of the names and places at the beginning of each section to make this easier for new readers. I think a few of the posts became jumbled a bit in the move to the new site, but it is still a useful guide if you are having difficulties with the book.

I have just retrieved the text from the missing first post to Val's Reading Discussion Groups: Silmarillion Reading Group - Introduction.

well I am just starting to read the book. It is confusing but I am on some reading groups on the internet that will help me. I am only 13 but I am looking foward to reading it!

Hi LGG. Welcome to the site. I hope we can be of service to you.



Then you have come to the right place. Last year we ran a Silmarillion Reading Group. We have finished the book now, but the threads still remain as a great guide for new readers of the book. Find it in the second to bottom section on the menu page, labelled Reading Discussion Groups. Feel free to ask further questions or add your opinions in the relevent sections as I still regularly monitor those threads.



The first post in each assignment of the Reading Discussion Group gave a brief overview the relevent chapters and also a name/place guide.



Aman lies to the West of Middle Earth. Both are large places however, so like going from America to Africa, it depends really on where you are leaving from and going to, as to whether you go NE, E or SE.

Including Melkor, there were 15 Valar... 8 males and 7 females. Tolkien does not tell us how many Ainur there are, but I'd imagine thousands.

His first abode, Utumno was in the far north of Middle Earth, somewhere in the north of what you will know as the Northern Wastes. His second place, Angband was in northern Beleriand, so by LotR is beneth the ocean. It was 150 leagues (450 miles) north of Menegroth.



No Problem. Look forward to seeing you around. Check out the Reading Discussion Group. Many of your answers will be there.

No, the longest post was made by Plastic Squirrel concerning Balrog Wings It was copied from the Encyclopedia of Arda.

Click here to read it, it is just a few posts down the page.

Oh my giddy aunt Grondy, I just saw it, and I daren't read it today, because I have piano lesson in a while and I have to practise my guitar. That post is HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!

For those younger Tolkien fans who haven't read The Silmarillon I have some advice. Pick it up and read a chapter. Absorb it and read it again. Then move onto the next chapter and repeat. You will find familiar names, names you've heard tale of in TLOTR and The Hobbit, and there are lots of names. Don't let info overload put you off. Every time you read it you will find something new. An answer to a question you may have had reading the other books and of course many other questions.

Once you have read and grasped it, the beauty of The Silmarillion is that you can simply open at any page and read a section and you will find that amazingly something new makes sense.

I truly hope that after Christopher Tolkien retires, one of Professor Tolkien's Grandchildren picks up the stories again and takes this grand universe even further.

Oh, good idea Brego. I was really confused with so many names in this book but itself is unique. I think I should read it again! when I come back home -to Portugal/Spain- I will pick up the book from the shelf in my parents' house.

If you have read the Silmarillion, make sure to check out The Book of Lost Tales (the first two volumes of the History of Middle-Earth). The Silmarillion often pales in comparison to the richness, vibrancy, and emotional impact of those tales. Besides, in the Silmarillion you often come across phrases like "as is told in the Lay of Leithian", or "much is told in The Fall of Gondolin". If you're anything like me, you thought "what are those tales, and where can I find them?" The Fall of Gondolin, which was in fact the first tale Tolkien had written, is included in the first two volumes of HoME, collectively titled The Book of Lost Tales. The Lay of Leithian is included in the third volume, The Lays of Beleriand.

Those books can be bought online for fairly cheap, or borrowed in the library.