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FIRST TIME READING 'THE SILMARLLION' | What I wish I knew | A HOW-TO-READ GUIDE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ก.พ. 2022
- We take a look at the best approach to reading 'The Silmarillion' for the first time...
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How to read The Silmarillion:
1. Acquire The Silmarillion
2. Open The Silmarillion
3. Begin reading The Silmarillion. Continue until there are no words left to read.
I first read the book when it was first published in paperback in 1978 and think it is a lot easier today. Two other areas that you can do when reading the book. 1 - Listen to the Audiobook read by Martin Shaw (I know a lot of people who struggle with reading the book really finds this helps) or 2 - Read a chapter of the book, then listen to a Podcast about that chapter. There are a few podcasts that deal with the Silmarillion including the excellent Corey Olson's Tolkien Professor, but I recommend the Prancing Pony Podcast for this. They have episodes for every chapter in the book.
Excellent recommendations. And yes, I've heard some of the Martin Shaw audiobook and think i's excellent.
You're right, The Silmarillion does become easier to read upon re-reading it. I took a long break between my first, awkward, reading of it and the next. In fact, it was a break of several years, during which I read lots of classic literature. When I returned to The Silmarillion again recently I found it much easier to read and also that my understanding and appreciation of it was much deeper. I enjoyed this video of yours.
That’s so great to hear! And thank you 🙂
I LOVE this book. It had such a huge impact on my life after I read it. I have only met 2 people in person who read it and loved it as well and I wish people can understand how amazing this book is. It's almost mystical. I met this person in college who said she is an avid bookreader and she said that she's impressed I read it because she said it was a hard read for her because the beginning chapter was difficult. I think it isnt but I also think that's the appea of this book and why it is way above and beyond the rest
Very well said! 🙂 I especially like your description of the book as being “mystical”
I understood the Silmarillion the second time I attempted it (I was 16, now forty years ago). Ended up adoring it! I then re-read Lord of the Rings and was amazed at how much I missed the first time.
I hear so many people describe the Ainulindale as "ponderous," yet I find it engrossing. I think of it whenever I am near the ocean (or even a large lake), how echoes of the Music can still be heard.
@@gmansard641 same here! I remembered after I read it the first time -- everything in the world looked and seemed more magical..I am trying to reread it the second time around in between life lol.. I totally feel with what you said about it!
Lol after reading it I was like “this is much better than lotr”. If that story was possible to portray in the movies, it would be something of awe.
@@ykintanar77Same! I think it definitely achieved Tolkien’s goal of wanting to create a mythological origin of the world. As strange as it sounds, I look at everyday things like trees, flowers, and mountains in a new way.
I love the fact that you respond to every comment, a beautiful sign of respect
Many thanks! I try my best as much as possible, but sometimes a few comments do pass by unnoticed unfortunately.
This is the first time I’m gonna read the Silmarillion and I’m a bit worried I won’t handle it. I just saw your video after reading the letter at the beginning and I’m relieved I did it right! It is indeed very helpful and I’m ready to begin the journey!
Best of luck! It can indeed be daunting but with some persistence and focus you’ll make it through. Last thing, don’t force the reading when it gets difficult. Take it slow and enjoy the experience 🙂
The first time I tried to read the silmarillion I was 11 years old and I couldn't understand a word😅 now, 9 years later, I finally decided to try and read it again, since I loved lord of the rings and the hobbit and these stories had always been a big part of my life since I first read them. I was still a little afraid but your video has really helped me and motivated me even more into finally reading the silmarillion. So thank you a lot! 🥰
That's so great to hear! Thank you! :D
I found the Silmarillion rather straightforward to read the first time, and I was mindblown by the first chapter and the spirituality and divinity which Tolkien had created for his legendarium. Having read it recently it still feels very coherent and I consider it one "take" or "version" of Arda's history, so inconsistancies aren't really an issue because "Bilbo" must have made an error when he was writing those Eldar Tales (the published Silmarillion of 1977).
Though, having gone through the History of Middle Earth, the section with Finrod and Andreth should have been included as it would have added to the evils of Morgoth (because as the Silmarillion progressed Morgoth became nothing more than a tryant bent on conquest and destruction) and introduced the concept of Arda marred. The expanded version of Finwe's marriages and the death of Miriel should have been included to add more clarity about what happens really happens to Elves when they "die".
Perhaps more of the 1950s Silmarillion version should have been integrated into the published Silmarillion, that would have helped humanize Feanor a little more during the events after the deaths of the two trees, that is Feanor going mad with grief when he hears news of his father's death- it would have helped explain his descent into revenge and barely disguised madness.
Bought it online last friday, should arrive this week. Can't wait to read it!
Enjoy!
@@brewingbooks So far I have!
You’ll love it!😊
I watched as much videos as I could here on TH-cam covering the First Age. I already knew the story beforehand, so I just enjoyed the beautiful prose and how it all unfolded. Got someone who didn't like LotR to do the same and he's a die hard fan now. Mission accomplished in my books.
That's the best kind of moment by far :D
I’m About to start it now. Thanks for sharing. I feel better about starting it now!
You got this!
A real masterpiece indeed! Even after I've read it multiple times, I still come across new details that I seemed to have missed previously.
I do also agree on reading the Children of Húrin as it allows you to enter the world of the Silmarillion but focused in a more strict and focused story, because almost all the key elements and characters are featured within it. I might even suggest to read this story first to then read the Silmarillion with a better understanding later.
It's one of Tolkien's best works. Just imagine what the book would have been like if Tolkien had time to finish it the way he wanted.
Indeed! Thanks for your input :)
Indeed to your last comment. Did you read in the appendix where Turin is coming to Nargothrond in verse? It goes on for pages where in the prose text it reads as two sentences.
The verse is beautiful poety to boot :)
So cool that you mentioned Guy Gavriel Kay :) The dude is a living legend.
I’ve seen other “before you read The Silmarillion” videos, but you’ve by far done the best job of preparing and advising on how to go about it (and what to expect). Definitely a video that deserves more than 700 views. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! 😃 Really appreciate your kind comments.
You wonder where the Holy Book ends, and the history begins. You know that they interweave, like Aragorn thinking Arwen was a literal vision of Luthien, or in the film when Elrond has some sort of optic glass on his table, and you realize that he wants to see his father, who is literally the morning and evening star, carrying the silmaril.
Indeed 🙂
That's a great video, inspired and inspiring. If I weren't reading another book now I would surely got back to the Silmarillion over again. Soon, I hope, I will 😉
Cheers!
This is one of my favorite books. I've read it many times. Your advice is great, and I second all of it.
Wow, thank you!
I just got into Tolkien's world recently. Though I watched the LotR trilogy as a young teen, I wasn't too much into fantasy stuff at the time (it changed after I got tired of real-life drama). Instead of starting with the Hobbit or LotR, I jumped right ahead onto the Silmarillion because I wanted to start at the very beginning. Some people called me a nutjob for starting with the most difficult one.😅
Well, as someone who already knows how dry and complex the Bible can be, the Silmarillion isn't as hard as I thought it was. Well, I always get lost with the locations (thank goodness I got maps), but the rest is manageable. It's definitely an amazing book with an insane amount of lore, but I can understand that some people might expect something different. After all, LotR and the Hobbit are for reading, the Silmarillion is more for studying.
Thanks for sharing your experience :) Incidentally, I too decided to tackle The Silmarillion first and foremost. It was a long and difficult read, and I got to the end of the book have barely understood the main narrative; but I guess it was a transformative experience in a way.
I loved the Silmarillion so much from the fist sentence. But I do love the mode of myth - myth as that which is infinitely true and not myth as as untruth, a modern misconception. Your videos are the best, as are you. :)
Cheers mate! Glad you enjoyed the book and these videos 👍
I will always advocate for reading Children of Hurin first, as it greatly introduces to geography and peoples of the First Age. After that Silmarillion goes smooothly
Thanks for the input and suggestion :) I'm sure many new readers will find this advice helpful.
@@brewingbooks thanks for your videos!
I studied and learned so many things before starting the silmarillion. It really helped already knowing some of the names and places.
That’s so great to hear 🙂 It’s always fantastic to hear how people are introduced to these books.
Great Book, one of my favorite.
It is wonderful, isn’t it?
@@brewingbooks Yes, its tragic how Tolkien never finished it
WELCOME BACK! I'm now currently at the 21chapter *Of Túrin Turambar* hope you are having a blessed day!
@@Beregond1861 I'm just gonna prepare for the worst for Amazon!
I recently finished my first read through after attempting it when I was much younger and gave up. It is a challenging read but very rewarding. I found that listening to the audiobook while reading helped greatly. Also constantly referring to the maps, index, and family trees is great advice. I am almost finished Unfinished Tales after which I will read either the Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and The Fall of Gondolin or perhaps start the History of Middle Earth. I definitely plan on reading The Silmarillion again though!
Enjoy, fellow Tolkien reader!
That's so great to hear! And best of luck with your next reads :)
@@Beregond1861 👍
It's an amazingly captivating work that I love and understand more and more with each reading 📚 ❤!
Couldn’t agree more 😃👍
The unfinished-ness is so difficult for me. It's sort of like death itself. Like a gaping hole that can never be filled, like an ache that never is healed.
I so understand this … perhaps more so with Tolkien’s The Fall of Arthur more than any other of his works.
@@brewingbooks Ah, I have not yet read this one.
The fact that it's unfinished is both a curse and a blessing. But it kind of adds to the authenticity of Tolkien's world. Originally, he wanted to create his own myths because he felt like England didn't have enough.
Given the fact that he wrote many different versions of his stories, he didn't get to flesh them out or finish them. It's like they're old stories lost to time because nobody had ever written them down for a very long time. And when someone finally had the time and energy to write them down, almost no one survived to tell them or they're being told by others and details got lost or altered. Just like in real life (just look at Greek mythology and how many versions of one myth exist!)
It's frustrating that we'll never get a full and true version, but in a tragic and poetic way, that's what Tolkien wished for: creating authentic myths.
But isn't that actually appropriate for the Myths for England? (even for humanity?) Our history is not 'finished' ... struggles, wars, progress & regress are all still happening, mirrored in Tolkien's ongoing 'legendarium'. Our own lives are not finished either; there's always an ongoing ache of incompleteness, isn't there?
I had a few failed attempts at reading The Silmarillion where I didn't get more than a few chapters in. It was only during lockdown that I finally managed to get through it with the help of an audio version. It felt very satisfying though, once I did finish it, and Unfinished Tales.
I'm sure the audiobook is a fantastic experience, and I'd love to listen to a recording of this book someday.
I had a hard time at first, too. It's definitely one of those books where pushing through is worth it!
To anyone who reads the Silmarillion, just imagine yourself in the library at Rivendell in the comfort of one of Elronds couches knowing that old Bilbo plucked these stories out if the archives just for you
Good to have Robert Fosters "The complete guide to middle-earth" at hand when reading I found
Agreed! Quite the exhaustive encyclopedia 🙂
I first read The Silmarillion in 2000-2001 when I was in my teens, after I read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and I admit I had some difficulties with the amount of names and places to keep track of.
After many years during which The Silmarillion became not much more than a distant memory, I finally picked it up again - I bought a new hardcover edition in English (I read the Portuguese translation before) and now I'm on the Akallabêth, and I could not love it more. Sure, I still lose track of things now and then and easily forget names, but I could not have asked for a better text. Amazing, enthralling, beautiful, and heart-wrenching stories, and it catapulted me into ordering Unfinished Tales and The Fall of Gondolin.
I highly recommend rereading the chapter, Of Turin Turumbar, then read "The Children of Hurin".
I think you will find yourself delving back into the Quenta very hungry for more. The best next similar tale in it's completeness is found in "the fall if Gondolin" but it is so unsatisfying as it ends just as it is getting good.
Do yourself a favor and read "The Children of Hurin"
good luck
i first read it in early 90's first tolkien book i ever read. and i loved and understood every minute. first things first the ainulindale and valaquenta dont count as chapter one they are the prologue..
Tolkien would have said that Both Ainulindale and the Valaquenta are neither chapters nor prologues ... but stand-alone, shorter works that should accompany the Quenta Silmarillion 😆
definately.
@@brewingbooks
I've just started my one collection. I watch you and talking tolkien a lot. I'm trying to figure out your accent. It is driving me crazy. Love your channel and your comments and your collection.
Cheers! Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂 As for the accent, well maybe one day all will be made clear hehe 😉
Hello! Discovered your channel when looking for Tolkien related content. I have read "The Hobbit" and am currently reading "Fellowship Of The Ring" (these are my first time reading any Tolkien stuff!). I am considering buying this one to go with the edition of the books. (Not sure what my edition is called, but it's a set with The Hobbit and the three Lord Or The Rings books in mass market paperback, and the colors of the books are greenish yellow, red, blue, and green.) I am excited to enter this world of Tolkien and hope to enjoy this as well! I want to be a writer myself someday and Tolkien's work inspire me!
You have a new subscriber in me
The Silmarillion, more than anything, is most like a historical text providing an overview and brief guide to an incredibly deep and rich fantasy world. It's quite silly when people talk about it as some sort of bible or religious text, the first chapter has some vague similarities but the rest of the book is nothing like a bible. I enjoyed the read, albeit it is slow going due to the archaic style and language. But as with many historical texts it can be really disappointingly brief and concise in its description of the momentous events over the 3 ages.
I'm referring to events such as the fate of Gondolin, Nargothrond and Doriath, the final defeat of the "evil one", the cataclysm that forever changes western middle earth. All of these were far too rushed and in some cases just "hand waved" or glossed over. The literal (I use that word correctly) one sentence describing how the land masses of western middle earth are changed forever was the most disappointing thing in the book for me.
I therefore didn't like how during the Beren and Luthien, Children of Hurin and Fall of Numenor chapters, while giving an extremely brief and rushed summary of the story it literally (again correct word) just says 'read the actual books for the full story'. But I guess this is in line with most historical texts that have extensive "more reading" references. I do plan to read these other books, but I see the Silmarillion as mostly a primer for placing these stories (and LOTR, the Hobbit) within the broader world and times, not a cohesive, engrossing fantasy novel.
I freaking love this book
Absolutely brilliant 🙂
Great video and great advice. I’m reading the fall of numenor but have always wanted to read the silmarillion… but been put off by it’s reputation. Although I feel I’m ready to give the effort it deserves.
You certainly should 🙂 It’ll take some time and patience but after each re-read it’ll get easier, especially if you’re well-acquainted with LOTR and the appendices.
This is a perfect video for me. Thank you! - 📚MJ
You're so welcome!
I love this book!
It’s truly great 🙂
I'm going to read it and then listen to an audiobook of it.
Enjoy! I hear the audiobook read by Martin Shaw is really good.
@@brewingbooks Thanks! I'll check it out.
Thanks for the video. You have a new Subscriber.
Awesome! That you my friend 😃
Beauty edition
Very much so 🙂
i have read it several times (it is my current read), i struggle with names, sometimes forgeting those of close friends, but each time i read it i struggle less. i love the notes at the end. but pronounciation can go take a run and jump, i cant even begin to understand that.
That’s so great to hear! Keep at it and keep re reading 🙂 Pronunciations can be a bit tricky. I find it’s best to try and get used to them as early as possible. After all that’s how Tolkien would have wanted the names to be read 😅
@@brewingbooks i don't have any understanding of how to pronounce the pronouncation, i'm told the squiggles always mean the same thing, but i don't understand how to interpret them. i've grasped a couple, but instantly forget, i blame the dyslexia, i think i need showing, i get pronounciation that way best for normal words, i also have a westcountry acent(i had elecution lessons to rid me of it, then visited often), which is not good for any pronounciation
While reading the Silmarillion, do you think I should read the entire Children of Hurin book instead of the chapter, or save that for later? I don't want to read Children of Hurin before the Silmarillion
If you’d rather read The Silmarillion first, I’d suggest you go ahead and read the Turin chapter as part of that book’s narrative structure. It will reveal the story, but I personally think it will make your then reading of The Children of Hurin more enjoyable 🙂
Unfortunately my 70s copy didn’t have the letter to a friend !
It’s quite an insightful letter (if a bit revealing, especially if one begins their first time read of The Silmarillion and tackles the letter first). If you have The Letters of JRR Tolkien book you can find it there 🙂
Thank you! I love your channel it’s been a great help to me during a long depression in the northern woods of Ontario Canada. But I’m reading a lot! 150 pages into the silmarillion atm, Very cool stuff!!! Thanks for all the replies and help :)
My 77' copy doesn't have the letter either and I kept flipping through looking for it, then I found this comment and I'm so relieved I'm not the only one!!
i read this book 2 times already and i still cant figure it out. for some reason when i listened to the audio book it let me understand majority of it.
That’s perfectly fine. It took me several readings before I started to figure out what was going on. Each re read gets better and better though 👍
Thanks for the informative and interesting review. I spotted a handsome edition of Beowulf behind you. Is it also by Tolkien? What edition is it? Greetings from Poland
Hi there! If it’s the one in the slipcase with the large gold foil lettering along the spine, that’s the 2013 Folio Society edition of Beowulf. A beautiful edition which has been reviewed on my channel a few years back 🙂
Will you be buying and reviewing the illustrated deluxe edition of the silmarillion on release in November.
I am eagerly waiting for delivery day 🤞
Thank you for this video, now I feel confident to immerse myself into The Silmarillion!
Can I also ask you what is the very quiet background ambient music throughout the video? not the intro which i saw you listed in the description, but the quiet background music. Thank you again!
Thanks very much! As for the music, it’s called Stark Goes Dark from TH-cam Audio Library 🙂
@@brewingbooks what a timing! I was watching another one of your videos when you replied! Thank you for letting me know what music you use in the background, I have insomnia and it will help me fall asleep! Your videos are an incredible gift to have alongside my journey into the realm of middle earth!
@@ilovebeing2788 that’s great 🙂 and thanks again for your kind words.
Thanks for this guide, it is so helpful! I just picked up a that same illustrated copy. As someone who's never read the Silmarillion but is still very very familiar with the Hobbit & Lord of the Rings, would you recommend reading it first in the reading order because of how its a historical prequel to the events of the main story, or is it just better to read after the main LOTR trilogy and appendices?
Hey there! Glad you found this useful. If it’s your first time reading The Silmarillion, then I would suggest you re-read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (with Appendices) first and the dive into The Silmarillion.
1:55 sorry if I missed the answer to this elsewhere in the video, but which Tolkien writings outdate parts of the Silmarillion. Thanks for the awesome video, btw
In Morgoth’s Ring, for instance, Tolkien began to revise his idea of Orcs originating from Elves and rethinking they were corrupted Men. The chapter ‘Of the Ruin of Doriath’ was significantly rewritten/edited by Christopher Tolkien as key narrative concepts linking it to other previous events were either lacking or would have caused significant story gaps.
So...theres one thing I've been wondering about. I have only read the Silmarillion once, expecting it to be quite a hard read due to many warnings, but I found myself not finding it too complicated to understand. The thing is, I read the german version. Has anyone else have that experience? Is it something about the german version of the book that makes it easier?
This is very interesting and I wonder whether any German viewers can verify this (or others who have found reading The Silmarillion in their own language easier) 🤔 Thanks for sharing!
@@brewingbooks It is also the case for the Spanish translation.
Is there an imprint in Maltés for the professors works?
Hardest books?!?!?!?! O.....Kay.
Indeed it was! … and still is for many readers. Despite numerous re-reads, and although things do get significantly easier, it’s still a tricky book. The writing is not at all conventional and has a very specific style 🙂 You should have a go at it 👍
Any idea where can I find that exact edition of The Silmarillion? Cannot find it in the United States :(
It might be out of print but my copy is the UK edition by Harper Collins. If not on Amazon perhaps you could try a second hand retailer?
I am at the beginnig halfway through the letter of tolkien and this level of English is hard.
I am not a nativ English speaker and i first read the Hobbit and LOTR in German the listened to it in English and understood everything.
So when I went to London and saw the Silmarilion in a bookshop bought it.
Now I am trying to read it. With 5 years of having learned English. If i ever get through I will throw a party (probably)
Keep at it! It’s a hard read for everyone’s first try.
Might I suggest you skip the letter for now (Tolkien has a tendency to be quite elaborate and hard-going in his tone of writing when it comes to letters or lectures).
How about trying The Silmarillion audible book like you did with The Hobbit and LOTR, and read along while listening to it?
@@brewingbooks Thank you for the tips. I will definitely try out the audiobook. But since I am halfway through the letter already I try at least to finish it (eventhough I understood just a little bit.)
I am now more than halfway through and I am in love with this book.
I actually found the use of this kind of old english very interesting and all of the tales were really intriguing.
To anybody reading this: give it a go.
Do we know what's going to be in The Fall of Numenor? Are there going to be new information?
It seems highly unlikely, as the book will present content already available in the Appendices, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales in one book, chronologically.
@@brewingbooks Oh, I see. Thank you. 🙂
Well, it's a good excuse to buy another Tolkien book, I guess.😉I have all of them, so this will complete the collection. Plus, it helps that everything is put in one book and in chronological order. I think it's worth having it.
I was a bit disappointed with the no-new content news. But upon further reflection, I also think it would be a great idea to have all the second age material in one volume. And, of course, a new addition to the collection 😄
I read the Tolkien history series first. The Silmarillion next to that? Easy. Just child’s play.
Well done 🙂 although it would have made more sense reading HoME after The Silmarillion, as it would have made it a more worthwhile and appreciative read.
If you a need guide to read a book the book is problematic and difficult to get through.
🤣
Bro hasn't read the book
Is the bible a book? No. It's a collection of stories. So it is the Silmarillion and so it must be read, as a bible, not a book