The Silmarillion (#2)

Pages: 102-197

Favorite Quote: "For from his first days in Gondolin he had borne a grief, ever worsening, that robbed him of all joy: he loved the beauty of Idril and desired her, without hope. [...] And however that might be, Idril loved Maeglin not at all [...] But as the years passed still Maeglin watched Idril, and waited , and his love turned to darkness ain his heart. [...] Thus it was in Gondolin; and amid all the bliss of that realm, while its glory lasted, a dark seed of evil was sown" (139).

I think that this idea of unrequited love is something that many people can connect to. Maeglin's feelings are not returned and it causes him much pain. It is intriguing to see that out of something so good and pure, Love, such maliciousness and evil can spring forth. I think that Tolkien uses this situation to show the connection between good and bad. It runs much deeper than anyone thinks it does, so that out of pure, or thought to be pure, goodness, evil can grow. Tolkien personifies this drive to harm and corrupt as Morgoth, a being of power which constantly withstands the assaults of the other powerful beings, or Valar, attempting to stop his evil.

Although there is a very distinct separation between what the Elves, or Eldar, are and the race of Man, the Elves seem all too suceptable to the same faults of humanity. Their feelings are the same: jealousy, vengeance, animosity. The Elves seem very "human" in their own right, behaving much like us and differing in their immortality and physical forms. They are more advanced than the Men in the book, but this is only because they were created first. It's rather interesting to see how the Elves regard Men as inferior and lower life forms, even though they themselves act like Men do too!

I'm not going to lie. The Silmarillion is a very intricate book, and it's taking me a while to get through it. There's many different people, places, and events which get tangled up a bit in my head sometimes, so I need to go back and reread sections quite frequently. However, I am enjoying the book quite thoroughly, and the stories are just fascinating.

My rating of the book so far: 10/10

(the Mist sent by Morgoth poisoned some mountains, evil tainting pure nature)

The Silmarillion (#1)

Pages: 1-102

Favorite Quote: "But the sons of Men die indeed, and leave the world; wherefore they are called the Guests, or the strangers. Death is their fate, the gift of Iluvatar, which as Time wears even the Powers shall envy" (42).

This isn't such a major quote, as it is only mentioned as Iluvatar makes his Children, the Elves and the Men. However, I think it's quite profound. People usually think of Death as a bad thing, something to be feared, nit jere. it is spoken of as a gift. As you read on, the fate of te Elves is discussed, and among them is Miriel who grows tired of living. Humans don't live all that long, so we don't know just how weary living can get. It demonstrates the need for a balance between silence and noise, peace and vigorous action.

The Silmarillion is a very enjoyable book for those who love mythology and stories of a more classical style. The language Tolkien uses flows so well, it's almost like poetry in prose. I do like to read novels written in this kind of style because it just seems so much more fluid and flowing. It's hard to explain, but like Watership Down, the writing style seems "old-fashioned" in a way. It uses more words to express an idea, but it's in a good way. I love getting back into this deep fantasy. The story is so enchanting, and mixed with Tolkien's writing, it's really fun to read.

The only difficulty I'm coming across is that there are so many different characters! Of the Valar, there are already so many, but when I read about the history of the Elves and how they are split into so many different groups and have different leaders, it does get confusing! I do have to reread parts at times just to figure out who is who. What I really like, though, is encountering characters that appear in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and finding out their backstories. So fascinating! Tolkien's world is very elaborate and well thought out, making it exceptionally interesting to read about.

My Rating of the Book so Far: 10/10

(Valinor!)

The Silmarillion by J.R.R Tolkien (Begin!)

The Silmarillion
by J.R.R. Tolkien

First thoughts:

I really love The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, so picking up The Silmarillion only seems natural. I read Tolkien's other books years ago, but I never got around to reading this one. This is actually the first Fantasy book I'm blogging about here, even though I usually read a lot of fantasy. Can't wait to get back into it. Let's see how it goes!