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!)
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