A review by keelibop
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

4.0

Wow, such a master world builder. It was such a rare treat to get to see the structure and concepts that Tolkien had created to get to LOTR. It is very clear to me that he had many more stories to tell in middle earth. It is such a shame that he passed away with these works incomplete. I would love to read these stories in his unique and beautiful voice in their final form. This work is an outline of the entire history of middle earth and could easily fill ten novels if it was completed. As such it often feels like an outline and a sweeping sequence of events with little emotional investment. I wish Tolkien had written more female characters but at least he seems to admire and love women, but he is a product of his time in this way. It was worth reading this to better understand Sauron, Elrond, Aragorn and middle earth in general, where the wizards came from, and the tensions between the races of middle earth. Pretty incredible that we get to read his concepts, even if they feel like a history. The exception being the chapters on Beren and Luthien, which were gorgeous and dynamic. I am
Thankful to the Tolkien family for sharing this with us. My rating is largely influenced by taking this for what it is, a gift, the outline of a world building genius, and a glimpse behind the curtain of a master of high fantasy. It at times felt like work to read, and is incomplete, and as such I can’t give it five stars, but I very much respect it.