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

5.0

While very different in form than the Lord of the Rings, while it is sometimes difficult to get through, the breadth and scope of the Silmarillion is difficult to be matched. The Silmarillion tells an enthralling tale over millennia about the great conflict between good and evil, as depicted within the warring 'gods' of Middle Earth. While the pace can be rapid at times, when it slows down, as it does with the tale of Turin and the story of Beren and Luthien, the results are magnificent. There is such a mythic quality especially to Beren and Luthien, there are so many points where you read what Tolkien wrote and think, "I've heard that story before." It is a "new" story, yes, when Tolkien wrote it. But it feels like a very, very old story as well. There's much more in Silmarillion than can be gleaned in one reading. But the cautions against a greed for beauty, and the desire for revenge, both clearly make it out of the reading of this tale. This is a book to be read many times over the course of a life time.

4.5 to 5 stars.