Thread: The Silmarillion: I knew I should not have given it away...

I can't say with certainty yet (not having read it and unable to find my copy dammit) but the chief virtue of the silmarillion imo is that, like the 200 pages of appendices, it gives a historical background to LoTR, thus enhacing LoTR and giving it much more depths if you read it again. I admit that the movies really enhanced the books for me in terms of visuals (like the Balrog in Moria, Moria itself, the Argonath, the battles...) and likewise have the books made the movie better.

Btw, if you have grown bored of the Silmarillion, you could just send it to me and I'll kindly give it a new home

Originally Posted by Bruno

Btw, if you have grown bored of the Silmarillion, you could just send it to me and I'll kindly give it a new home

By all means, if you just accept Finnish version

Ehrm... no. I assumed everyone would read the English version.
I only read English books; No translations. The only non English books I'd read would be if the originals were in another language and I really wanted to read them.

i first read LOTR in 1966 and have read it many times since. i haunted bookstores looking for the silmarillion but it wasa decades before it came out and i took one look at it and wasn't interested. too much information. i don't even know if i ever bought a copy. i still reread lotr every couple of years, have the fellowship beside the bed right now. didn't much care for parts of the movies though.

My 2 cents-Lord of the Rings are some of my favorite books, including the appendixes-- They actually complete the story, like Sam going across the ocean, Legolas and Glimi, ect--but I couldn't get through the Silmarillion. It just wasnt that interesting, despite my interest in the subject matter. Some of the stories were ok, but most of it just wasn't very alive and entertaining.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Yeah that is my main reason for not buying them.
What about the Children of Hurin? Is that one sick in the same bed?

I apologize for taking so long to respond. So I find myself in a bit of an ironic situation. I went to look at "The Children of Hurin" so I could double check my answer before I posted (which I believe is yes it is in the same vain, though not bad if you treat it as short stories). The irony is I can't find it! I know I didn't get rid of it, it is just "misplaced" at the moment. I had a room that we used as a library until my daughter was born (2 years ago). That means it is in my basement "somewhere".

That is doubly weird, since I just found my copy of the Silmarillion.
Some time ago I catalogued all my books in numberd boxes. and I know I was in 2 minds about what to do with it at the time. I must have decided to give it away, and then packed it in instead.

Since I was not 100% sure I'd given it away, I unpacked every stinking box, only to find it in the second to last box

But at least I found it so I can see if I can bring myself to finish it this 3d time, having just read LoTR and its appendices.