The Silmarillion

Revisiting The Silmarillion

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It’s been a while, but I’m back.

Much like people who revisit familiar places as vacation destinations, I’m going back to revisit a favorite book series of mine, starting with The Silmarillion.

A primer is in order first. The Silmarillion is like Middle Earth 101 (or to risk being a little sacrilegious, the Middle Earth Bible). It starts with the creation of all things and progresses from there.

If you love The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, this is where it all started. Literally. J. R. R. Tolkien began working on this manuscript way before The Hobbit and worked on it continuously until he died. His son, Christopher, published it  four years after Tolkien’s death.

It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s Wagnerian in its scope and not quite as warm and friendly as The Hobbit or LOTR. I don’t see how anyone could adapt this into a feature film (though I imagine someone will make an attempt in the near future).

I could have titled this blog post “Yes, I am a Nerd (and Thanks for Noticing).” I don’t mind. I can think of very few who could create such a fully realized reality such as Middle Earth, complete with an assortment of beings who had their own histories and languages. Though Tolkien didn’t intend them as allegories in the strictest sense, you can pull all sorts of inferences from his writings.

For the record, I am a fan of all things Harry Potter and Narnia. I also love the Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L’Engle. At least those are the ones that come to mind.

Hopefully, I won’t rush through this time. I want to stop and savor all of Middle Earth. Too bad there’s not a “I went to The Shire and all I got was this lousy t-shirt” t-shirt.

 

Revisiting the Shire

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I’m re-reading The Lord of the Rings. I’ve actually lost count of how many times I’ve read this book (side note: there are not three books, but one book in three parts).

It’s like going back to a familiar vacation spot. I get to revisit places like Bag End, where Bilbo Baggins lives, and The Shire. I can go back to the Prancing Pony or even climb Weathertop again. I wish there really was a Rivendell or Lothlorien to visit for an extended period of time.

If you don’t know what any of these places are, I recommend reading Lord of the Rings. Start with The Hobbit. If you’re feeling really brave, pick up The Silmarillion.

I have so many books on my to-read list that I’ll have to live to be 200 to get them all read. And I keep adding more books to that list. I read one and buy three, which even according to my own math skills doesn’t add up. So why do I keep reading the same books over and over?

Because some are just that good. I get my Narnia fix and go back to Middle Earth to check out those wacky hobbits because those books stir up feelings and desires in me that make me want to be a better person.

Plus, every time I read them, I pick up something new that I’ve missed before. Plus, I get the thrill of anticipating what I know is about to happen next.

They do make pills for this.

If you re-read certain books every year, I’d like to know. It would be nice knowing I’m not the only one who does this.

Plus, I can add even MORE books to my to-read list. Yay.

PS I’ve seen the movies and it helps me visualize the characters and places in the book. Just thought I’d thrown that one in for free.

I like the movies, but I much prefer the books. You can’t really do justice to this book unless you make ridiculously long movies that almost no one would go see. Plus, who would they get to play the part of Tom Bombadil?

Revisiting an Old Favorite

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There are a few books that I annually re-read. I make a point to read The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings every year. For me, it’s like going on vacation to a familiar place with people you know.

One book that I don’t read every year, but probably every other year is The Silmarillion. It actually predates both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien started it in or around 1917 and worked on it continuously up until his death in 1973. It was published four years later.

It contains the mythology of the world behind the Lord of the Rings with its own creation account and the introduction of evil into the world. You find out that Sauron is but a servant of a greater evil, but you’ll have to read the book to find out who or what.

Reading the book again reminds me of why I love books in the first place. Tolkien writes with such lyrical prose that it’s easy to visualize what he’s writing about. It is much broader in scope than either The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings and contains a great deal more characters.

I can’t imagine how anyone could make a single cohesive movie from this book. Maybe a trilogy someday, but even then I don’t see how they could capture the essence of the book. I hope somebody proves me wrong one day.

The version to get is the one with the illustrations by Ted Naismith. Just follow this link if you don’t already have the book. http://www.amazon.com/Silmarillion-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0618391118/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348371959&sr=1-1&keywords=the+silmarillion (The cover on the book is different than mine, but it has the same illustrations.)

It’s not a complete work and it is imperfect, but it is worth reading at least once (or if you’re like me, way more than once). I give it the ol’ Siskel and Ebert two thumbs up.