The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien’s world. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part. The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-Earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor.

Included in the book are several shorter works. 'The Ainulindale' is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. 'The Akallabeth' recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age and 'Of the Rings of Power' tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings.

Listening Length

14 hours and 49 minutes
Author

J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrator

Martin Shaw
Audible release date

October 29, 2015
Language

English
Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers Limited
ASIN

B016N9U37Q
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	14 hours and 49 minutes
Author	J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrator	Martin Shaw
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	October 29, 2015
Publisher	HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B016N9U37Q
Best Sellers Rank	#276 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #38 in Epic Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals) #59 in Epic Fantasy (Books)

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Hardcover versions compared

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 23, 2022

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This is a review of the editions, with an image, not the text itself. If I'm wrong about anything let me know and I'll correct it.

1998 edition:
Cover: “Maglor casts a Silmaril …” (male throwing white gem against red background)
18 illustrations by Ted Nasmith
Readable, nice, can be found around $20-$30 used. Crazy that this edition is almost 35 years old.
Art:
1. The Sea
2. The Lamp of the Valar
3. At Lake Cuiviénen
4. The Light of Valinor on the Western Sea
5. Fingolfin Leads the Host across the Helcaraxe
6. The First Dawn of the Sun
7. Maedhros's Rescue from Thangorodrim
8. Eöl Welcomes Aredhel
9. Felagund among Beor's Men
10. By Moonlight in Neldoreth Forest
11. Lúthien Escapes upon Huan
12. Morgoth Punishes Húrin
13. Túrin and his Band are Led to Amon Radh
14. Finduilas is Led past Túrin at the Sack of Nargothrond
15. Ulmo Appears before Tor
16. Eärendil the Mariner
17. The Eagles of Manwe
18. The Ships of the Faithful
Front over: Maglor Casts a Silmaril into the Sea
Back cover: Beren and Luthien are carried to Safety

2004 edition:
Cover: “White Ships of Valinor” (white boats sailing in fair weather, island in background)
45 illustrations by Ted Nasmith
Glossy paper, which can be a positive or negative I guess
Can be found around $25 new, which is a DEAL. This is mine for reading without fear of damaging a collector’s item.
Art:
1. The Sea
2. The Lamp of the Valar
3. Aule Prepares to Destroy His Children
4. At Lake Cuiviénen
5. The Light of Valinor on the Western Sea
6. The Ships of the Teleri Drawn by Swans
7. The Kinslaying at Alqualonde
8. Fingolfin Leads the Host across the Helcaraxe
9. The First Dawn of the Sun
10. The Burning of the Ships
11. Maedhros' Rescue from Thangorodrim
12. The Gates of Sirion
13. Eöl Welcomes Aredhel
14. Eöl is Led to the Walls
15. Felagund among Beor's Men
16. Fingolfin's Wrath
17. The Orc-Host is Ambushed in Brethil
18. Tarn Aeluin
19. By Moonlight in Neldoreth Forest
20. Lúthien Escapes upon Huan
21. Transformed
22. Beren and Lúthien are Carried to Safety
23. Huan's Leap
24. Morgoth Punishes Húrin
25. The Hill of Slain
26. Saeros' Fatal Leap
27. Túrin and his Band are Led to Amon Rûdh
28. Beleg is Slain
29. Túrin Bears Gwindor to Safety
30. Finduilas is Led past Túrin at the Sack of Nargothrond
31. Túrin Reaches the Abandoned Homestead
32. Up the Rainy Stair
33. Húrin Finds Morwen
34. Tuor Follows the Swans to Vinyamar
35. Ulmo Appears before Tuor
36. Tuor and Voronwe see Turin at the Pools of Ivrin
37. The Escape from Gondolin
38. Maglor Casts a Silmaril into the Sea
39. Earendil the Mariner
40. White Ships from Valinor
41. The Eagles of Manwe
42. Tar-Miriel and the Great Wave
43. The Ships of the Faithful
44. The Forging of the One
45. The White Tree

2021 edition:
Cover: “Ships of the Faithful” ship sailing amidst storm/red sky
49 illustrations by Ted Nasmith
Can be found closer to $40
Regular flat paper, not glossy. More standard book-shaped, whereas the 2004 version is more square, like a coffee table book. Mine was used and did NOT include a fold-out map, but the colorized Christopher Tolkien Beleriand map is in the front plate and endplate (inside the cover, both ends).
Art:
1. The Sea
2. The Lamp of the Valar
3. Aule Prepares to Destroy His Children
4. At Lake Cuiviénen
5. The Light of Valinor on the Western Sea
6. The Ships of the Teleri Drawn by Swans
7. The Kinslaying at Alqualonde
8. Fingolfin Leads the Host across the Helcaraxe
9. The First Dawn of the Sun
10. The Burning of the Ships
11. Maedhros' Rescue from Thangorodrim
12. The Gates of Sirion
13. Eöl Welcomes Aredhel
14. Eöl is Led to the Walls
15. Felagund among Beor's Men
16. Fingolfin's Wrath
17. Turgon at Fingolfin's Cairn
18. The Orc-Host is Ambushed in Brethil
19. At Tarn Aeluin
20. By Moonlight in Neldoreth Forest
21. Lúthien Escapes upon Huan
22. Transformed
23. Beren and Lúthien are Carried to Safety
24. Huan's Leap
25. Lúthien at Tol Galen
26. Morgoth Punishes Húrin
27. The Hill of Slain
28. Saeros' Fatal Leap
29. Túrin and his Band are Led to Amon Rûdh
30. Beleg is Slain
31. Túrin Bears Gwindor to Safety
32. Finduilas is Led past Túrin at the Sack of Nargothrond
33. Túrin Reaches the Abandoned Homestead
34. Up the Rainy Stair
35. The Slaying of Glaurung
36. Húrin Finds Morwen
37. Tuor Follows the Swans to Vinyamar
38. Ulmo Appears before Tuor
39. Tuor and Voronwe see Türin at the Pools of Ivrin
40. The Escape from Gondolin
41. Eärendil Searches Tirion
42. Maglor Casts a Silmaril into the Sea
43. Eärendil the Mariner
44. White Ships from Valinor
45. The Eagles of Manwe
46. Tar-Miriel and the Great Wave
47. The Ships of the Faithful
48. The Forging of the One
49. The White Tree

2022 edition:
Blue cover with circular design
59 illustrations by Tolkien himself – BUT more than half of these are “devices,” neat little square symbols at the start of a chapter and so on—not big full color paintings or drawings.
Around $40. Be aware, Tolkien’s artwork consists more of drawings and sketches with limited color. They are not the epic Ted Nasmith paintings you see in others. If you value his quaint older sketches, these are great. Personally, Nasmith’s objectively better work is more inspiring and helps me engage in the story. Tolkien is a GREAT writer, and a pretty good artist. Nasmith is a GREAT artist.

I like them all. If I was only going to get one, I’d get the 2004 version because you get a ton of great Nasmith artwork for an insanely cheap twenty-five bucks (today). Tolkien’s own art is neat, but if you want to be encouraged through a dense book, Nasmith’s art helps pull you in and pull you along.

41 people found this helpful

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Cole B

Wonderful world-building

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 2, 2023

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I wanted to get some backstory on The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings before reading them, so I bought the Silmarillion. It’s lengthy and in-depth, sometimes with details and side stories that sometimes seem distracting…. but it’s a wonderful book with lovely stories. I was quite moved by both The Children of Húrin and Beren and Luthien.

Toward the end we meet the Istari, which might be some of my favorite characters, which culminates in the very brief overview of LOTR.

For those interested, the very end of the book has a list of names and a pronunciation guide as well as a few family trees. It’s quite helpful, although if you care about that sort of thing maybe take a look at the pronunciation guide before reading. At times, I read parts aloud to my daughter and I did a lot of guesswork since I didn’t check the table of contents.

Enjoy!

One person found this helpful

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Wesley Carillo

A timeless classic

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 25, 2023

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With all the adaptations made for film, I felt it would be appropriate to turn back to this classic for a reread. The Silmarillion is an epic masterpiece of fantasy and adventure. It follows the stories of the Elves and their battles against the forces of evil in Middle-Earth. The Silmarillion is a complex and detailed work of literature, and Tolkien's skill in world-building is unparalleled. This book without a doubt has one of the most in-depth lore that I have ever read. The characters in the book are vivid and endearing, and the writing is captivating. The Silmarillion is a deeply satisfying work of literature, and it is filled with moments of both sorrow and triumph.

Overall, The Silmarillion is an amazing work of literature and a must-read for any fan of Tolkien’s works. It is an epic and captivating story, full of thrilling battles, complex characters, and a detailed world. The Silmarillion is a timeless classic and a must-read for any fan of epic fantasy.

2 people found this helpful

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EMR

Magnificent masterpiece

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 22, 2018

Verified Purchase

I bought The Silmarillion a long time ago in paperback, settled down and started to read. I gave up after a few pages feeling bored and confused. What was this? It was like reading the Bible. I just couldn't get into it. However, a few months later I tried again. Still didn't like it. And then later I tried again. Once more I couldn't get past the first couple of chapters. Bored, bored, bored. In the end I gave my paperback to charity.

Many years later I decided I would try The Silmarillion again. This time I bought it in hardback, thinking that I could guilt myself into reading it as I'd paid so much for it. I knew I was having difficulty reading the first chapters so I forced myself to read two pages a day (not an ideal way to enjoy a book!). Then something magical happened. I found myself enjoying it. By the time I had reached chapter 6 "Of Feanor and the unchaining of Melkor" I was completely gripped and couldn't put the book down. I didn't want it to end. I actually felt quite bereft when I'd finished it. The stories of Feanor and his sons and the Silmarils, the fall of Gondolin, the love story of Beren and Luthien, the tragic story of Turin Turambar all completely enthralled me. It is difficult to put into words how completely captivating and engrossing these stories are. How one man had all this inside his head is beyond me.

I have one tiny gripe. Why on earth isn't Thangorodrim and Angband on the map included in the book? It's like leaving Mordor off the map of Middle Earth in LOTR. It's essential. In the end I bought Karen Wynn Fonstad's map book The Atlas of Tolkien’s Middle-earth so I could sort it out in my head.

So the moral of the story is if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. If you persist with this book you will be very well rewarded. It's the sort of book that will stay with you for a lifetime.

206 people found this helpful

S. Lornie

The Middle Earth Bible!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 23, 2022

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The Silmarillion is a book I have had in my collection for a while. I adore Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. I would go as far as to say they're possibly my favourite books. I've read them all back to back and do so more than the average person. But The Silmarillion is one I've been on the fence about. I've heard for a long time that this book is a tough read. That it is very dry, full of hard to pronounce Elven words and is a huge hit or miss on anyone who picks the thing up. Because of this, I've felt a bit hesitant to try it. With the constant advertising of the awful looking Rings of Power show, I thought it was finally time to give it a whirl. I may or may not like it, but I'll give it a go anyway. That is exactly what I did and to my surprise, I found this book was not only a fantastic read but a lot easier than the people I know have stated.

For those who are not familiar with the book, The Silmarillion is a post humous release by Christopher Tolkien. He had the help of fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay and their goal was to put together J.R.R. Tolkien's history of Middle Earth and all things surrounding it into a coherent and readable book. This book mainly features a detailed history of the first age of Middle Earth. Everything from the first being, to the origins of the Valar and Maiar, the world and all the lands in it as well as the races of Elves, Men, Dwarves etc that dwell in it. There's a good portion about the the fall of Numenor, Last Alliance's fight against Sauron and ending with a short section about the third age (Aragorn, Frodo etc).

As a book, I found it not too difficult to read. The English was old fashioned but easy to understand. I didn't find it too dry or dull. He uses this to paint a fantastic picture, something that a lot of people are incapable of doing in this day and age (in my opinion). The story telling itself was well paced for the most part, only feeling slow at the beginning as the reader is being introduced to the origins of everything, their true names and who/what they were involved with. All of the short stories are very fascinating. Tolkien introduces us to a lot of great characters, most of whom have back stories and satisfying character arcs.

Whilst I love the detail in the stories themselves, I find that sometimes they can be buried under a little too much information. At times when we discover a new character, we're introduced to him (or her) like this, "This is so and so from this family, child of this person, living in this region, next to this place, where this thing is and they originally came from here, took part in this event which featured this person who lives here... " and so on. It's fine in small portions but can get a little silly at times. Especially when you consider the length of the names given to every person and place. I suspect this is the part that people find off putting and possibly over whelming. It might seem like sacrilege to some but is literally the ONLY reason I've given it four stars and as a little restraint might have been better at times.

The copy of the book I have is the lovely orange 2021 hardback special edition. This beast of a book comes with some wonderfully thick pages, a serious hard front and back cover as well as a large slipcase to keep the book in. The text is more than large enough for my miserable eyes and there's a good amount of illustrations too. The works of Ted Nasmith scattered throughout the book are absolutely lovely. Plenty of detail and colour. It's a fine product and a great edition in my collection.

The Silmarillion is a great detailed history of how things came to be and really puts some stuff into perspective. It might be a bit much for those who only like the films and those that struggle to pronounce Elvish. Those folks can get a considerably cheaper copy. But those die hard Tolkien readers will love this copy of the book, or the book in general. There's so many great characters and details about things only mentioned in previous books. It really makes things feel complete and I couldn't recommend it more.

46 people found this helpful

Djilly L.

The one uncompleted book in my vast book collection

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 1, 2019

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With fondness i recall how much I enjoyed reading the Hobbit and even more so the Lord of the Rings during my teenage years - I even feigned illness to have a good few days to complete these books.

Although I barely read fiction these days, I thought it a great idea to bring the Silmarillion along on a holiday trip. That was a mistake. I was aware the book was never published during the author’s life and that it was completed and composed by his son. However it’s of much higher mythological content than for instance the start of the Lord of the Rings. To me the book just goes on and on about the Elderdays to which there are references in the Lord of the Rings. But the writing style is very different. And it reads more like a dry history text that heaps up exotic dwarf and elven names. To me it was all a bit incoherent or maybe I didn’t try hard enough to find the coherence. Yet I did make a serious effort!

Perhaps my setting wasn’t great as I like my holiday reading to be accompanied by a few beers or a good wine, but that doesn’t blend well with the nature of this book as it requires close attention. I never, ever do not finish a book. But the Silmarillion broke this rule, as I gave up after 1/3 and decide to leave it to the Middle Earth fanatics and started to enjoy my holiday.

52 people found this helpful

Mr Pyndah Vickers

An absolutely essential purchase for any Tolkien fan.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 12, 2022

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Note: this review is for the 2022 ‘illustrated by the author’ version.

I’m going to imagine that most people who are obsessive about Tolkien’s works will already have this book in some format or another. So why buy this one? Well, for a start it’s beautifully illustrated throughout by the author himself. Obviously, Tolkien was clearly not as good an illustrator as Alan Lee, John Howe or Ted Nasmith, but his pictures do give you a much better insight into how Middle-Earth would look, if it were not coloured by later fantasy works.

Second is the book itself, which is absolutely beautiful: case-bound with a foil imprint of the Silmarilli device on the cover and spine. The print is of a very high quality in two colours: black with blue titles and headings. The paper is premium, white and smooth – not the pulp used in the other tales of the First Age Series. There are two pull-out maps included as well: a reprint of the original hand drawn version by J.R.R. Tolkien himself and a revised version by his son Christopher. The finishing touches are that the edges of the pages are tinted green with Tengwar (Elven) Script emblazoned down them, as well as a built-in bookmark.

If you are new to Tolkien and have come here from the films or the TV show — or simply want to find out more about the history of Middle-Earth — then this is the place to come. I am not going to lie: The Silmarillion can be a hard read compared to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and even more so when compared to ‘The Hobbit’, as it has an almost biblical style. My advice is to check out the tips on pronunciation in the back of the book before starting — it’ll make your progress much easier. There are five sections overall, but the main part is the ‘Quenta Silmarillion’, which is the story of the Elves and the holy gems known as the Silmarils, and is set during the First Age of Middle-Earth. The other sections deal with the creation of Middle-Earth, the various gods and goddesses, the Second Age and the downfall of Numenor, and a brief synopsis of the events leading up to the end of the Third Age.

As I said earlier it’s not the easiest read in the world but it is absolutely essential if you wish to know more about Middle-Earth and, especially, the Elves. I highly recommend this version.

17 people found this helpful

M. Dowden

Back in the Mists of Time

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 19, 2022

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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is of course best remembered by the general public for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but of course he wrote much more than this, both fiction and non-fiction. This particular book was never published in the author’s lifetime, and it is only thanks to his son, Christopher that we have this. We have here then Ainulindalë, Valaquenta, Quenta Silmarillion, Akallabêth, and Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age. Along with these tales we also have maps, family trees, notes on pronunciation, an index, footnotes and so on.

Because Tolkien created such an immersive world, with invented languages and so much more he was also able to create a whole mythopoeia for this world, these stories being part of that. So here we are given a creation myth the First Age of Middle Earth and the forging of the SIlmarils, all of which are interconnected tales; the fall of various people, and the last part giving us an idea of the rings, which would be continued in his more popular works.

As such this was really a work in progress as Tolkien originally started writing the pieces here long before the more famous works were published, and thus he was still building the world that we later came to know so well. I first read this when I was in my teens but coming back to it all these years later, I can clearly see where certain parts of this were inspired by real myths from the world, which gives me a greater appreciation of what the author was attempting to do with this, and how well he built his fantasy world and languages spoken in it.

I should warn those who are coming to this for the very first time that when this was first published it received mainly poor reviews, but if you look a little bit more into them you will see that this was perhaps because the press were expecting more of what had been published in the past, rather than something that was based more upon the lines of a scholarly type of work, more akin to something that would be written about myths in our own world. The problem then with this is that even if you are a hardened fan, you may not find this easily digestible although it does make for an interesting read, and it is not common to have a fantasy world created with such precision.

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