The Silmarillion is a collection of tales and stories crafted by J. R. R. Tolkien and completed by Christopher Tolkien. Set thousands of years before the events of the famous books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion tells the stories of the creation of the world of Arda, of the evil Dark Lord Morgoth and the wars fought by the Valar and the Children of Illuvatar against his dark power. It concludes with the tales of Numenor and the creation of the Rings, setting the stage for Tolkien's more famous works.
Negative
The Silmarillion is not a single story, it's a collection of stories. Its stories are written like what you might find in the Bible. It's not written like a novel, it's written like a history. This throws a lot of people off and makes it difficult to review altogether, but mostly the stories told here are excellent. I would recommend this to older readers as the language is difficult and one or two stories are more mature than The Lord of the Rings.
Positive
The Silmarillion has been lauded for being poignant and majestic, and really majestic is the best way to describe it. I literally cannot think of a better word, so I'll leave it at that. You'll find plenty of nobleness, courage, sacrifice, and chivalry in these stories, especially in the story of Beren and Luthien, something that modern-day culture desperately needs.
Conclusion
The Silmarillion is a work of power, majesty, and eloquence. It's a beautiful collection of stories, and it's filled with the poignant poetry of Tolkien. Unfortunately, he died before he could see it's completion, and Tolkien's heir, Christopher Tolkien, died last year. The two authors are gone, but their story remains behind, inspiring and uplifting thousands still.
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