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Brian McDonald asked this question about The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3):
Does 'The Silmarillion' read like the appendices in 'Return of the King'?
Justin Ulmer It reads like the "campfire" sections in the Rings books where they tell each other tales of the past or of their own journeys.

The Silmarillion spans …moreIt reads like the "campfire" sections in the Rings books where they tell each other tales of the past or of their own journeys.

The Silmarillion spans a much larger time frame and involves many more characters. It is basically the Old Testament of The Lord of the Rings. I find it much more literary than the Rings books. Tolkien seems to pay just as much attention to the way the sentences and words flow as he does the world building. Many of the characters within the Silmarillion are mentioned at some point during the four Ring books. There is not a lot of deep characterization within its many tales, save for a select few characters.

I personally found The Silmarillion very enjoyable, but it is pretty dense reading which I would only recommend to people who are interested in the extended lore of Middle Earth, or those who are fascinated by incredible world building.

I hope this answers your question.(less)
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The Return of the King
by J.R.R. Tolkien
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