Luke’s Reviews > The Silmarillion > Status Update

I’m technically finished with The Silmarillion proper, all I have left is an epilogue of sorts that sums up the Third Age of Middle-Earth and the events of Lord of the Rings. This book is challenging at times for sure, but I’ve enjoyed the whole thing. I have never been so interested in a fictional world’s mythology and lore. But Tolkien was in a class of his own, there will never be anyone like him again.

This chapter was the story of Turin Turambar, which was expanded into the book Children of Hurin. This is definitely the most depressing story in The Silmarillion so far, it’s almost like a Greek tragedy. It even reminds me of Oldboy. I unfortunately knew the ending before I read, but I don’t think that being spoiled really ruins things when it comes to Tolkien.

Holy shit, the story of Beren and Luthien is incredible. I think it’s worth reading this book just for that chapter alone. How the hell has nobody made it into a movie yet? Huan the hound is one of my new favorite Tolkien characters, and if I ever get my own dog in the future, it’ll be hard not to name it after him. I now understand Aragorn and Arwen’s relationship a lot better as well.

This is so unlike any other book I’ve ever read, but it’s so awesome. It’s basically like reading a history book of Middle-earth, except the stories are being told as legends and myths so there’s an epic feel to the words. The next chapter is the story of Beren and Luthien, which is one of Tolkien’s most famous and most personal tales, so I’m excited to read it.

Man, Galadriel had been through so much by the time she met Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship. Being immortal is crazy. Also, I wonder if Valinor ever gets overpopulated. Like what if there are too many elves in Middle Earth and they all wanna cross back over the sea? How big is this place? The geography of Tolkien’s world is hard to follow, someone’s gotta make a Silmarillion movie trilogy to help me out here

Ok, this isn’t as hard to read as everyone says it is. Sure, it’s got a lot of names and places, but the stories themselves are not too hard to follow, and there’s a helpful glossary at the back. Everything has a cosmic, biblical, mythic quality to it that I’m really loving. I can’t get over how brilliant Tolkien’s mind was, how the hell did he come up with all of this stuff? I can feel my brain growing.