I'm having trouble reading the Silmarillion

[Peregrina_Took]

(Sorry if this is the wrong place for this thread... :( )

OK, so here's the deal - I've heard a lot about The Silmarillion, and I would very very, VERY much like to read it. What I've heard about it sounds fastinating, and I would love to learn more about Middle-earth.

So I got it from a library a few weeks ago, and tried to read it. I couldn't. I got lost on the first page and gave it up after the second. I tried it again recently - no go. I just can't wade through. Beowulf? No biggie. Jane Austen? No trouble. Silmarillion? I can't make it.

But I'm still definately interested in the story - what do I do?

[Valandil]

I suggest maybe wait a little, and then try again sometime later.

The first time I read The Hobbit, it seemed slow, and I don't think I finished - and I had to later come back and start over and read it again. I'm SURE that happened when I read LOTR.

Like you, when I finally tried to start The Silmarillion, I felt lost. And I didn't even try again for a long time. Finally, I wanted to do another re-read of Hobbit and LOTR (maybe my 4th or 5th - many years after my first) and decided to read Silmarillion first, so I'd be familiar with all the ancient references when I went through the other two. That time I made it without any real difficulty.

I think we have to slow ourselves down to read Tolkien's works. We have to be patient and let the story grow. But in doing that - we end up totally absorbed in the work. :)

Good luck. And welcome to Entmoot!

[The Gaffer]

Agree with that.

What you have, basically, is a load of background stories and notes, some more complete than others, which were groomed for publication by JRRT's son. Some are better than others, some are downright unreadable. But all of them put detail onto the greater vision, and therefore it's worth making the effort IMO.

Note that there is no requirement to read them in order. I would advise you pick a couple of the best stories and work your way in.

I'm sure people on this forum could chime in with "favourite chapters", or at least, ones that are good starting points.

My suggestion would be Of Beren and Luthien, as it's nice background for LOTR, and the tale of Aragorn and Arwen.

:)

[Rían]

Hello Ms. Took! (assuming the Ms....)

I think pretty much everyone here has had a similar experience - you're just at the beginning of it ;) Put it down ... but pick it up after awhile. Repeat and rinse ... er, repeat as necessary until you're hooked :)

It is WELL worth the read ... and the re-read ... and the re-reread :D

What helped me the most was to actually jot down the names and a several word description of the main characters, especially those with names that start with F, which seem to be almost all of them at one point!! Then instead of coming to a screeching halt when I came across a name and couldn't remember any context, I would glance at my little note-sheet and go aha! NOW that makes sense!

Keep encouraged, and keep it out so you can see it. You can't escape now! ;) I bet you'll soon be on the HoME series! (the History of Middle Earth)

And yes to wot Gaffer said - there's no need to read in order, although I think eventually it helps. But for now, start something, and if you're having trouble, dump it and go on.

[Peregrina_Took]

Thanks for the help!! I like the idea of writing down the character names. :)

[Lefty Scaevola]

I think pretty much everyone here has had a similar experience - Not me. I dove right into it and burned through it in a few days. Perhaps I had been trained by reading many mythologies and ancient literature.

[Rían]

yes, that probably helped - I think you're the exception, though!

[Varnafindë]

I got lost on the first page and gave it up after the second. I tried it again recently - no go. I just can't wade through. Beowulf? No biggie. Jane Austen? No trouble. Silmarillion? I can't make it.

But I'm still definately interested in the story - what do I do?

If the first part - with the creation myth - doesn't do anything for you, skip it for now, and go straight to the main part, the Silmarillion itself. There, look at the index, and look for chapters that seem to interest you. Note down names like some others suggested, and go back and forth as you please. You can always read it in order some time later :)

I wasn't too taken with it first either. I saw it in the student bookshop when it was new, I flicked through it, but didn't buy. I didn't read it until years later ...

[EllethValatari]

I got lost on the first page and gave it up after the second. I tried it again recently - no go. I just can't wade through.
But I'm still definately interested in the story - what do I do?

I had the same problem when I started reading it when I was 12. It was literally TMI. I couldn't process it all, so I stopped. A couple months later, I started it again, and it was still too deep. Being a mathematical person, though, I started making charts of the Valar and Maia, looking up any references, etc., and it became a very enjoyable task. I would suggest getting Robert Foster's The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth. It's a dictionary of anything specific to ME-extremely helpful. If you want to be even more thorough, read The History of Middle Earth and then go back and read any of Tolkien's books you want-you will be amazed by their development.

Don't give up on the Simarillion. It takes a little work, but if you love Tolkien's writings, the work will be worth it.

After my first study, I read the Simarillion two more times. :)

[Tessar]

I like Elleth's idea.

My suggestion is treat it like something you have to read for school that you know will take you a while to get into. Make yourself read one paragraph the first day. Try to read two the next day, three after that, etc... It's what I had to do to learn how to read things like The Illiad. After a day or two I fell into the rhythm and started enjoying reading it, but taking it slow and learning to wrap my mind around that style took me a few days.

[Earniel]

The Silmarillion isn't really a book you can read like a normal novel. I was kind of used to the style, since I had a few mythology books quite like it, but I still found it useful to read a chapter each time. And then take a bit of time to digest it before continuing. It also does help to occassionally go back and re-read a bit. And I often looked at the genealogy charts at the back of the book, it was easier to remember family-links that way.

[katya]

Same story here. Tried it right after I read LotR for the first time. Didn't pick it up again for a couple years, but now it's maybe my favorite. Everyone else has had some great advice so far, I just thought I'd add that the beginning is hard to get into, but there are some great and much more readable stories after that (Luthien and Beren come to mind).

[Wilhelm]

I think the people that put it down and came back to it later probably had the right idea. I was determined and I forced my way through it. At first, I found it more like reading a text book than a novel. It did get much better as the reading went on.

I had "a whole heap of trouble" keeping the names straight (As Rian mentioned - all those names starting with "F"). I was constantly flipping to the index and as a result losing the flow of the stories (hence the text book comment).

Part way through it started coming together - I had sorted out enough of the names that the introduction of a new character was not completely disruptive. I started to appreciate the stories.

In short, I had to invest the effort to establish a base level of knowledge and understanding before I could enjoy what I was reading. If it weren't Tolkien I doubt I would have been stubborn enough to stick with it. In the end, I believe it will be worth whatever time or effort you put into it.

[cee2lee2]

I've tried to read it many times and though I've never made it all the way through yet, I get further every time. As for the creation myth, I've read it the most, and every time I do, I enjoy it more. (I'm one of those people who just can't skip around in a book ;) .)

Don't know what is keeping me from finishing, but suspect it's because I don't slow down enough to let it sink in. Putting it down for now and coming back later is helping me. And I probably should write down the names.

So, Peregrina_Took, you're definitely not alone!

[Alcuin]

FWIW, I want to echo what you’ve already been told. I’ve read all of Silmarillion several times, but only once cover-to-cover, and that was not my first reading. I suggest that you find a story that strikes your fancy, read it, and look for another.

Unlike Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion is not a continuous, integrated storyline. Tolkien had a terrible time getting it published, and in fact, it was never published in his lifetime: his son Christopher worked with Guy Gavriel Kay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Gavriel_Kay), then a very young Canadian author whose parents were friends of CJRT’s wife, to get it published four years after his father’s death. There is a new thread on Tolkien’s collected Letters (http://www.entmoot.com/showthread.php?t=15417), and one of the topics that may later arise concerns his unsuccessful attempts to get Silmarillion published, as well as the more and less diplomatic parries publishers used to avoid it. Only after the spectacular success of Lord of the Rings did anyone want to publish the thing, and then because they realized there was an enormous after-market for follow-on books.

[Elennár]

I'd like to chime in with some of my favourite chapters so you can go start with them if you like:
The Lay of Leitheian (The Story of Beren and Lúthien)
The Darkening of Valinor
The Battle of the Unnumbered Tears
Of the Sun and the Moon
I'll come back later to add more.
:D

[EllethValatari]

Welcome Elennar!

Interesting approach-I wouldn't think to suggest reading certain better chapters before others-then again I'm the type of person that insists upon reading a book from cover to cover. Each to his own :)

[Elennár]

Welcome Elennar!

Interesting approach-I wouldn't think to suggest reading certain better chapters before others-then again I'm the type of person that insists upon reading a book from cover to cover. Each to his own :)
Hello EllethValatari! Normally, I wouldn't use this approach for a novel either. Thankfully though, as the Silmarillion isn't exactly linear or continuous, people can still enjoy it this way; and then come back and read the whole thing.

[Valandil]

I also agree with EllethValatari. While the stories are episodic, they also build one upon another. And to pick up a story in the middle, without knowing what the background is, I think could still leave the reader with a very unclear picture. If that has worked for some of you - that's fine. It doesn't work for me.

[Peregrina_Took]

Update: About two weeks ago, I picked the Silmarillion back up. I started with the story of Beren and Luthien, as I am relatively familiar with that story's plot. After that, I went back to the beginning and read it from the start. I'm half way through right now, and am having little to no trouble with it, although I am checking the Name Index a lot to keep track of who everyone is.

Thanks for all the help!

[Varnafindë]

I'm pleased to hear that you found an approach that worked for you. :)

Happy to have been part of your helpers!

[Rían]

You're welcome - enjoy! :cheers:

And I recommend "Unfinished Tales" for your next reading adventure :)

[Laurelin the Younger]

Another random tip - I'm on my third try and I am fully engrossed this time and not really finding it that difficult at all. I've become pretty pro at using the index with character/place definitions in the back, but I find I need it less and less. Also, after each chapter I read I browse the forums. It helps to see other people giving in-depth analyses of what I just read. You definitely have to approach it from a more academic standpoint.

[Thenichir]

I am trying to read the Silmarillion again, but I keep losing interest. I guess I have a problem with the idea of creator gods. They tend to lose themselves in their creation, according to the Kybalion. I don't know. It's fine to read about it in a novel, but quite another thing when it makes you think about our own reality.

[Galenavar]

Interesting you should put it that way. I think I enjoy a novel most (and anything, really) when it does make you think about your own reality, instead of simply providing an escape. Not that simple escape isn't good and sometimes very necessary. But the best books resonate on a 'real' level as well, I feel.

Anyway, all that aside, when I read the Silmarillion, I approached it as if I were about to tackle an epic from Greek mythology, such as the Illiad. It helped me get into a frame of mind that made the -"academic-ness", I guess is as appropriate a descriptor as any even if I just made it up- much more accessible. I loved the creation myth, and was hooked right away. Experience reading epics of science fiction and fantasy had trained me well to constantly reference all the material in the back (genealogies and such), which helped.

If the creation myth doesn't do it for you, skip it and move on to the next story. Once you get a little more immersed in the history, maybe the creation of it all will be a bit more interesting. :)

[Mark of Cenla]

The last time I read it, and it probably will be the last time, I took notes. It really helped. The closest thing I can compare it to is the Old Testament in the Bible. Taking notes really helped me. Good luck.

[Olmer]

Hi, everyone! Long time no see.:)
Couldn't help to add to Mark of Cenla comment. Taking the notes is a really helpful way to get a close acquaintance with the story.
I plunged into " The Silm" right from the beginning, making notes after sentences if I saw a hidden meaning in it, putting down my thoughts about some events. Something like:
There was Eru, the One…and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offsprings of his thought…
If such evil, as Motgoth, sprang up from his thought, does it means that not all his thoughts were benign ?

…for Iluvatar made visible the song of the Ainur, and they beheld it as a light in the darkness.
This was the world's first sonogram.
Some of these thoughts he(Melkor) now wove into his music, and straightaway discord arose around him, and many that sang nigh him grew despondent, and their thought was disturbed…
Discord in the offsprings of Eru’s thoughts - the first well documented case of schizophrenia.
Well, you know me...:evil:
Any way, for me it was like reading a detective story. Slow, but captivating.

[ASmileThatExplodes]

Haha, Olmer, I really laughed with your notes, truely genius. :D

-
And yeah, I also had a lot of trouble with the Silmarillion. When I first began to read it, I thought: 'WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST BUY?!?!?' But after a couple of times re-reading the first chapters, I didn't have a problem anymore. (:

Now I love The Silmarillion even more than LotR.

[Mark of Cenla]

The last time I read it, and it probably will be the last time, I took notes. It really helped. The closest thing I can compare it to is the Old Testament in the Bible. Taking notes really helped me. Good luck.

I am now thinking about reading it again!

[Varnafindë]

I'd say it gets better with each new reading :thumb:

[Logkhya]

We need some more details in explanation of the book. Some reference will be helpful

[Valandil]

You should check out our Silmarillion Project Subforum! :)

[Lotesse]

At first, EVERYbody has trouble reading The Silmarillion, but fear not! There are people here, especially Valandil, who can help you along in the effort, but, BUT: Let me tell you what MY secret key to opening & loving the Sil was.

It was when I special-ordered The Silmarillion hardcover illustrated by Ted Nasmith, back in '07 I think. Published by Houghton-Mifflin. Something about those incredibly lush, emotionally evocative illustrations and the way they go along with whichever storyline/chapter you're reading, makes it sooooooo, so much easier to love & comprehend.

It was like 20 or 30 dollars, can't remember, but oh, so worth it. It's one of my favourite books in my precious, gigantic personal library. Absolutely beautiful tome.