please help someone in need

[DrFledermaus]

Hi there,

I need a book report for The Silmarillion. I know what you will tell me now (read the book you lazy ass) but I need it for my final exams and time is really short so that I probably won't be able to read the whole book till then.

[Lief Erikson]

You want a brief overview of what happens in the book?

[Captain Stern]

You could probably read it all in a day, and it would be far from a chore either.

[Lief Erikson]

a little better than the Hobbit! And that's saying something!

Here's your brief overview:

There are Valar, magical beings created by Eru in their own country called Valinor, the Blessed Realm. One of them is evil, named Melkor. He steals the Silmarils, beautiful jewels, and flees across the world to a place called Beleriand. He builds himself a fortress and puts the Silmarils in his crown.

The maker of the Silmarils gathers an army and pursues him to Beleriand. There is a massive siege built around his fortress, and in the end they are all destroyed. Feanor and almost all the other main characters are killed, and Melkor, now named Morgoth, gets complete control of Beleriand.

Then the Valar come and wipe him out.

The End.

[Sephiroth9611]

The Silmarillion, while complicated, is fairly easy to read in one day. Trying to give a brief synopsis here is impossible without leaving out details that cannot be left out if the story is to be complete, and not some mix-and-match plot outline.

[Lief Erikson]

I was talking in VERY brief. If I was truly intending to give a report, I wouldn't give only the details I did there.

[DrFledermaus]

All right, you convinced me. I'll try to read all in one day but before I'd like to know two more things.... How is this Valinor connected to Middle-Earth and how is Morgoth related to Sauron? Is there any connection?

[Lief Erikson]

Valinor and Middle Earth are separated by a wide ocean. And Sauron was indeed connected to Melkor. He was his lieutenant and powerfulest servant.

[DrFledermaus]

Is Valinor where they sail to at the end of Lord of the Rings? So Sauron was hierarchic below Morgoth....
Okay then, I think I have some idea about the Silmarillion now :) Thanx!

[RKittle]

The Silmarillion is easy to read in a day?! Heh. I've read it many times and still couldn't push through a quarter of it on a realy good day. And I'm a fast reader. Of course, nowadays I don't have the time I used to have for reading, and when I do sit down with the Silmarillion I rather like to take my time and enjoy it. After your report is done, read the Silmarillion slowly, savoring it, absorbing it. Save the speed reading for your next book report ;)

[Lief Erikson]

Probably a good idea. It took me actually a lot longer than a day to read the Silmarillion. But I wasn't devoting as much time to it as you guys surely were.

[Inoldonil]

They sailed to Aman at the end of the Lord of the Rings, which consisted of Valinor, but they didn't land there. They landed in Tol Eressea, an island nearby that was set there by Ulmo, Lord of Waters many Ages before. He was one of the Valar.