PLz help!!!!!!!

[Elbereth5]

i have started to attempt to read the samarilloin (Sp?) for the third time and so far ive only gotten to the third chapter and im soooooooo confused...so should i reread it agian or does it get better....plz help!!!!!!!!!! its sooooooooo hard and im thinking about not reading it at all and just quitting..PLZ HELP!!!!!!!:)

~~Tootles~~
Elbeerth5

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Well, why don't you try telling us what's confusing you, and we'll see if we can help straighten you out? :)

[Shadowfax]

I agree with Gwaimir, but let me also tell you that for a lot of people it can be difficult to get into, but once you're on track and you can follow the stories, you will love it, it's such a great book. It does get better!;)

[Maedhros]

Well, if you don't read it, you won't be able to see this:
From The Lays of Beleriand: The Lay of the Children of Húrin
Then Húrin answered, Hithlum's chieftain --
his shining eyes with sheen of fire
in wrath were reddened: 'O ruinous one,
by fear unfettered I have fought thee long,
nor dread thee now, nor thy demon slaves,
fiends and phantoms, thou foe of Gods! '
His dark tresses, drenched and tangled,
that fell o'er his face he flung backward,
in the eye he looked of the evil Lord --
since that day of dread to dare his glance
has no mortal Man had might of soul.
And that would be a shame.

[Silpion]

I am not sure what you're confused about, but if it has to do with the characters and so forth what I would do is make copies of the Family Trees in the back and just lay them out in front of you so you can find who's related to who and how they may be connected with one another. I would also just go over the Pronunciation and read through the Index of Names which is also in the back of the book. You might also want to skim through the Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names in the Appendix (also in the back). And then start to read the stories. What could also be helpful is if you take notes.

I don't want to scare you off the book, but for me when I first read it I kept getting characters whose name begins with an "F" all jumbled up or sometimes a character may have more than one name. I kept having to check which son belonged with which father and I still have problems with the divisions of the Elves. I kept having to refer to the back of the book to check things and then I would write it down and keep it close so that I wouldn't have to keep going back and forth. But once I got through The Silmarillion, I have to say it was well worth it.

I hope this helps you. If my post has nothing to do with your confusion then just ignore it.:)

[Artanis]

If you read this (http://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7124) thread, you'll find some good advice, and you'll discover that you're not alone. :)

[johnnyrod]

It's a book so jammed with stuff in such a short space it will make your head spin. If you need to, skip the first part and get to the meaty bit, you'll want to re-read it before it makes sense anyway, so don't fret. It's a great book.

[azalea]

Does anything exist in the way of a complete timeline of events in the first and second ages? I think that would help me immensely when I finally get around to my second reading of The Silm.

[Celeviel]

hey azalea! i've been trying to read the silmarillion since i was 12 and i didn't understand then because my english comprehension and reading was so poor and along with the fact that there is so much detail in such a short time makes it even worse for me... so i feel your pain! hehe... but seriously, this book is well worth the effort, if anything else, this book became my favourite of all of tolkien's works...

since we're in the internet age now, you can look up maps and the birth lines of certain people you may have in question... one of my favourite sites is the www.glyphweb.com/arda which is The Encyclopedia of Arda site... give it a try, it may help you out some...

good luck and happy reading!

[azalea]

Thanks! :) I'll have to browse there a little. I'd just love to have something similar to Appendix B in LotR for the Slim. I'll have to look around and see if I can find one. Better yet, maybe when I read it again, I'll devise one myself! ::aha!::

[Lollypopgurl]

Don't give up Elbereth5!!! The Silmarillion is my one and only favorite book. It gets REALLY GOOD. :)

[Maedhros]

I'd just love to have something similar to Appendix B in LotR for the Slim. I'll have to look around and see if I can find one. Better yet, maybe when I read it again, I'll devise one myself!
There is one already. All you have to do is look at the Annals of Valinor, Grey Annals, which had the Annals of Beleriand as a precursor and the Tale of Years in The War of the Jewels.

[azalea]

Originally posted by Maedhros
There is one already. All you have to do is look at the Annals of Valinor, Grey Annals, which had the Annals of Beleriand as a precursor and the Tale of Years in The War of the Jewels.

Oh, thanks! I'll have to go ahead and get that one then.

[Elbereth5]

ok yall thanks for all your help...im rereading it and so far i understand it!!!!!!!!yay!!!!!!:) :) :)

[Shadowfax]

Originally posted by azalea
Does anything exist in the way of a complete timeline of events in the first and second ages? I think that would help me immensely when I finally get around to my second reading of The Silm. Here's a Chronology of the Silmarillion (http://mywebpages.comcast.net/mithrandircq/Silmarillion-Chronology.htm) that I found a while back. The site also has a lot of other great info on it.:)

[azalea]

:D :D That's great! Thank you! I'll have to print it out when I get a new ink cartridge!:rolleyes:

[anarion]

I found that it helped me to skip around in the book, and to read the lotr again while using the silmailion as a guide. try reading of turin turambar, it's my favorite chapter.

[genewyn]

Vanimle sila tiri. (your beauty shines bright)

I can speak Sindarin and Quenya elvish so if you want to learn how to say some stuff, or what they are really saying in the movies (which took me forever to find out cuz they talk so darn fast) just email me. i also love making up elvish names. i came up with gonowyn/genewyn myself (not to gloat of course).