Silmarillion, ChrisTolk's extended books, both...?

Started by JasonPratt, October 13, 2022, 04:07:41 PM

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JasonPratt

As I get older, I recall that I haven't read some books I've always intended to read yet -- since high school in some cases.

So, I've never read the Silmarillion, which I have somewhere. Also I haven't read Christopher Tolkien's collated collection of Tolkien's whatever -- I have that collection in my shelves somewhere (best friend gave them for a birthday decades ago around the time CT finished publishing the collection. Or I think finished.)

I don't really care about reading alternate compositions of the Hobbit, LotR, or preceding stories back to/through the Sil. I just want to read as much of a coherent narrative as possible up until the Hobbit starts (presumably, realizing some of that is in the RotK appendices.)

Thus, what do fellow geeks here recommend for the best coherent narrative up until before the Hob (however far that may go)?
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Gusington

Some fellers here have said Silmarillion is quite dull.


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solops

#2
The appendix to LotR  is essential to read before the Silmarillion. I think that's all you need. It has a long, complete and detailed timeline that organizes and puts into perspective the whole history, particularly of the Second Age. The data on the First Age is equally important, but not as lengthy. This appendix is not presented as a story to read, but allows one to understand and enjoy the other Hobbit/LotR prequels much better. I quite enjoyed the Silmarillion and have read it several times. Some of the stories in it are noticeably more polished than others.
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Dammit Carl!

Quote from: Gusington on October 13, 2022, 04:42:05 PM
Some fellers here have said Silmarillion is quite dull.

Very (IMHO).  Ran my head up against that wall more than once.

Gusington



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We can't live under the threat of a c*nt because he's threatening nuclear Armageddon.

-JudgeDredd

Sir Slash

The Silmarillion was way over my head. Never got more than about half-way through.  :-[
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undercovergeek

Finished it but more out of determination than entertainment - it's interesting but it's hard work

JasonPratt

Okay, having gotten out my Ballantine paperbacks of the first 5 or 6 extended books from Chris Tolkien, I can see that while there may be interesting extra material and narrative in them, mostly it's a sourcebook record for development of the main narratives (Sil, Hob, LotR although the first books don't get to LotR material or even the Hobbit really). Would be nice to see a harmonized compilation of extra stuff to flesh out the Sil, but that doesn't seem to exist.

That settles my question: just get Sil and go with that. And if there's an annotated one with harmonized extra material by now, then great, but I kind of doubt it exists.
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

undercovergeek

I would imagine the silmarillion would be much easier by audiobook

Redwolf

The Silmarillion is a load of waffle, except hard to swallow.

If you want Tolkien content, maybe try the LotRO MMO RPG game. The so-called epic storyline is very good (and closer to lore than the movies) until you get to Lorien around level 60.

JasonPratt

I really like the LotRO game, and cleared out the Bree area, plus I think the area between Bree and Hobbiton, soloing as a bard some years ago. I've been thinking of going back to that.

I've set up the new hardcover illustrated Sil being released in November, as a birthday/Christmas list item for someone in the family to get me this year. I read the OT regularly, so I doubt I'll have much trouble with it, although no doubt it would be nice to have a properly character-driven narrative for it.

This reminds me that I have a fan-made illustrated pdf of the Creation Story (up through some part of the First Age, don't recall how far it goes), which I may attach here someday if I remember to.  O:-)
ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

Philippe

#11
There are quite a few things that I ought to be able to say about the Silmarillion, but won't.  Unfortunately it's been some time since my third attempt at reading it and I feel I should have at least glanced at it more recently than ten years ago.  The problem is that desite having read all of the appendices of the Lord of the Rings five or six times with great relish, the Silmarillion as presented is prolix and boring, and I can't justify squandering any more of my time or limited shelf space on an essentially mind-numbing experience.  So I'll leave the literary analysis to people who have more intelligence and time on their hands than I do. But I suspect what we're dealing with is an unsuccessful attempt at stitching piles of notes into a novel, and it doesn't work well as a cohesive whole. I still remember my shock at reading the Children of Hurin and discovering that it wasn't bad at all.  Apparently Christopher got better at fabricating J.R.R.'s oeuvre as he gained experience.
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Redwolf

Quote from: JasonPratt on October 19, 2022, 09:03:38 AM
I really like the LotRO game, and cleared out the Bree area, plus I think the area between Bree and Hobbiton, soloing as a bard some years ago. I've been thinking of going back to that.

On the Landroval server there is a "Gathering of Grognards" kinship, of wargamers. I think I might be the only one left in there right now, but it could be revived.