So, I finally bought the Simarillion

[Malleus, Incus, Stapes!]

When I was struggling my way through Lord of the Rings, my friend helpfully told me, "The Simarillion is a bit dry and complicated. Read LotR first and see if you like it."

Well, lo and behold, LotR turned out to be dry and complicated. I figured, if that was the easy read, there was no way I was going to be able to slog my way though the back story.

I got to be really curious about the prequel, though, and I decided to give the Simarillion a shot. I think I'm about halfway though right now, and it's not as bad as I though. Mind you, I still can't tell all those different types of elves apart. But it's fairly interesting.

[Sunshine and Smiles]

The way I approached the Sil was to pretend I was reading a text-book on the early history of Middle-Earth. So, yeah, it is dry and complicated, but it's also interesting as hell.

That, and Beren is all kinds of a badass.

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

Get Fonstad's book, "Atlas of Middle-Earth" and keep it next to you as you read it. It's what helped me come to grips with the material in Sil. Handy charts for differentiating the Vanyar, Noldor, and Teleri. Family trees, etc. Migration routes, realms, battles, it's all in there. Even linguistic and geologic maps.

Great, great stuff. But involved.

[What Exit?]

If you find the Ainulindale and Valaquenta are bogging you down and too boring skip all the to Chapter IX Of the Flight of the Noldor.

This is where the action starts and then when you finish the book try going back to read the earlier parts.

I started giving this advice a few years back and apparently it helps many people get through the book and really enjoy it.

[tr0psn4j]

I've read LOTR a billion times (give or take a couple) but NEVER have I been able to even get half way through the Silmarillion. Good luck, I wish I had the will power to finish it but, to be honest, it's dry and boring.

[Just Some Guy]

It took me multiple attempts across the course of close to twenty years to finally get through The Silmarillion.

It helps to go in with an understanding that it is not a novel; it's a book of mythology. And it's not much of a book since it's an assembled pile of notes with different styles and structures all over the place. The creation myth at the beginning is also the weakest part of the book.

[Malacandra]

There's no particular need to try to plough through all of the Silmarillion - it can be hard going that way. But the odd chapter now and then is mighty interesting. If you have the stamina, a quick-ish skim through to get an overview of the War of the Jewels may be helpful, but it will need quite a bit of going-over before you get all of it.

But stuff like, say, Fingolfin calling Morgoth out for a hand-to-hand fight and wounding him several times, to give you a feel for how bad-ass those early generation High Elves were, or the grandeur and sadness of the Battle of Unnumbered Tears... it's worth a little slogging.

[glee]

I think it's a shame that Tolkien effectively ran out of time before completing the editing of the Silmarillion.

It has some fine bits and some useful history to expand on LotR. But I found some of it turgid. :eek:

[What Exit?]

I've read LOTR a billion times (give or take a couple) but NEVER have I been able to even get half way through the Silmarillion. Good luck, I wish I had the will power to finish it but, to be honest, it's dry and boring.
If you ever try again, skip forward to at least chapter 9. Maybe even start as late as 18 "Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin". Do read it as myth and now story.
There's no particular need to try to plough through all of the Silmarillion - it can be hard going that way. But the odd chapter now and then is mighty interesting. If you have the stamina, a quick-ish skim through to get an overview of the War of the Jewels may be helpful, but it will need quite a bit of going-over before you get all of it.

But stuff like, say, Fingolfin calling Morgoth out for a hand-to-hand fight and wounding him several times, to give you a feel for how bad-ass those early generation High Elves were, or the grandeur and sadness of the Battle of Unnumbered Tears... it's worth a little slogging.
Yes! It is also worth mentioning the "The Children of Húrin" which is a fuller version of the Tolkien's great tragedy. This reads better than most of the Silmarillion.
I think it's a shame that Tolkien effectively ran out of time before completing the editing of the Silmarillion.

It has some fine bits and some useful history to expand on LotR. But I found some of it turgid. :eek:
The Professor never would have finished it on his own sadly. He had effectively worked on it for nearly 60 years and would have worked on it another 20 if he had lived longer. The only way it would have been finished is if a publisher commission him to complete it back in the 50s and assigned a typist and assistant to keep him organized.

[gladtobeblazed]

One of the best parts of The Lord of the Rings was the way Tolkien gives us small hints of the greater mythology of it all. There's a sense of deep history that permeates throughout the work. It really gave LOTR a feeling of wonder. For me, reading the Silmarillion complemented this sense of wonder and mystery with a feeling of fulfillment and closure. At first I was hesitant to read it, I thought maybe it would ruin the feeling I get when I read LOTR, but I was wrong. Tolkien manages to give us just enough details in the Silmarillion to satisfy, but at the same time he keeps enough details from us to maintain, and even enhance that sense of wonder. It's a book of history as much as a book of mysticism and mythology.

[Elendil's Heir]

Well said.

I really think any true Tolkien fan should make a serious effort to read The Silmarillion. I loved Hobbit and LOTR, but admit I found Sil very hard going the first time through - lots of strange names, unfamiliar places, impenetrable family trees and relationships, etc. The second time through, things fell into place better, and by the third time it all clicked and I could savor its poetry, mythos and grandeur. I'd say it's well worth the time and synapses you'll have to invest in it. Come to think of it, I'm probably about due to re-read it....

[An Gadaí]

Someone bought a copy of the Silmarillion from my store the other day at the princely sum of €1.99. It wasn't you was it?

[DesertDog]

I think it's a shame that Tolkien effectively ran out of time before completing the editing of the Silmarillion.

It has some fine bits and some useful history to expand on LotR. But I found some of it turgid. :eek:I kind of suspect that if the good professor were still alive today, he still would not have finished editing the Silmarillion.

[BrotherCadfael]

Turin was a douche.

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

Turin was a douche.
Hey, you try growing up under Morgoth's curse, and see how you turn out!

[Malleus, Incus, Stapes!]

I'm currently up to the Fall of Whatsit. Thingy. Elvish-Kingdom-That's-Impossible-To-Tell-Apart-From-All-The-Other-Elvish-Kingdoms. Er. It's after Thingol (and what type of name is that?) dies. I think.

Also, for Og's sake, why do all the people in a family have to have nearly identical names? It's a good thing most of the Fin- elves are dead, because I honestly could not remember which is which, or how many of them there were, or which ones were more cursed and which ones were less cursed. And all those humans named Hath- and Hal-... gah!

Er. I am so not getting this. And when does Gandalf show up?

[Just Some Guy]

Er. I am so not getting this. And when does Gandalf show up?

He already has.

[GameHat]

I'm ashamed to admit this:

I love the trilogy, but have never been able to make it through The Simarillion. As your friend said, it's just a bit too dry for me.

Even more shameful, I liked the trilogy. But after the movies I went back at liked the written trilogy like 10x more. Why? Just easier to keep everything straight with actors to attach names to.

Yes, this is shameful. *hangs head*

Glad you seem to be enjoying the Simarillion, if the trilogy still reads a bit dry I'd advocate heresy and see the films first.

[smiling bandit]

That's not shameful. Look, everyone has different tastes. Lord of the Rings is a genuinely genius book, but even so it's not for everyone. It has a very distinctive style, and it doesn't pull any punches to please the audience. It's not a quick or easy book, and Silmarillion even less so.

[Malacandra]

I'm currently up to the Fall of Whatsit. Thingy. Elvish-Kingdom-That's-Impossible-To-Tell-Apart-From-All-The-Other-Elvish-Kingdoms. Er. It's after Thingol (and what type of name is that?) dies. I think.

Also, for Og's sake, why do all the people in a family have to have nearly identical names? It's a good thing most of the Fin- elves are dead, because I honestly could not remember which is which, or how many of them there were, or which ones were more cursed and which ones were less cursed. And all those humans named Hath- and Hal-... gah!

Er. I am so not getting this. And when does Gandalf show up?

Elvish Kingdom: That's Doriath. Notable because its queen was an angel, not an Elf: Melian the Maia got the hots for Thingol ("Greycloak", that's what type of name it is, but originally known as Elwe) and was given leave to shack up with him as long as he lived. Of similar supernatural make-up to Morgoth, though a lower-ranking creature (Maia to his Vala) she had the power to keep his servants off her turf, though no more - but that was still enough to create the best-defended Grey-elf kingdom ever. Only when Thingol was murdered was Melian obliged to call it quits - she could co-rule Elves as a queen consort, but not in her sole name. Then her spell of protection crumbled and Morgoth sent the boys in.

Melian (and Thingol) are ancestors of Elrond, Arwen and Aragorn.

Gandalf has been around since before the world - he is another of the Maiar. But at present he is not called Gandalf and he will not come East of the Sea for a few thousand years; not until Numenor has been founded and fallen, and the Ring cut off Sauron's hand. Then he and the other four Wizards will be sent in case Sauron rises again (as he will).

[Chronos]

Er. I am so not getting this. And when does Gandalf show up?There's a bit about the many names of Gandalf in LotR, starting with "Olorin I was called in my youth in the West...". If you re-read the tellings of the creation story, you'll see that name crop up.

And I personally think that the creation story (in both tellings) is one of the best parts of the book, but that doesn't stop me from advising others to skip over it. It's very dense and very deep, which means that, good though it is, it's difficult to appreciate. My own reading of the Silmarillion was delayed by at least a decade, due to getting bogged down there the first time I tried to read it.

And painful as it may be to read the Children of Hurin, it's still the best writing I've ever seen anywhere.

[DSYoungEsq]

I found The Silmarillion fascinating when I got it as it came out (I think I was 17 at the time). But, then, I had read Bullfinch's Mythology cover to cover.

[What Exit?]

I found The Silmarillion fascinating when I got it as it came out (I think I was 17 at the time). But, then, I had read Bullfinch's Mythology cover to cover.
Same here on Bullfinch's Mythology. I like reading history and books on myths and legends so the Silmarillion worked well for me. But the latter half of the book has some rousing adventure that exceeds anything in Bullfinch's.

[Malleus, Incus, Stapes!]

And I personally think that the creation story (in both tellings) is one of the best parts of the book, but that doesn't stop me from advising others to skip over it. It's very dense and very deep, which means that, good though it is, it's difficult to appreciate. My own reading of the Silmarillion was delayed by at least a decade, due to getting bogged down there the first time I tried to read it.


Funny, I found the creation story the easiest part to get into.

So now I've finished the Silmarillion, and my major question is this: where do the hobbits come in?
The origin of the elves and the humans and the dwarves are described- heck, even the Ents got a passing mention- but the hobbits pretty much pop out of nowhere in the last section of the book. When were they created? Were they hiding under rocks the whole time or something?

Also, where is the whole "re-embodiment" of Gandalf explained? In LotR he pops out of nowhere and says, "Just kidding. I wasn't dead after all." In the Simarillion his resurection isn't even mentioned. But I keep reading all these details on the Internet about how he died, and got re-embodied, and whatnot. If it's not in the Ring Trilogy, and it's not in the backstory, then where do people get this stuff?

[What Exit?]

Funny, I found the creation story the easiest part to get into.

So now I've finished the Silmarillion, and my major question is this: where do the hobbits come in?
The origin of the elves and the humans and the dwarves are described- heck, even the Ents got a passing mention- but the hobbits pretty much pop out of nowhere in the last section of the book. When were they created? Were they hiding under rocks the whole time or something?

Also, where is the whole "re-embodiment" of Gandalf explained? In LotR he pops out of nowhere and says, "Just kidding. I wasn't dead after all." In the Silmarillion his resurrection isn't even mentioned. But I keep reading all these details on the Internet about how he died, and got re-embodied, and whatnot. If it's not in the Ring Trilogy, and it's not in the backstory, then where do people get this stuff?
The Hobbits and Woses are just off-shoots of humanity. They are not actually a separate creation like the Elves, Dwarves and Ents. Treebeard was not actually correct in much of his conjecture on the races. The Hobbits just did not come into tales of the first age, tales that nearly completely concern the Elves and specifically the Noldorians. The Silmarillion is suppose to be from the books of Elven Lore that Bilbo assembled in Rivendell and sent back to the Shire with Frodo. A little comes from notes added to the Red Book from the historians in Minas Tirith.

As to Gandalf, the bodies that the Maiar and Valar wore were not truly them but rather a form over their spirits. Gandalf was not resurrected, he was re-embodied and released to use far more of his native powers. Olórin walked mostly unseen in Valinor and kept largely to the Gardens of Irmo. The familiar shape of Gandalf the Grey was but the body he wore to work quietly in Middle-Earth against Sauron.

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

If it's not in the Ring Trilogy, and it's not in the backstory, then where do people get this stuff?
It may be in Unfinished Tales or in the History of Middle Earth Series (aka HOMES), volumes 1-12, or it may be in The Letters of JRRT. Or in History of the Hobbit (aka HOTH).

Or someone may just be making it up.

Hobbits are of the race of mortal men, it's not clear whether they appeared specifically at the awakening of men, or developed over time when a bunch of shorter guys could only score with shorter women, so went off on their own.

No hobbits in Sil. No Gandalf re-incarnated either. Sorry.

Seriously, get your hands on Fonstad's book. It'll help. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atlas_of_Middle-earth

[What Exit?]

Seriously, get your hands on Fonstad's book. It'll help. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atlas_of_Middle-earth
It depends, like Bilbo and Meriadoc and Christopher Tolkien I am very interested in Maps. Maybe because of this I never needed the Atlas of Middle Earth though it is well worth buying anyway as she did such a great job on it.

Back to Gandalf, the hints are in the LotR with the "Gandalf was sent back" line but Tolkien talks about it a bit more in Letter 156. The article on the Istari in Unfinished Tales gives a few more hints about the true nature of the 5 Wizards.

[mbh]

Also, where is the whole "re-embodiment" of Gandalf explained? In LotR he pops out of nowhere and says, "Just kidding. I wasn't dead after all." In the Simarillion his resurection isn't even mentioned. But I keep reading all these details on the Internet about how he died, and got re-embodied, and whatnot. If it's not in the Ring Trilogy, and it's not in the backstory, then where do people get this stuff?
There's a line in one of the early chapters which says that Valar and Maiar wear bodies the way mortals wear suits of clothes. I LotR, when Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli ask what happened, he mentions that "I walked unclad for a time".

Those two sentences have produced a torrent of verbiage from the fans.

[Lochdale]

I very much enjoyed the book and really got into it.

[BrotherCadfael]

There's a line in one of the early chapters which says that Valar and Maiar wear bodies the way mortals wear suits of clothes. I LotR, when Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli ask what happened, he mentions that "I walked unclad for a time".There's a line in LOTR where the Orcs of Cirith Ungol are talking about how rotten the Nazgul are. They "will skin the body off of you and leave you naked on the Other Side". This is fascinating, as it is the one of the few canonical examples of Orcs having the same kind of life as do the Elves. When killed, they are still bound to Arda, and, perhaps, can be re-embodied as well.


(Although, truth to tell, I don't really believe in the re-embodiment of the Elves - I think Tolkien accidentally reused the name Glorfindel, and, rather than rewrite, decided on the spur of the moment that Elves could also be "sent back". As far as I know, Glorfindel is the only cited example (other than Beren and Luthien, who are exceptional in any case.))

[What Exit?]

(Although, truth to tell, I don't really believe in the re-embodiment of the Elves - I think Tolkien accidentally reused the name Glorfindel, and, rather than rewrite, decided on the spur of the moment that Elves could also be "sent back". As far as I know, Glorfindel is the only cited example (other than Beren and Luthien, who are exceptional in any case.))
Tolkien almost always envisioned the Elves as staying in Arda and leaving the Halls of Mandos eventually. What he agonized over was being re-embodied or reborn. He finally settled on re-embodied towards the end of his life. I think as late as 1967.

[Elendil's Heir]

There's a line in LOTR where the Orcs of Cirith Ungol are talking about how rotten the Nazgul are. They "will skin the body off of you and leave you naked on the Other Side". This is fascinating, as it is the one of the few canonical examples of Orcs having the same kind of life as do the Elves. When killed, they are still bound to Arda, and, perhaps, can be re-embodied as well....

Huh. I don't remember that at all.

[Malleus, Incus, Stapes!]

In LotR, when Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli ask what happened, he mentions that "I walked unclad for a time".


That sounds so wrong.

But anyway.

[DigitalC]

As much as i loved both LOTR and Sil i think it takes something away from it that some of the main characters were alive for both. For example Earendils story ceases to be a wonderful myth when Elrond can point up at the sky and say "oh yeah thats my daddy up there". It can't be a myth if its real.

[What Exit?]

Huh. I don't remember that at all.

It is at the end of the Two Towers in The Choices of Master Samwise. We probably get more hints about orcs in this chapter than anywhere else.

`No, I don't know,' said Gorbag's voice. `The messages go through quicker than anything could fly, as a rule. But I don't enquire how it's done. Safest not to. Grr! Those Nazgûl give me the creeps. And they skin the body off you as soon as look at you, and leave you all cold in the dark on the other side. But He likes 'em; they're His favourites nowadays, so it's no use grumbling. I tell you, it's no game serving down in the city.'

The two orc captains also cryptically talk in a way that may well indicate a their great age. They seem to be recalling a time before Sauron rose again and maybe before the Nazgul took over Minas Ithil and made it Minas Morgul.

'They would.' grunted Gorbag. `We'll see. But anyway, if it does go well, there should be a lot more room. What d'you say? – if we get a chance, you and me'll slip off and set up somewhere on our own with a few trusty lads, somewhere where there's good loot nice and handy, and no big bosses.'
'Ah! ' said Shagrat. `Like old times.'

[furryman]

...

[Scissorjack]

I've read LOTR a billion times (give or take a couple) but NEVER have I been able to even get half way through the Silmarillion. Good luck, I wish I had the will power to finish it but, to be honest, it's dry and boring.

Think of it as a kind of fictional Old Testament for LotR's New Testament: you don't have to have read the former to understand the latter, but it sure helps put a lot of stuff in context.

[DesertDog]

Melian (and Thingol) are ancestors of Elrond, Arwen and Aragorn.Don't forget that their daughter Luthien, fairest elf who ever lived, taking after her mother.

I'm hoping -- really hoping -- that after The Hobbit they make a movie of the greatest love story ever: Beren and Luthien.

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

I'm hoping -- really hoping -- that after The Hobbit they make a movie of the greatest love story ever: Beren and Luthien.
Don't count on it. JRRT's estate is opposed to allowing any more of his works to be turned into movies.

The rights for LOTR and Hobbit were sold long ago, but his estate retains the rights to all his other works, and is not inclined to release them.

[What Exit?]

Don't count on it. JRRT's estate is opposed to allowing any more of his works to be turned into movies.

The rights for LOTR and Hobbit were sold long ago, but his estate retains the rights to all his other works, and is not inclined to release them.

I wonder why? I have many problems with the movies and yet recognize they are the greatest epic fantasies ever made and by far. They caught the vision of Middle Earth exceptionally well. What more does Christopher and the rest want? They should be willing to sign a deal where key family members are more involved in the writing and direction. I would love to the Story of Beren and Lúthien made into a 2 hour film and I think it would be easy to do so from the source material.

[DSYoungEsq]

Who would you cast?? I mean you can pick a hunk to be Beren, but what woman can step into the role of the most beautiful woman ever??????????????????????????

[An Gadaí]

I've got a copy of Unfinished Tales if anyone wants it.

[What Exit?]

Who would you cast?? I mean you can pick a hunk to be Beren, but what woman can step into the role of the most beautiful woman ever??????????????????????????
If they made it soon, Kate Beckinsale maybe with the Galadriel glowy effect. By the time a script could be done and they could start filming though they would have to find someone younger. She would probably be 40+. They would and to find a young willowy actress that at least looked tall and could act. I'm sure they can find someone.

[Maeglin]

I think my opinion of the Silmarillion is somewhat obvious.

I wonder why?


The estate is extremely cagey about selling the rights to anything. This began a long time ago, when JRRT was essentially ripped off by ACE. There is nothing the estate can do about LotR and the Hobbit rights, as they were sold by JRRT personally decades ago.

[Mk VII]

The Silmarillion is pretty dry stuff, and I think Allen & Unwin were right to turn it down in the 1950s - they would have lost money on it. Unlike the hobbits, there are no characters with which the reader is invited to identify.

[An Gadaí]

I've got a copy of Unfinished Tales if anyone wants it.

I meant to add, PM me and I can post it out to the first PMer who wants it.

[Polycarp]

In criticizng the Silmarillion as we have it, I think we have to remember that Christopher Tolkien was faced with a very difficult choice as his father's literary executor. What Allen and Unwin got and rejected in ca. 1950 was a lot of what's been published in HOME -- long narrative poems, myths told out at epic length like "Tuor and the Finding of Gondolin", etc. There was public demand for the Silmarillion to be published, but Tolkien had never completed it as a unified entity (other than some early drafts he'd expanded on greatly). He chose to put together the whole story at the length of the early drafts from various of his father's writings, to keep it as one narrative with a consistent level of detail. This meant that the amount of detail in the "completed" portions, such as the Turin and Tuor stories, had to be held back to what was only extant in more precis form, such as the march across the Helcaraxe and the March of the Valar that ends the Silmarillion proper. This may have been a mistake, as the interest in the "long form" stories shows, but one can hardly play Monday morning quarterback with 20/20 hindsight on what was clearly a difficult choice made under fan and publisher pressure.

[Elendil's Heir]

I, too, would love to see the tale of Beren and Luthien made into a movie. The story of the Silmarils themselves could also be done as a terrific adventure of bloody revenge and rash oaths. Or Sauron's subversion of Numenor and Elendil's and the Faithful's escape. There are a lot of good stories in there.

And if the Tolkiens think the Professor got ripped off decades ago, jeez, Hollywood is full of lawyers and agents who'd be glad to drive a diamond-hard bargain for the estate now. The LOTR movies did so well, and the cinematic The Hobbit is so widely anticipated, I think the sky's the limit: director, script and casting approval, front-end profits, merchandising, etc. It would make them very wealthy and please a lot of Tolkien fanatics... like me.

[Ludovic]

I think the Ainulindale, Valaquenta, and the battles for Beleriand, especially the War of Wrath, would be good fodder for a full-length or longer Anime-style animation feature. The stories in between, I don't think are fleshed out enough to do justice to them individually.

[What Exit?]

I think the Ainulindale, Valaquenta, and the battles for Beleriand, especially the War of Wrath, would be good fodder for a full-length or longer Anime-style animation feature. The stories in between, I don't think are fleshed out enough to do justice to them individually.

On behalf of Tolkien Fans and the Estate, Ack! No Anime crap, Tolkien despaired of even Disney getting hold of his work. Anime would be far worse.

[Ludovic]

Well, I shied away from the recent Lord of the Rings wargames because they would water down my appreciation for the original work of art.

But if you could ever play the Valar in a LotR wargame, it would pass right into "so cheesy that it's cool again" territory and I'd have to play it :)

[Chronos]

If the Silmarillion ever hit the screen, it'd have to be a miniseries. There's too much there to really fit into a movie. The tale of Beren and Luthien, or the Children of Hurin, would by themselves be about the right length for a full movie, but they'd be a bit lost without the context of the rest. "I kept my oath. My hand now holds a Silmaril." Big deal; why should we care about a Silmaril?

[Ludovic]

If the Silmarillion ever hit the screen, it'd have to be a miniseries. There's too much there to really fit into a movie. The tale of Beren and Luthien, or the Children of Hurin, would by themselves be about the right length for a full movie, but they'd be a bit lost without the context of the rest. "I kept my oath. My hand now holds a Silmaril." Big deal; why should we care about a Silmaril?Well, depending on the auteur's take, I don't see that as an invalid feeling upon hearing that line. I for one do think there is a component of folly in all of the questing after such objects.

Although granted a "preview" scene in the beginning like for LotR would let you know the history behind them, even if there's nothing that could show up on screen that could equal the beauty of them. (Although perhaps if you show a flashback to the first couple wars for Beleriand, where the elves still fought with the Fire of Aman in them, you could have them, or at least their eyes, sparkle with some of the same effect you see a bit when you see a Silmaril.)

[DSYoungEsq]

Turin's story should be made into an opera. It's got all the required elements: deaths of major characters, including the protagonist, complicated story line, gorgeous settings that would require imaginative staging, and a pompous ass who eventually sees the light at the end for the eponymous character. Too bad Puccini never had a chance at Turin.

[Jodi]

I adore LOTR and have read the books (and The Hobbit) multiple times I picked up Silmarillion and snore Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[Polycarp]

I think the Ainulindale, Valaquenta, and the battles for Beleriand, especially the War of Wrath, would be good fodder for a full-length or longer Anime-style animation feature. The stories in between, I don't think are fleshed out enough to do justice to them individually.

Actually, it's the stories in between that are the most fleshed out -- just not in the published volume The Silmarillion. See Unfinished Tales and the multi-volume History of Middle Earth.

[Elendil's Heir]

I agree that a brief flashback/establishing scene a la Sauron's emergence from Barad-dur in the beginning of FOTR would probably suffice to set the stage for a movie that focused on a relatively small part of The Silmarillion.

Either Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, Laputa, etc.) or Pixar could do a kickass Tolkien movie, IMHO. But I'd prefer a live-action movie, given my druthers.

[DesertDog]

If the Silmarillion ever hit the screen, it'd have to be a miniseries.Hell, I'd love to see the next iteration of LOTR as a miniseries. They could trim that long slog through The Two Towers a bit, though.

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

How about a mini-series of "Return of the Shadow"?

1st episode: Bingo Baggins sets out on a walk, & gets scared by Gandalf who looks rather black and mysterious on his horse, from a distance!

2nd episode: Bingo Baggins sets out on a walk with some friends, & gets scared by Gandalf who looks rather black and mysterious on his horse, from a distance!

3rd episode: Bingo Baggins sets out on a walk with a slightly different set of friends, and gets scared by a black rider.

4th episode: Bingo Baggins sets out on a walk with a slightly smaller, slightly different set of friends, and gets scared by a black rider, then has a slightly uncomfortable encounter with an unpleasant person named Moggot.

5th episode: Bingo Baggins (oh hell, you get the drift).

[What Exit?]

How about a mini-series of "Return of the Shadow"?

1st episode: Bingo Baggins sets out on a walk, & gets scared by Gandalf who looks rather black and mysterious on his horse, from a distance!

2nd episode: Bingo Baggins sets out on a walk with some friends, & gets scared by Gandalf who looks rather black and mysterious on his horse, from a distance!

3rd episode: Bingo Baggins sets out on a walk with a slightly different set of friends, and gets scared by a black rider.

4th episode: Bingo Baggins sets out on a walk with a slightly smaller, slightly different set of friends, and gets scared by a black rider, then has a slightly uncomfortable encounter with an unpleasant person named Moggot.

5th episode: Bingo Baggins (oh hell, you get the drift).

Ah Groundhog Day but with an Evil Ring instead of a pretty news producer.

[Johnny Q]

I should probably post this (http://kunochan.com/sauron/)

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

I should probably post this (http://kunochan.com/sauron/)
Oh, that's priceless! :D

Melkor has a really great plan, about how to present our suggestions to Eru. I am really super-psyched about this. Eru is going to love it! I can’t wait.

[DSYoungEsq]

I should probably post this (http://kunochan.com/sauron/)

Absofreakinlutely hilarious! :D

Now Melian has constructed some kind of lame magical barrier around Doriath, to keep herself and her sex ape safe from our wrath. Nice try, bitch!


I like that miniseries, Quadgop! We could make it interactive: viewers vote for which option to take, then the next installments can be filmed on the basis of the vote. :p

[Malacandra]

I should probably post this (http://kunochan.com/sauron/)

Comedy mithril!

[DSYoungEsq]

Comedy mithril!From Sauron's blog:

Who the hell is "Iarwain"? (http://kunochan.com/sauron/?p=16)


Just priceless. :D