I’m a Tolkien junkie and will certainly read it eventually - my reading stack is just a bit too high at the moment, though.
The Silmarillion is a book that improves with each re-reading, I’ve found. The first time through, I was flummoxed by all of the names and interrelationships. The second time, the pieces started to fall into place. The third time, everything came together beautifully, and I loved it. It’s understandable, but unfortunate, that most readers don’t give it the time it needs. It’s certainly not light reading, but I’ve found it very rewarding.
[QUOTE=Chronos]
Actually, you can. It’s my opinion that if you just skip over the Ainulindule and Valaquenta, you won’t actually miss much in the Silmarillion proper. There are a few spots where the Valar (effectively, gods) interfere directly, but only a few, and when they come up you can more or less just make a mental note “Oh, ok, deus ex machina”, without needing to keep too much track of who’s who. All you really need to know is that Morgoth, the Great Enemy, was the most powerful of the Valar before his rebellion, Manwe is the leader of the good Valar (everyone except Morgoth), Melian is a Maia (one step below the Valar) who fell in love with an Elf and hangs out with him in Middle-Earth, and above them all is Eru Illuvatar, the One, who created them all and ultimately has the last word.
Of course, if you do like mythology, by all means read it; it’s very good. It just isn’t for everyone.
[/QUOTE]
I agree. People should be advised that, if they don’t like the first part of the Silmarillion, they should skip ahead. Not just give up!
Personally, I love that mythology stuff. But not everybody does.
[QUOTE=Kythereia]
Is there linguistically a difference between ‘chin’ and ‘hin’? can’t remember Sindarin/Quenya off the top of my head
[/QUOTE]
:dubious:
It’s sindarin.
My most readily accessible sindarin texts all have ‘hin’ meaning ‘children’. I really can’t find much at all in either Quenya or Sindarin that starts with ‘ch’.
But I’m not a deep Eldarin linguist like Salo or the guys at Ardalambion.
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan]
:dubious:
It’s sindarin.
My most readily accessible sindarin texts all have ‘hin’ meaning ‘children’. I really can’t find much at all in either Quenya or Sindarin that starts with ‘ch’.
[/QUOTE]
Begging your pardon. I was about 95% sure it was Sindarin (sindarin?) but wasn’t completely sure…
I guess we can only hope this is the biggest thing that’s changed from the original manuscripts. bites lip
*The burning… the inflammation… the embarrassing redness. When Anglo-Saxon myth strikes, you need relief fast. Try new Non-Itching Hurin, for sensitive skin. *Non-Itching Hurin ** combines hypoallergenic ingredients with soothing aloe gel, providing all the power of tragic heroism with no painful itch. Non-Itching Hurin: also available for Children of Hurin.
[QUOTE=Terrifel]
*The burning… the inflammation… the embarrassing redness. When Anglo-Saxon myth strikes, you need relief fast. Try new Non-Itching Hurin, for sensitive skin. *Non-Itching Hurin ** combines hypoallergenic ingredients with soothing aloe gel, providing all the power of tragic heroism with no painful itch. Non-Itching Hurin: also available for Children of Hurin.
I was being facetious about the geekiness of JRRT fanatics, in chastising you with not automatically being able to differentiate a Sindarin phrase from a Quenyan. I have to look it up myself to be sure.
No surprises. Virtually everything in it could be found in Sil, UT, and HOMES.
But it was really quite pleasant to be able to read it all in one place (rather than flipping through 14 volumes) straight through, without being distracted by footnotes, editorial inserts, alternate versions, and debates and expositions about name changes.
I found it even more powerful than before, and its continuity is the chiefest reason, IMHO. Seeing every passing possible moment of redemption being sabotaged by pride, hubris, ignorance, or the malice of Morgoth, just kept building to the climax.
A Túrin Turambar turun ambartanen: Master of doom by doom mastered.
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan]
Finished it today at a leisurely pace.
No surprises. Virtually everything in it could be found in Sil, UT, and HOMES.
But it was really quite pleasant to be able to read it all in one place (rather than flipping through 14 volumes) straight through, without being distracted by footnotes, editorial inserts, alternate versions, and debates and expositions about name changes.
I found it even more powerful than before, and its continuity is the chiefest reason, IMHO. Seeing every passing possible moment of redemption being sabotaged by pride, hubris, ignorance, or the malice of Morgoth, just kept building to the climax.
A Túrin Turambar turun ambartanen: Master of doom by doom mastered.
A most appropriate epithet.
[/QUOTE]
I just started it late last night. You got me on a Terry Pratchett reading kick. I’ve knocked out about a dozen in the last month. Curse thee QtM, curse thee. Thank Erü for a new Tolkien book. Then I have been putting off a bio of Teddy Roosevelt. That is next, then I might devour another ½ dozen Discworld books.
I was about 95% sure it was Sindarin (sindarin?) but wasn’t completely sure…
