I finally finished this book! It took way longer than I expected it to. It was a very heavy read, even if I had been reading it in my first language, but I was excited to read it in Spanish.
For each of my little unprofessional book reviews here, I intend to give a basic description of what the book is, something good about it, something less good, how it relates to this substack, and a related recommendation. Let's dive in!
What is The Silmarillion?
Well, the name is a little misleading, since the book is made up of several stories, only one of them directly about the Silmarillion. However, all of these stories are connected, and describe long periods of time spanning from the creation of the world to relatively close to the events of the Hobbit. My favorite section is the first one, detailing how everything in the world was set into motion.
(Side note: the colloquial name for this world is Middle Earth, but that is technically only a small part of Tolkien's world—although it is where the most action is happening.)
One thing that's important to note about The Silmarillion is that it's not technically written by J.R.R. Tolkien, but most of the material is from him. After his death, his son, Christopher Tolkien, compiled many of his notes and turned them into a book. I wanted to make sure I point this out because Christopher Tolkien also deserves a lot of praise for this work.
Something good about the book
I cannot state enough how much I love the way it reflects Biblical structure. It's a collection of books of the history of the world, seamlessly combining the perspectives of gods and mortals, as both parties have significant roles to play (with the elves being between the two camps, of course). But the first section of the book, Ainulindalë, is the part I like most of all. It has absolutely beautiful poetry, combining imagery from both Genesis and Revelation, such as using song (I imagined the trumpets of Revelation) to create the world in stages similar to the days of creation.
(I’m going to quote an example, but I’m translating from Spanish, so it might be a bit different than the original English version.)
But when they arrived at the Emptiness, Ilúvatar told them:
“Contemplate your music!”
And he showed them a scene, giving them a view of what they had only heard before; and the Ainur saw a new World made visible for them, and it was vaulted en the middle of the Emptiness. And while they watched and admired it, this world began to deploy its history and it seemed to be alive and growing. And when the Ainur had watched for a while in silence, Ilúvatar resumed his speech:
“Contemplate your Music! This is your musical work and each one of you will find in it, within the design I’ve proposed to you, all things that in their appearance each of you has invented or added. And you, Melkor, will discover the secret thoughts of your own mind and understand that they are only one part of all, tributes of its glory.”
Now, are they one-to-one parallels with the Bible? Of course not. Many are aware of Tolkien's distaste for allegory (one of my few gripes with him), so while he drew much inspiration from the Bible, he would not be likely to make any elements directly parallel. But too many people take “no allegory” to mean “no message”, and it's very clear reading this book that this is not the case at all.
Something less good about the book
Like I said, it is a thick read. I absolutely loved reading it, but I can't recommend it to just anyone. If you really love Tolkien's world, or if you're really interested in worldbuilding projects, it's 100% worth the read. But if you're more of a casual, non-extended-edition fan (no shame if you are) this book may not hold your interest for long. Even I hit several points where I just had to put the book down and clear my head before I could continue understanding.
Of course, there is a very long index to help with this. It contains all the important names (so many names) so you have something to reference when you get confused. Despite how long it took me to get through this book, I actually think I can get much more if I read it even slower, taking notes as I go. I definitely want to do this… but there are too many things on my reading list for me to do that now. Perhaps for next year’s reading month I'll do a deep dive into it.
How does it relate to Culture Via Fantasy?
Most fantasy books are written with the idea that worldbuilding is there to support the story. (Some authors reverse this, of course, and begrudgingly include a plot only so they can justify their worldbuilding.) But with parts of The Silmarillion, the worldbuilding is the story. And it is also the message.
Every culture has its place in the world and its warnings to the real world. The Valar, Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Orcs, and all their subgroups, show how deeply the concept of culture itself impacts their surroundings and each other, as well as the dangers their vices can bring. To our American, individualistic minds, some of the sweeping generalizations in the book can seem offensive. That, however, is all the more reason we need to be careful—we are just as capable of all falling together, even if we think we're not together.
I apologize for the vagueness, but I am trying not to spoil it for those who haven't read yet. Still, there's one easy example I can use, highlighted both in The Silmarillion and the TV series Rings of Power. (I'm not going to get into the similarities or differences between the two, sorry. I don't want to be dragged into the endless debate.) The human groups, referred to (in old fashion) as the race of Men, have polar opposites to show us.
The bad guys found Men “easy to deceive”. They readily became servants for the forces of evil, serving Morgoth and Sauron. One group, however, sought to understand the light—the Numenorians. Now, as I already said, Tolkien's distaste for allegory does not mean that he doesn't have messages in his book. Of all the wondrous races he created, why would he choose humans, the one real race, to represent this paradigm?
Personally, I think the message there is pretty clear, though there is definitely more nuance to it that I will not get into for fear of spoiling the book. The gist of it is that we have a choice. We can either serve the light or the darkness, and when these two forces clash, there is no middle ground to claim. But it's also clear that Tolkien does not believe this to be an entirely individual choice. He seems to be saying that you can't just choose within your own heart and mind. You make your choice as a son/daughter, as a father/mother, as a brother/sister. Your choice spreads to those around you, and either conforms to your culture or creates a new one.
Of course, agree or disagree with the messages he works in there, you can appreciate the work he put into building these different cultures from the ground up. His work gives a lot of details, and some would say it's too much! But it's this attention to detail that helped the movies we love come to life.
Where should you go if you enjoy this book?
I'm not sure if they've made a post specific to The Silmarillion, but I have been thoroughly enjoying the substack Jolkien with Tolkien. While humor is a major and worthwhile focus, they also readily talk about what they appreciate across all of Tolkien's stories. They're also doing what is apparently a yearly readthrough of The Hobbit, which I would be joining them for were it not for how far behind I am in my own reading list. Speaking of,
What's next on my reading list?
Iracema Honeylips. The main reason this one is a priority is that I have done enough research on it to draw from it for symbolism in my book, referencing Iracema’s son, Moacir, but I haven't actually read the book. It's a tale from the early days of the colonization of what is now known as Brazil. You might find it odd, but this one I am reading in English. Despite what some people think, Spanish is not the primary language of Brazil, and I don't want to attempt reading in antiquated Portuguese.
I am excited to read this book as it's a classic highlighting another Latin American culture, showcasing the clash between the beliefs of natives and colonizers. It's also about injustices done to women from both sides. And, from the first couple pages, the poetry is beautiful.
Before I go,
a reminder for you. My book, Without a Spark, and my chapbook, A Stream and a Glade, are both available for purchase on Amazon, and everything I gain from these books is going toward Camp Amos’s fundraiser for a new school building for kids who otherwise do not have access to education. Please check it out!