The Silmarillion

[Sarah S]

Copyright doesn't last forever.

[Brandir]

75 years after the author's death.

[Condottiere]

Unless they monkey around again with IP laws in the EU and/or States.

[Brandir]

Unless they monkey around again with IP laws in the EU and/or States.

Which they seem to do every time Disney IP is in danger of expiring!

[101st Vostroyan]

Also try Children of Huron...It's a completely different story of middle earth by JRR and published by his son...

[Steam_Giant]

No more films for me. If people are desperate to visualise Tolkiens work beyond LoTR and the hobbit, give us a character driven TV series. I believe Saurons imprisonment and further corruption of Ar-Pharazôn would translate quite well to the goggle-box similar to the intrigue and substance of the many Roman epics, get the director of the West wing or Deadwood to bathe an audience into the legendarium of Tolkien.

In fact thats a great idea, perhaps i should be writing my own script

[Gabacho Mk.II]

To all who posted above, especially Phoenix Blaze:
Thanks for the feedback gents. Your posts have made an impression on me. I will be visiting the bookstore this weekend.

No more films for me. If people are desperate to visualise Tolkiens work beyond LoTR and the hobbit, give us a character driven TV series. I believe Saurons imprisonment and further corruption of Ar-Pharazôn would translate quite well to the goggle-box similar to the intrigue and substance of the many Roman epics, get the director of the West wing or Deadwood to bathe an audience into the legendarium of Tolkien.

In fact thats a great idea, perhaps i should be writing my own script

Quite right! Please write your script and then submit it!!!

I would cut off an appendage if a TV series was made that gave us a few year's worth of LoTR and beyond.
[what I meant was a few years of TV series, maybe 4-8 seasons worth. I would wet my pants and actually consider going to the next LoTR convention dressed as a Nargul!]

[Phoenix Blaze]

I wait for the day when *someone* *somewhere* will make a Silmarillion based set of movies or a TV series, or a comic, or something!

Your very welcome for the help. I do have a problem with this book, partially addicting.

[Condottiere]

Docu-drama might be as close as you can get to the source, with most of the dialogue spoken by the narrator.

[Phoenix Blaze]

Actually, a docudrama would be perfect! Especially with the way that the Silmarillion is more a series of events than a narrative plot which follows a core set of characters.

I'd love that. Christopher Lee must narrate!

[Steam_Giant]

Christopher Lee must narrate!

We have a winner

[Ubermensch Commander]

The Silmarillion is an amazing book. I recommend it. At the very least your should try it for yourself. If you do not like it, stop reading. But at least read through the creation bit and get to the really good parts with Feanor and the Noldor.

side note: I found Dune INFINTELY more painful than the Silmarillion. Bored me to tears. The part that I ended on was when the Atredeis getting backstabbed.
Some Fremen show up after killing some sardakuur, those supposedly awesome fighters, and make some backhanded comment of "they fought well". What? Thats it? If that was supposed to somehow convey how awesome they are at fighting IT FAILED. No evidence for the Sadukuur capabilities nor a description of how the Fremen are hardcore either. So yeah. I just did not like Frank Herbets righting style. *rant over*

[Condottiere]

Dune is a master work of Herbert, but I would not place it in the same context in regard to Science Fiction as I would with LotR in regard to Fantasy.

O/T I found the movie interesting until Paul and Jessica crashed in the desert.

[Gazak Blacktoof]

side note: I found Dune INFINTELY more painful than the Silmarillion. Bored me to tears.

Funny, my experinece was the exact opposite. What I found makes Dune difficult to read is the terminology, the copy I had came with a glossary though which made things easier. Its no where near as difficult to read as a clockwork orange, I've still not been able to finish that book.

The Silmarillion was just dull, perhaps there are interesting parts later on but it doesn't ease the reader in at all. As other people have commented it reads like the bible. My last attempt at reading the Silmarillion was 10 years ago, so maybe I'd find it more accessible now.


Tolkien may have invested more time and effort into his other works but the Hobbit is the best written.

[Condottiere]

You realize that the Hobbit was targetted towards a specific age group.

[Gazak Blacktoof]

Yep, that doesn't mean it isn't a well written book. The target demographic is irrelevant in the same way that architectural period or musical genre is unimportant.

[Ubermensch Commander]

Funny, my experinece was the exact opposite. What I found makes Dune difficult to read is the terminology, the copy I had came with a glossary though which made things easier. Its no where near as difficult to read as a clockwork orange, I've still not been able to finish that book.

The Silmarillion was just dull, perhaps there are interesting parts later on but it doesn't ease the reader in at all. As other people have commented it reads like the bible. My last attempt at reading the Silmarillion was 10 years ago, so maybe I'd find it more accessible now.


Tolkien may have invested more time and effort into his other works but the Hobbit is the best written.

Interesting. My problem wasn't with terminology, it was just...I found his writing style boring. It seemed like an old Greek play, with everything done offstage...but not even in a way as entertaining as that. Each to their own I suppose. The Mentats were cool though! I loved the concept of humans able to rewire their brains like that. Oh and Duncan Idaho did rock. No denying that.

I enjoyed the Silmarillion because I enjoy epic mythology. IMO it had alot in common with the old Norse/Greek tales.
As for Dull, I find the creation of a world and gods battling it out (raising up mountains, flattening them, overspilling oceans) pretty neat myself.
And I did like the description of many of the gods, such as Melkior, "He who arises in Might."
Quite a fancy name!

Again, to the OPS question, I recommend trying it out. As we can see here, same books read, two very different opinions.

[Eumerin]

Also try Children of Huron...It's a completely different story of middle earth by JRR and published by his son...

I wouldn't call it completely different - it's the story of Turin, which is also found in the Silmarillion. But 'Children' expands on it more than the Silmarillion segment does, and it makes for a better "story" read.

Though I think I'd rather have read the story of Tuor than Turin. Turin's story is all about how badly pride can destroy an individual and everyone around them, and it's rather depressing...

[Eldanar]

It would be very difficult to translate the Sil into a movie or even a mini-series. It is at a minimum 5-6 (possibly more) interlinked stories all going back and forth. (It would be worse than trying to follow the first ten years of the Dr. Who series, which I watched as a child and still do not understand.)

Herbert /= Tolkien. If anything, the only Sci Fi writer who can climb the same heights would probably be Aasimov and his Foundation series. It was kind of written in the same period and laid the same type of framework for Sci Fi that Tolkien did with High Fantasy. An argument might could also be made for some of H. Beam Piper's works. Or with Robert Howard's Dark Fantasy setting with his Conan books (which were written earlier than LOTR IIRC).

Speaking of Conan and Howard...just look at what has happened to his stories and the bastardization that has occurred since the running of his copyright. But there must be 30-40 Conan books out there now.

I love the Silmarilion. It is one of the few books that I go back and read every year at least once, and have done so for almost 30 years.

It can be a tedious read. However, if you truly love the subject matter and the material, then there should be no tedium.

[brightblade]

I personally adore the Silmarillion but totally understand why people have trouble reading it. When you understand Tolkien's academic background you can see why the book is writen as it is. Fortunately for me I have a similar academic background so didn't find it difficult at all when I reread it in my late teens. However when I first read it aged eleven, I struggled, I loved it but struggled.

Whoever said earlier that it was a chronicle was on the right path.

Now, years later I am constantly in and out of The Silmarillion, it is wonderful.

But like all things worth doing, the more you put in, the more you get out. Some will decide it isn't worth it, but it is. It is.