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The Silmarillion [Illustrated Edition]: Illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien

Book by J. R. R. Tolkien

DETAILS

Publisher : William Morrow; Illustrated edition (November 8, 2022) Language : English Hardcover : 432 pages ISBN-10 : 0063280779 ISBN-13 : 978-0063280779 Item Weight : 2.29 pounds Dimensions : 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches Best Sellers Rank: #293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #2 in Folklore (Books) #11 in Epic Fantasy (Books) #32 in Literary Fiction (Books) , For the first time ever, a very special edition of the forerunner to The Lord of the Rings , illustrated throughout in color by J.R.R. Tolkien himself and with the complete text printed in two colors. The Silmarillion  fills in the background which lies behind the more popular work, and gives the earlier history of Middle-earth, introducing some of the key characters. The Silmarilli were three perfect jewels, fashioned by Fëanor, most gifted of the Elves, and within them was imprisoned the last Light of the Two Trees of Valinor. But the first Dark Lord, Morgoth, stole the jewels and set them within his iron crown, guarded in the impenetrable fortress of Angband in the north of Middle-earth. The Silmarillion is the history of the rebellion of Fëanor and his kindred against the gods, their exile from Valinor and return to Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all the heroism, against the great Enemy. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part. The book also includes several shorter works: the Ainulindalë , a myth of the Creation, and the Valaquenta , in which the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien could not publish The Silmarillion in his lifetime, as it grew with him, so he would leave it to his son, Christopher Tolkien, to edit the work from many manuscripts and bring his father’s great vision to publishable form, so completing the literary achievement of a lifetime. This special edition presents anew this seminal first step towards mapping out the posthumous publishing of Middle-earth, and the beginning of an illustrious forty years and more than twenty books celebrating his father’s legacy. This definitive new edition includes, by way of an introduction, a letter written by Tolkien in 1951 which provides a brilliant exposition of the earlier Ages, and for the first time in its history is presented with Tolkien’s own paintings and drawings, which reveal the breathtaking grandeur and beauty of his vision of the First Age of Middle-earth. Read more

REVIEW

J.R.R. Tolkien worked on the tales which eventually became known as The Silmarillion for most of his life, beginning as a young schoolboy in the early 1900s and continuing through his years as a student at Oxford, his wartime service, and his long career as a scholar and professor. The Silmarillion is a prologue of sorts to Tolkien's better known books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, both of which contain numerous references to characters and events found therein. Tolkien never finished working on The Silmarillion, and after his death in 1973 his youngest son Christopher took on the task of editing and preparing the work for publication in 1977. The Silmarillion's appearance in print was a joyous moment in the lives of everyone who had fallen in love with Tolkien's world, and it continues to amaze and delight new readers. To summarize the plot briefly, The Silmarillion is the history of the creation of the three magnificent gems called the Silmarils or Silmarilli by Feanor, greatest of all the Elves. Morgoth, the Great Enemy, stole the Silmarils, and Feanor and his fellow Elves waged a long and destructive war to regain them. That's an extremely brief recapitulation of a tale that involves hundreds of characters and many, many, chapters in the finished work. Besides The Silmarillion itself the book also contains the Ainulindalie or Creation Story, the Valaquenta, detailing the history of the Valar, the Akallabeth on the history of Numenor in the Second Age, and Of The Rings Of Power And The Third Age, a summation of the later years of Middle-earth and the fall of Morgoth's chief servant Sauron. This edition of The Silmarillion is absolutely beautiful. It is elegantly produced with sewn bindings, a ribbon bookmark, runic writing on the foredge, and magnificent designs on the cover. The dust jacket is beautifully detailed as well. But the greatest treasure of this edition are the illustrations by Tolkien himself. Tolkien was a talented artist who created many illustrations and drawings throughout his life. This edition contains many of these designs, heading each chapter and including several full page paintings. Not all of them have direct relationships with the text of The Silmarillion, but all of them enhance the beauty of the book. There are also two maps of Beleriand included (but not attached to) with the book. A foreword written by Christopher Tolkien for the original 1977 edition is included, along with a preface to the Second Edition written later, an excerpt from a lengthy letter by J.R.R. Tolkien providing a synopsis of his creation, and a Note on the Illustrations by the notable Tolkien scholars Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull. This sumptuous edition of The Silmarillion will give pleasure to its readers for many years. It is worthy of being shelved in a library in Rivendell, Minas Tirith, Lothlorien, or even Bag End, and, frankly, it is worthy of its author.

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