Finally->The Silmarillion - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Vardamar · 03-14-2003, 05:49 PM

Finally. After months of being on the libraries waiting list, I now have the Silmarillion on my desk. Wish me luck.
[img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Luinfang · 03-15-2003, 09:48 AM

luck! hope you love it, for it really is a great story, although it is hard to read. so you'll need 1) a bunch of luck and 2) even more perseverance.

navaer. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Inderjit Sanghera · 03-15-2003, 09:50 AM

Good luck. My advice it take it slowly and read it three-four times.

Alatáriël Lossëhelin · 03-15-2003, 11:37 AM

Vardamar: Might I also add that some good maps of Middle-Earth would be a good investment. The stories are excellent, but I was having trouble keeping track of various locations and their relationship to each other. I purchased an Atlas of ME, and it really helped me. Good luck!!

Eressië Ailin · 03-15-2003, 11:44 AM

Good Luck!! I've only read the first 10 pages of it, but, from what I've read, I can tell you to read slowly!!! I'm trying to get my hands on a copy of one, but I've had no such Luck so far.

mark12_30 · 03-15-2003, 12:55 PM

Some wise, wise, WISE person on this board-- I really wish I could remember who!-- suggested reading the Sil with a pad of paper and pencil handy, and building your own list of geneologies, relationships, names, places, etc etc. For me, this made the difference-- the Sil had been a struggle and it became a delight.

Vardadurwen · 03-15-2003, 01:37 PM

I haven't even finished the Sil yet...couldn't get through it! [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] But, mark, that's a really good idea to write everything down; and even though it wasn't your idea originally, thanks tons for posting it. I think I'll try to tackle the Sil again using this method, plus the maps (thanks too, Alatáriël).

Iarwain · 03-15-2003, 04:21 PM

I remember the Silmarillion. It was truly fantastic. Suggestion: If you decide, like me, to skip straight to chapter one, DON'T. You definately need to EVERYTHING. Believe me it makes a huge difference.

I hope you enjoy the wonderful tales, especially Tolkien's adaptation of the Lay of Leithian. Its magnificent work. The imagery of the entire book is fantastic.

I know you'll finish it [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img],
Iarwain

Arwen Evenstar the Fair · 03-15-2003, 04:39 PM

Enjoy, its an awesome book to read!!!!!!! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Lathriel · 03-15-2003, 05:10 PM

The reading is slow going but worth it. Remebering the names is a bit of a problem though.

Gorwingel · 03-15-2003, 06:25 PM

Actually I heard all this stuff about it being hard to read, I actually got through it pretty fast. It is not really hard in some ways, it is just difficult to keep the charaters straight. There are so many, and they all seem to have similar names, but it is a very cool book [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

Vardamar · 03-15-2003, 07:57 PM

I looked in the back of the book, and found some real nice hand drawn maps of ME that someone had stapled in their. Real nice.
Ill just use the appendices for the names, although I never have trouble with them.

[ March 15, 2003: Message edited by: Vardamar ]

**The Saucepan Man** · 03-15-2003, 09:36 PM

I have to admit that I gave up on the Simarillion on first attempt, many years ago. I just couldn't get through those first few chapters.

But I tried it again recently, and boy am I glad that I did. I still found the first few chapters hard going - all a bit too abstract for me. But once I got into the main body of the book, I found it to be a fantastic read. The tale of Turin is truly marvellous. I cannot overstate how much it captivated and moved me.

And one further thing. Once you've finished with the Silm, move on to the Unfinished Tales as soon as you can. I'm reading it at the moment and enjoying it tremendously (even more on the trials and tribulations of Turin [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] ).

Iarwain · 03-15-2003, 09:46 PM

Don't worry, Saucepan, I did the same thing. After I finished LotR, I started looking in the library for new Tolkien material. One of the first books I found was the Silmarillion. I was in the Third Grade at the time, so after reading the first two or three pages, I realized that this book just wasn't for me. Ever since then, I've always had an odd image of the Great Lamps in my head when I think of the Silmarillion in general. About two years later, I picked the book back up and I've read it three times since.

Iarwain

03-14-2003, 05:49 PM	#1
Vardamar Haunting Spirit Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Right over Here!! No Here!! Yoohoo! Posts: 97	Finally->The Silmarillion Finally. After months of being on the libraries waiting list, I now have the Silmarillion on my desk. Wish me luck. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] __________________ Strength without wisdom falls by its own weight.

03-15-2003, 09:48 AM	#2
Luinfang Pile O'Bones Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Dol Amroth, Gondor Posts: 17	luck! hope you love it, for it really is a great story, although it is hard to read. so you'll need 1) a bunch of luck and 2) even more perseverance. navaer. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] __________________ aurë entuluva! day shall come again!

03-15-2003, 09:50 AM	#3
Inderjit Sanghera Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Wolverhampton, England Posts: 716	Good luck. My advice it take it slowly and read it three-four times. __________________ “If I’m more of an influence on your son as a rapper then you are as a father then you've got to look at yourself as a parent” ~>Ice Cube. "Life is so beautiful"->Don Vito Corleone

03-15-2003, 11:37 AM	#4
Alatáriël Lossëhelin Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Road to Rivendell: 2491 miles from Hobbiton, with Frodo and Sam, homeward bound Posts: 365	Vardamar: Might I also add that some good maps of Middle-Earth would be a good investment. The stories are excellent, but I was having trouble keeping track of various locations and their relationship to each other. I purchased an Atlas of ME, and it really helped me. Good luck!! __________________ "It's impossible to have Frodo without Sam, or Sam without Frodo. They're like two halves of one heart..." "If your hurts grieve you still and the memory of your burden is heavy, then you may pass into the West..."

03-15-2003, 11:44 AM	#5
Eressië Ailin Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Past the Point of No Return... Posts: 502	Good Luck!! I've only read the first 10 pages of it, but, from what I've read, I can tell you to read slowly!!! I'm trying to get my hands on a copy of one, but I've had no such Luck so far. __________________ Holy angel, in Heaven blessed... My spirit longs with thee to rest! ~Faust Never judge a book by its movie. ~J. W. Eagan By the big slippers of big slipperdom! ~M. Gillenormand, Les Misérables My blog!

03-15-2003, 12:55 PM	#6
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Some wise, wise, WISE person on this board-- I really wish I could remember who!-- suggested reading the Sil with a pad of paper and pencil handy, and building your own list of geneologies, relationships, names, places, etc etc. For me, this made the difference-- the Sil had been a struggle and it became a delight. __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.

03-15-2003, 01:37 PM	#7
Vardadurwen Wight Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 102	I haven't even finished the Sil yet...couldn't get through it! [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] But, mark, that's a really good idea to write everything down; and even though it wasn't your idea originally, thanks tons for posting it. I think I'll try to tackle the Sil again using this method, plus the maps (thanks too, Alatáriël). __________________ 'In this phial,' she said, 'is caught the light of Earendil's star....May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out...' - Galadriel 'Now there's an eye-opener and no mistake!' - Samwise Gamgee

03-15-2003, 04:21 PM	#8
Iarwain Pugnaciously Primordial Paradox Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Birnham Wood Posts: 800	I remember the Silmarillion. It was truly fantastic. Suggestion: If you decide, like me, to skip straight to chapter one, DON'T. You definately need to EVERYTHING. Believe me it makes a huge difference. I hope you enjoy the wonderful tales, especially Tolkien's adaptation of the Lay of Leithian. Its magnificent work. The imagery of the entire book is fantastic. I know you'll finish it [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img], Iarwain __________________ "And what are oaths but words we say to God?"

03-15-2003, 04:39 PM	#9
Arwen Evenstar the Fair Wight Join Date: May 2002 Location: Gondor Posts: 235	Enjoy, its an awesome book to read!!!!!!! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] __________________ ~Arwen~

03-15-2003, 05:10 PM	#10
Lathriel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Wandering through Middle-Earth (Sadly in Alberta and not ME) Posts: 612	The reading is slow going but worth it. Remebering the names is a bit of a problem though. __________________ Back again

03-15-2003, 06:25 PM	#11
Gorwingel Beholder of the Mists Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Somewhere in the Northwest... for now Posts: 1,419	Actually I heard all this stuff about it being hard to read, I actually got through it pretty fast. It is not really hard in some ways, it is just difficult to keep the charaters straight. There are so many, and they all seem to have similar names, but it is a very cool book [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img] __________________ Wanted - Wonderfully witty quote that consists of pure brilliance

03-15-2003, 07:57 PM	#12
Vardamar Haunting Spirit Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Right over Here!! No Here!! Yoohoo! Posts: 97	I looked in the back of the book, and found some real nice hand drawn maps of ME that someone had stapled in their. Real nice. Ill just use the appendices for the names, although I never have trouble with them. [ March 15, 2003: Message edited by: Vardamar ] __________________ Strength without wisdom falls by its own weight.

03-15-2003, 09:36 PM	#13
The Saucepan Man Corpus Cacophonous Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: A green and pleasant land Posts: 8,390	I have to admit that I gave up on the Simarillion on first attempt, many years ago. I just couldn't get through those first few chapters. But I tried it again recently, and boy am I glad that I did. I still found the first few chapters hard going - all a bit too abstract for me. But once I got into the main body of the book, I found it to be a fantastic read. The tale of Turin is truly marvellous. I cannot overstate how much it captivated and moved me. And one further thing. Once you've finished with the Silm, move on to the Unfinished Tales as soon as you can. I'm reading it at the moment and enjoying it tremendously (even more on the trials and tribulations of Turin [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] ). __________________ Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

03-15-2003, 09:46 PM	#14
Iarwain Pugnaciously Primordial Paradox Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Birnham Wood Posts: 800	Don't worry, Saucepan, I did the same thing. After I finished LotR, I started looking in the library for new Tolkien material. One of the first books I found was the Silmarillion. I was in the Third Grade at the time, so after reading the first two or three pages, I realized that this book just wasn't for me. Ever since then, I've always had an odd image of the Great Lamps in my head when I think of the Silmarillion in general. About two years later, I picked the book back up and I've read it three times since. Iarwain __________________ "And what are oaths but words we say to God?"