The Silmarillion
- Author J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrator Martin Shaw
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date 29 October 2015
- Run Time 14 hours and 49 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Alternative history fiction, Classic fiction, Epic fantasy / heroic fantasy, Historical fantasy, Myths and Legends, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: journeys and voyages, War, combat and military adventure fiction.
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What to expect
The forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion tells the earlier history of Middle-earth, recounting the events of the First and Second Ages, and introducing some of the key characters, such as Galadriel, Elrond, Elendil and the Dark Lord, Sauron.
The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-Earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor.
Included in the book are several shorter works. The Ainulindale is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabeth 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.
Critics Review
‘How, given little over half a century of work, did one man become the creative equivalent of a people?’
The Guardian
‘Demanding to be compared with English mythologies… at times rises to the greatness of true myth’
Financial Times
‘A creation of singular beauty… magnificent in its best moments’
Washington Post
‘A grim, tragic, brooding and beautiful book, shot through with heroism and hope… its power is almost that of mysticism’
Toronto Globe & Mail
User Reviews
| Author | J. R. R. Tolkien |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Martin Shaw |
| Duration | 14 hours and 49 minutes |
| Release Date | |
| ISBN | 9780008168537 |
| Format | Audiobook |
| Publisher | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Genre | Alternative history fiction, Classic fiction, Epic fantasy / heroic fantasy, Historical fantasy, Myths and Legends, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: journeys and voyages, War, combat and military adventure fiction |
| Availability | AU, GB, IE, US |
| Rating |
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| Narration |
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