Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #135965 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-06
• Binding: Hardcover
• 416 pages

Synopsis
This is a beautifully presented revised and reset edition of "The Silmarillion", illustrated by celebrated Tolkien artist Ted Nasmith - designed to match and complement the illustrated "Lord of The Rings". J R R Tolkien's "Silmarillion" is the core work of the Middle-earth canon. It is in this dense and often neglected masterpiece that the entire cosmology for the background for "The Hobbit" and, particularly, "The Lord of The Rings" is documented. This revised and reset volume contains fabulous tales of heroes and monsters, and the history of the Elves and of the Silmarils - the magical jewels produced by the Children of Iluvatar, or Elves (humans being the Younger Children of Iluvatar); it tells of the creation of Middle-earth, and the coming of Men into the world; it chronicles the early battles between good and evil, forces of light and dark, which foreshadow the great conflict with Sauron, the Dark Lord, in "Lord of The Rings". These tales of Middle-earth were published posthumously in 1977.

Tolkien worked on "The Silmarillion" all his life - long before "The Hobbit" or "Lord of The Rings" - and his son and literary executor Christopher Tolkien edited the material he left behind into its current form. With the close collaboration of Christopher Tolkien, "The Silmarillion" has now been completely reset, using the Second Edition text, and redesigned and repackaged to complement the stunningly illustrated hardbacks of "The Lord of The Rings" and "Complete Guide To Middle-Earth", providing the reader with a definitive text. Furthermore, acclaimed Tolkien artist Ted Nasmith has been commissioned to provide 28 breathtaking new paintings, making this new illustrated edition of "The Silmarillion" the most sumptuous and desirable ever published.

Customer Reviews

Superb Edition
I am sure there is no pint in discussing The Silmarillion itself. Whoever is considering to buy this particular edition is more than likely very familiar with the context.

The edition is wonderful. Good paper, beautiful pictures that help a lot to dive into book's atmosphere. Sure it is on a heavy side as any other book with so many illustrations and on a good paper. Anyone who is interested in an illustrated book of The Silmarillion, I would recommend this edition.

I don't think this is a 1 star rating at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the foundation to The Lord of The Rings! How can anyone think that this wonderful book deserves a 1 star rating! I think this book is very hard to get into, so if you buy it, make sure you give it the time that it needs to read, do not read while reading other books or you will completely lose your concentration for it. So read carefully and enjoy another of Tolkien's wonderfully written books.

Referring to this hardcover edition
Well, you probably have read the Silmarillion already if you're not looking for a simple paperback edition. I'll make it short, since it's already been a year or so since I got this copy and I never got to go through the book from cover to cover on this one (and the text itself does not help very much).
Here's why I don't quite recommend that you *Tolkien fans* like me to purchase this edition:
-shiny pages, it's kind of difficult to read.. whatever light there is, natural-source or not;
-the format of the pages: they are.. too large even for a hardcover ed. (I really don't like struggling with a book);
-pretty heavy;
-again about the shiny pages: you've got the feeling that you're reading a book given to you by the Watchtower people or Jehovah's Witnesses (not that I have anything against any of the above but still...)
Believe me, reading the US 50th LOTR ann. edition seems like a picnic compared to this... so! go for the 2006 new print et cetera et cetera published by HarperCollins.