Why is it so difficult?

[Mister Underhill]

The Sil is challenging, no question, especially diving right in with the Ainulindalë and the Valaquenta, which can be like cracking open a King James Bible from an alternate dimension while you're trying to kick back on the beach on summer vacation. I don't know if I would have ever gotten through it if it wasn't for wanting to be able to keep up on these here Downs. I'm glad I did, though the Sil will never be the sort of comfort book that LotR is for me. My experience reminded me of reading Moby Dick -- the work you put in slogging through the first third or so pays off in spades on the back end, and once you get comfortable and conversant in the world of the First Age, you can go back and appreciate some of the poetry in the earlier chapters.

Some good advice has been given in this thread. I'll echo the things that ring true for me:

• Have easy access to maps and family trees. For me, having a couple of extra bookmarks so that I could easily flip to the resource I needed was enough.
• Have a nice chunk of time to devote to it. The Sil is not the type of book to read in small sips, ten pages before bedtime or something.
• Hang in there at least until you get into the first few chapters of the Quenta proper. If you can get to chapters that have actual scenes and exchanges of dialogue and a narrative thread, you can keep your head above water.

I'd add, don't approach it as a duty. If you love Middle-earth, you probably owe it to yourself to give the Sil a shot, but it doesn't make you a bad Tolkien fan if you never warm up to it.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

I'd add, don't approach it as a duty. If you love Middle-earth, you probably owe it to yourself to give the Sil a shot, but it doesn't make you a bad Tolkien fan if you never warm up to it.

So true! You can't understand The Sil if you don't love the world of LOTR (not only ME, I mean the whole world).
I think it helps to reread The Sil after you finish it, because many things could be unclear or confusing the first time.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

So true! You can't understand The Sil if you don't love the world of LOTR (not only ME, I mean the whole world).

Absolutely. And I think appreciation of Sil is also impacted by the ways in which LOTR touched you.

To use my experience as an example of what I mean... I fell in love with not just the story, but with the rich depth behind and surrounding that story. Tolkien was constantly throwing in tidbits that hinted at a full history and life underlying, surrounding, upholding, and informing the world we were experiencing with Bilbo, Frodo and his friends. For example:

• Elrond tells Bilbo & co. that the sword Gandalf took from the trolls had been owned by the King of Gondolin.
• Gimli, in his chant about Kazad-dum refers to "Elder days before the fall of mighty kings in Nargothrond and Gondolin that now beyond the western seas have passed away".
• Faramir recounts Gandalf talking about "my youth in the west that is forgotten".
• Aragorn sings about Beren and Luthien.
• Bilbo sings about Earendel (knowing he is Elrond's father).

The Appendicies were rich fare for one eager and yearning to learn more and dig deeper into that history - but far too short for my taste.

Publication of Silmarillion was, for me, like opening the BonAdventure penthouse restaurant to one previously limited to snacking on hour-dourves in the lobby. Now I could actually *VISIT* that old world, rather than just hear about it.

[Galadriel55]

For me, I read the Sil because it has the same phylosophy*. It is very different, but the principles remain the same. Of course, I also wanted to find more about Earendil and all these other guys mentioned in LOTR, but its more the world that I wanted to know about than the history. But both are interesting and rich.

*Philosophy isn't the right word here. Its more like the play of values and emotions...

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

For me, I read the Sil because it has the same phylosophy*. It is very different, but the principles remain the same. Of course, I also wanted to find more about Earendil and all these other guys mentioned in LOTR, but its more the world that I wanted to know about than the history. But both are interesting and rich.

*Philosophy isn't the right word here. Its more like the play of values and emotions...

I suppose I wanted to know about the world as much as the history. Though Children of Húrin will remain the best 'history' bit for me

[Galadriel55]

Narn is the best emotional part for me.

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Narn is the best emotional part for me.

Yes, that too I felt the elves were more 'human' in CoH. We never had such a close view of elves, except in LotR with Legolas and Galadriel.