The Silmarillion in the Vernacular

[William Cloud Hicklin]

It's worth pointing out that even in the QS proper, and the Annals, the post-LR material tends toward a closer focus with more dialogue and psychology, as in the Finwe/Miriel story; or in the Silmarillion's "short Turin" which largely came from the Grey Annals.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I very much doubt I would have such good grasp of the myriad Silm characters, places and family trees if I hadn't absorbed them back then with the wonderful memory children have. .

When I first read the Silmarillion I tended to skim a lot of the early chapters, and to this day I have a hard time remembering the different valar etc.

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

[OT]

Yep, LotR was a huge step forward in Tolkien's development as a writer, and I think he knew it - hence the reworking of the Great Tales in a more detailed, vivid, LotR-ish style that brought us the prose Narn, Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin etc. Whereas the Silmarillion reads more like an Elven bible, its gruesome parts tempered by the distanced mode of telling - which is why the Old Testament isn't usually considered unfit for children (or is it?).[/OT]

Bible?
I always saw it as a history text book in style. You know, first semester of your undergrad you have to pick up "A brief history of middle-earth". Just to set the stage for later studies.