Why is it so difficult?

[Durelin]

Originally Posted by Lal

A tip: photocopy the maps and family trees, use 'em as book marks and then you've a handy reference to refer to when you get confused with all these new names and places that Tolkien throws out at a rate of 100 per page (or it feels like that anyway).

That almost makes it sound like homework.

Actually, I enjoy looking at maps and family trees... I know this book has a bunch of family trees in the back: The Complete Guide to Middle-earth.

And then there's this awesome book for maps (which I know pio especially has suggested many times): The Atlas of Middle-earth.

The problem is, using so many books (okay, so only two, specifically) just to read one book makes one feel less like their reading it for fun, even if it is enjoyable.

In at least my copy of the Sil there is a glossary of names in the back, so at least that helps. Really, though, I find myself completely capable of reading about people even if I forget who they are, or reading about an event even though I have no real idea when it occured in relation to other events. But then when it comes to looking at the big picture, I'm at a complete loss. Is it about the big picture, though? Is there something that the Sil as a whole relates about ME, or is it just a lot of pieces of history, each relating to ME in their own ways? Is it incredibly cohesive, or can you read parts of it separately (then, of course, you're not getting the big picture, but how important is the big picture?)?

Having too many names is a common complaint for not only the Sil but other fantasy books. One fantasy series in particular that I hear people complaining about a lot in the way is The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, because there are so many different characters...

[Holbytlass]

Why is it so difficult?
It's laziness on my part. Ironically I like history-the whys and hows. But I've been out of school awhile and hate when I have to research or take notes on anything unless I really, really want to.

I read Silm once-and it was a struggle. I read it for entertainment value and because of its choppiness it didn't hold my attention. Don't get me wrong, I came through with a better understanding of the background to LOTR and there were a few good stories within it but to recommend it or read it through again, no thank you!

[Boromir88]

I was kind of like Fea and morm combined, and this is probably why I only read the Sil completely through once.

It's really a story I didn't enjoy, or not in the way that I enjoy Lord of the Ring. I think this is where the problem occurs of reading the Sil.

As morm says it feels incohesive. Yes, there's this timeline of events, but it's not really one set storyline like there is in LOTR. We also have to remember the manner in which The Sil was put together. As CT talks about, doing so was a huge and difficult task, as trying to fit together the best and most cohesive story as was possible. The Sil was more or less a collection of stories that took place over a long period of time. He wanted to put together the Sil into a rough timeline creating a clear story. But, it doesn't work to the same effect LOTR did, because it's a collection of mini stories.

I didn't get the same feel as I do when reading LOTR. LOTR there is a lot of progression as this is a story spanning a little over a year about Frodo's journey with the Ring and Aragorn's journey of becoming a King. Now there is some background and historical information, but it felt much more like a story and it was put together. This was easy to do, and to show developement and progress of the characters, because it focused around one story in a rather small amount of time.

With The Silmarillion, it is a history over several thousand years, so it feels choppy, I didn't feel as connected to the characters. I think Folwren referring to it as a history book fits in quite right. As The Sil is a group of stories spanning over a vast period of time...to do to The Sil what Tolkien did to LOTR would be virtually impossible.

Also as Fea put it, it's just so many facts and information to digest. To digest all that info I mean my mind would just simply explode. So, I treat The Sil more as something to refer to, if I'm looking for an argument to discuss/debate, rather than a story to sit down and read like LOTR.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Durelin

That almost makes it sound like homework.

That's because it is.....Tolkien was not a teacher for nothing. He knew exactly how to keep us on his Straight Path....

Seriously though. There's no need to stress out over the Sil, as it does not have to be read as a 'novel', in fact its often better read in chunks or sections, even just in chapters, as Boromir88 and narfforc have suggested. Just select tales you like and read those to begin with, if that's something you're more comfortable with. Don't worry too much about all the names and places, just enjoy each story, as each one has its own narrative and structure, and each one is different.

[MatthewM]

Well, I haven't read the Silmarillion yet, but my friend who did isn't a fan. Like everyone else said, he thought it was 'alright'. I'll get around to reading it one day and judging for myself.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by MatthewM

Well, I haven't read the Silmarillion yet, but my friend who did isn't a fan. Like everyone else said, he thought it was 'alright'. I'll get around to reading it one day and judging for myself.

Give it a go, it's worth it!

My mate thinks its better than LotR, and I'm sure there are people here who would agree.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

My mate thinks its better than LotR, and I'm sure there are people here who would agree.

A lot of it's just formatting. It's not so much the lack of continuity or the info lists in the Silm that are scary hard. It's that it's all structured in such a way as that you look for continuity in vain. It would be an easier read, I think, if seperated into sections or "short stories" instead of chapters.

At the same time, the difficulty of the read insists upon a certain level of commitment. You finish it feeling - So what if you don't remember any of the names? - a certain level of pride and accomplishment.

[mormegil]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Give it a go, it's worth it!

My mate thinks its better than LotR, and I'm sure there are people here who would agree.

Aye. I tend to like it better but that does waiver from time to time. Overall I like some of the stories in The Silm better than LotR...can you imagine that one of those is the story of Turin?

[Macalaure]

Originally Posted by Lal

My mate thinks its better than LotR, and I'm sure there are people here who would agree.

Neither better nor worse. They're just too different to be compared.

I read the Sil for the first time a few years ago. The beginning was horrifying. The first few chapters incredibly dragged. Sure, you get to know about Elbereth and the dwarves and it's all quite interesting, but it's really painful to read through it. And then comes the ultimate character overkill in "Of Eldamar". I guess the only way to keep on reading at this point is to completely forget about all the names: each of them will be introduced again, in a proper way and mostly seperate.
Things got more interesting when I reached the Rebellion of the Noldor. Now I finally had a plot to follow and actually started wondering what might happen next and my reading sped up. By the time I reached the 'classic' hero stories of Beren and Lúthien and Túrin I was into it. Every evening I read one chapter and even though the chapters are only loosely connected, I still felt the story flow.

When I was through at last I immediately read it again, and finally the early chapters made sense and it became a whole. narfforc's suggestion to read from end to beginning might really be worth a shot.

To me, The Silmarillion is much more of a 'fantasy story' than The Lord of the Rings. The LotR presents you a fantastic story that you can just read from beginning to end without interruptions. The Sil clearly demands a little more from its reader. You actually have to utilise your own imagination and fantasy to make it come to life. Imagine the Sil was written with as much detail as the LotR. It'd be of the length of the whole HoMe, just plain story, no notes, no repetition. But the Sil doesn't present this to the reader, the reader has to do it itself.
Well, this is the way I see the Silmarillion. I hope this does not sound as unpleasurable as homework. It certainly wasn't (and is, I'm still 'writing' that story in my mind) for me.

[Durelin]

I think it's actually quite fair to say that it can seem like homework, because so many of us have been conditioned into feeling like "this is work, and this isn't." These days (gah, I used the phrase! First, it is an abused phrase. Second, I am only 17 years old and I know quite well that I am not justified in saying it. But I'm using it anyway! Just try and stop me!) anything that really stimulates the mind isn't largely considered enjoyable. When I tell people (normally around my age) that I enjoy very much simply reading and writing, they look at me like I'm nuts. This is how many people look at it, but certainly not all (otherwise I really wouldn't get along with anyone). There is plenty of example of people (around my age) who don't look at it like that here on the 'Downs...

To me, The Silmarillion is much more of a 'fantasy story' than The Lord of the Rings.

That's really interesting, because I think the opposite. I feel like LotR is a fantasy story, while the Sil is more like a myth. But I find defining those to be difficult.

And personally, I think LotR takes quite a lot of imagination and thought to really realize and visualize it. I almost think that, though the characters and the plot itself is easier to follow (because it's one overall plot and one overall set of characters) in LotR than in the Sil, keeping up with the physical descriptions can be tiring. A strong ability in spatial reasoning is not something I possess, and I found it difficult to imagine settings when Tolkien described them, and he spent quite a bit describing them, I think.

As for writing the story yourself, I think we do that all the time in the RP forums.

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Macalaure

To me, The Silmarillion is much more of a 'fantasy story' than The Lord of the Rings. The LotR presents you a fantastic story that you can just read from beginning to end without interruptions. The Sil clearly demands a little more from its reader. You actually have to utilise your own imagination and fantasy to make it come to life. Imagine the Sil was written with as much detail as the LotR. It'd be of the length of the whole HoMe, just plain story, no notes, no repetition. But the Sil doesn't present this to the reader, the reader has to do it itself.

A very good point here. To be read with enjoyment the Silmarillion absolutely demands that you utilize your imagination. Sit down in a comfortable chair, smoke a pipe for relaxation, and read slowly, very slowly. Ask yourself, how was it like on the plains of Ard-Galen on that cold winter night right before the Battle Of The Sudden Flame? What went through Húrin's mind when he faced the bare walls of the Crissaegrim and realized there was no return to Gondolin or the high hopes of his youth. Try to imagine how it was like when Haleth and her people heard the horns of Caranthir just as the Orics broke though their last line of defence. Three lines in this book may contain events and character descriptions that would take up tree pages or more in LotR, and if you just rush on trying to finish the book, those events and characters are lost. In order to really enjoy all the fantastic storielines, you have read between the lines and capture them yourself.