The Silmarillion or LOTR, which one do you prefer?

[Ricardo]

I love both, but I definitely prefer the Silmarillion.

For once, it is a lot more epic, the elves and men of the first age fought an enemy that made Sauron look like a naughty child.

Glorfindel in LOTR is shown as probably the most formidable elf warrior, but in the Silmarillion, they were many like him or even more powerful. The battles are a lot more epic, a lot more violent and it has it own subplots (like Beren and Luthien, the Children of Hurin or Gondolin).

But the main reason is about understanding.

I read LOTR before the Silmarillion. I enjoyed it a lot and read it several times, however, I had so many questions, there was a lot I did not understand. Didn't' even know what an elf really was, didn't know what Sauron, or Gandalf, or Saruman were, or Tom Bombadil (I still don't )

Then I read the Silmarillion, I got more unanswered questions but I understood the whole mythology a lot better. I re-read LOTR after and I enjoyed a lot more (not as much as the Silmarillion though)

Christopher Tolkien said he couldn't conceive the Silmarillion not being known, and for that I will forever be thankful to him for the wonderful work he did compiling the multiple manuscripts left by his father and publishing a coherent story.

Of course, after the Silmarillion I went through the history of Middle Earth, Unfinished Tales and the likes and got some more answers but again, more questions. I think even Tolkien didn't know the answer to some of those questions, but it's like everything, they more you learn, they more you realize there is a lot you don't know, you advance in your knowledge but then you will have more questions and it's never ending. That's that the way knowledge works.

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

It's hard to say, as they are both such different stories, in length and tone.

When I was younger, I read The Lord of the Rings many times. It strongly captured my interest the first time I read it. Back then, I didn't know the Silmarillion existed.

When I did get around to reading the Silmarillion in full a few years later, it captured my interest strongly in much the same way. But by that point, I hadn't re-read The Lord of the Rings in a while.

Now I am finally in the process of re-reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time in years, and I've found that knowledge of the Silmarillion really makes certain parts of it more impactful and meaningful. I think it broadened my focus so I wasn't only thinking about the adventures/journeys of the characters, but also thinking about the backstories of the world they're travelling through and the people they encounter.

As things stand in my mind right now, I would say I prefer the Silmarillion, as I currently most enjoy reading and writing about the characters in that book. But The Lord of the Rings is a very great and moving story in its own right, and more so with the knowledge of what came before.

 

[d4rk3lf]

As Gremlin said, it's a bit hard to compare, like apples and oranges.
But in my case, it's enough to say that Silmarillion is my favorite book of all time.

I am still amazed how Tolkien managed to put so much of a story and lore in, not so big book.
Especially first chapters.
My only complaint is that I wish that Turin Turambar doesn't take so much space, and I wish that he has less pages, and to hear more about Tuor, or more overall story about first, second, or third age. Not that I dislike Turin. It's just that I think that personal story, developed that deep, doesn't belong in the book that is essentially history of everything in MIddle Earth.
Other then that - it's perfect.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

@d4rk3lf, have you read the greatly expanded Tuor story in Unfinished Tales? I weep for what's forever lost.

 

[d4rk3lf]

@d4rk3lf, have you read the greatly expanded Tour story in Unfinished Tales? I weep for what's forever lost.

Yup.
It's one of my favorite stories from Unfinished Tales.
I only wish there's some more info, of Tuor actually living in Gondolin, not just travel towards it.

However, I don't think that story should be in Silmarillion too (for the same reason as Turin story.. it's too long.. too detailed for the Silmarillion type of book).

 

[Eljorahir]

I only wish there's some more info, of Tuor actually living in Gondolin, not just travel towards it.

If you haven't yet read "The Fall of Gondolin", doing so may cause your wish to come true (at least a little bit).

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

@d4rk3lf, definitely. Contrasting the two -- a few paragraphs of the Sil expanded into over 25 pages in UT -- the full Fall of Gondolin would have become a separate book of several hundred pages!

Tolkien said that the Gondolin tale was the central story of the entire legendarium. That he never completed it is a tragedy.

 

[Elthir]

I think it would be fitting if the chapter on Turambar intended for Quenta Silmarillion was the
longest chapter, given that it's supposed to be a retelling of: "the longest of all the Lays that
speak of those days."

But in any case, and sadly, Tolkien never "got there" 'cause the shorter version for The Silmarillion was to wait on the final development of the Narn, and despite work on the Narn during the 1950s, JRRT never finished that, and thus: "no brief retelling suitable in scale to the Quenta Silmarillion ever emerged." CJRT, War of The Jewels

However, I don't think that story [Fall of Gondolin] should be in Silmarillion too (for the same reason as Turin story.. it's too long.. too detailed for the Silmarillion type of book).

Well, and not that you said otherwise, but generally speaking, we know Tolkien never intended the long prose [or long poetry] versions of the Great Tales to be part of the Quenta Silmarillion proper. And if you haven't yet read the early Fall of Gondolin in The Book of Lost Tales, I'll add that this is also not intended as a "Silmarillion" chapter. . .

. . . for. . . um . . . reasons.

The Book of Lost Tales is a very early, and different, animal -- again, not that anyone said otherwise

 

[d4rk3lf]

Haven't read yet Fall of Gondolin, and looking forward to read it.

Thanks for recommendation guys

 

[Ricardo]

As Gremlin said, it's a bit hard to compare, like apples and oranges.
But in my case, it's enough to say that Silmarillion is my favorite book of all time.

I am still amazed how Tolkien managed to put so much of a story and lore in, not so big book.
Especially first chapters.
My only complaint is that I wish that Turin Turambar doesn't take so much space, and I wish that he has less pages, and to hear more about Tuor, or more overall story about first, second, or third age. Not that I dislike Turin. It's just that I think that personal story, developed that deep, doesn't belong in the book that is essentially history of everything in MIddle Earth.
Other then that - it's perfect.

I couldn't agree more, exactly my thoughts and the silmarillion is also my favourite book of all times.

Agree too on how amazing was Tolkien's world. In LOTR you can appreciate Tolkiens' creativity and attention to detail (the maps, the names, the carefully written chronology) but the Silmarillion takes it to another level.

And I agree about Turin, I found that story deeply depressing with no positives coming out of it and very little influence in the rest of the narrative. For sure, it was what happened to the children of one of the most important heroes (Hurin), but it is a side story. If the Silmarillion was a movie (fingers crossed), the children of Hurin should have been a spinoff.

 

[Elwing_HalfElven]

I read LOTR before the Silmarillion. I enjoyed it a lot and read it several times, however, I had so many questions, there was a lot I did not understand. Didn't' even know what an elf really was, didn't know what Sauron, or Gandalf, or Saruman were, or Tom Bombadil (I still don't )

Then I read the Silmarillion, I got more unanswered questions but I understood the whole mythology a lot better. I re-read LOTR after and I enjoyed a lot more (not as much as the Silmarillion though)

This is why I am reading through Silm right now! I can't wait to see how it grows my understanding of this amazing world Tolkien created discovered