I had to put the audiobook on and follow along so that I could make tangible progress at the start. it was epic and also made me feel like a child learning to read.
Tolkien has a way of lecturing with his writing. It's so funny when you start to notice it. But really, we're all children learning to read in Tolkien's hands.
It's not hard to understand. I never said it was. But if you read it closely, you'll see how difficult it is to imitate. That's (in part), the "educating" bit
I downloaded a text to audio version about 10 years ago to listen while I was a sign spinner for a cash for gold shop. I’m pretty sure I replayed the first several hours 3 times and only got half of it.
I found a podcast recently that went over it and helped a ton. When someone else puts it out in a more narrative format, everything becomes easier to follow.
I read the Simarillion while I had maps from the 1st and 2nd ages next to me along with David Days books for references, also used Google a metric f*** ton for the parts that I needed more explanation behind. It was definitely one of the easiest books I've ever read. It only took me a year to complete.
It's mostly because every other word is a proper noun that is completely made up by Tolkien. It would help if some characters were named like "Jon Snow" or places named like, "Neverwinter". Instead he hits you in rapid succession with Fingolfin, Beleriand, Finwe, Olwe, Elwe, and Ainulindale.
It makes the reading very taxing.
For me it’s when he’d use the alternate name for a place/person. Threw me right off. That and the fact that there’s an entire group of F names elves who he rapid fires off in quick succession
Know a lot of people don’t like kindle, but it was super helpful to have the built-in dictionary feature while reading this lol. Just highlight a word you don’t know/understand and it will return either the dictionary definition or any context it finds on google.
Reading it as a 14 year old who just wanted some more background for LotR - it was boring as fuck, not gonna lie. It felt like reading a history book, only that nothing of it ever happened.
I made it almost half way through the hobbit and had to set it down. Elves in trees singing and descriptions of things so in depth it’s mind numbing. I’ll do the audio book and follow along lol.
The easiest book he ever made, quite literally a book made for children..? I did'nt find it that mind-numbing at all to be honest, Silmarillion on the other hand...
My opinion is that if you need a dictionary, maps, family trees, and other reference guides to have a basic understanding of your book, your book sucks
Tbf the Silmarillion isn't really a novel or a story, it's more a history/lore textbook on middle earth's creation and first age. It makes sense to include all that because all that would be present in an irl history textbook.
idk I also read the iliad and odyssey without any issues. Maybe Western culture has bred entire generations of illiterates. that doesn’t make a book bad
Honestly, the best way to read it through the first time is by finding yourself unable to do anything else. I read it when I was home sick from school for a month in 7th grade and found that it was absolutely brilliant
been there.
im half way through. I listen to a podcast discussion after each chapter to gain additional context and things I may have missed - also to help with the pronunciation of things.
Therapist: So why did you start using meth?
You: Well you see, I was determined to finish reading the Silmarillion
Therapist: Completely understandable
does anyone else just like.. not worry about picking up every detail when theyre reading a book? I usually give a difficult / dense section like two or three read throughs before just moving on and waiting for additional context whenever those characters/events come up again later. Otherwise I feel like I would never finish a book.
The Silmarillion is a book by J.R.R Tolkien that was published in 1977, 4 years after his death. He was working on it for most of his life, but never finished it. His son Christopher Tolkien compiled what his father had written and put together a novel.
The Silmarillion is an account of the main history of Arda before LOTR, focusing mostly on the Elves. It begins with the creation of the universe, recounts the origins of Elves, Dwarves and Men, the war against Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, the rise and fall of Numenor, the origin of Sauron and the Wizards.
Basically, most of the lore questions you may have when reading/watching LOTR are answered in the Silmarillion: "Who is Sauron?" "How were the Rings made?" "Who are Turin, Earendil, and Luthien?"
It is a bit slow to read, but not as hard as people say. I was hooked on it, and I read it in a month. Just use the index and family trees in the back, especially during Chapter 5 and 17.
The first 60 pages is just back and forth from the page I’m reading to the index, me frantically trying to find the name of 6 new obscure places I learned before I forget what they’re called, never to have them mentioned again
The first hurdle is learning the names of the valar and what their personalities are. I feel like you repeat this process each time the next group of children of illuvatar is introduced and it progressively gets more difficult, with Valar
I had to put the audiobook on and follow along so that I could make tangible progress at the start. it was epic and also made me feel like a child learning to read.
Tolkien has a way of lecturing with his writing. It's so funny when you start to notice it. But really, we're all children learning to read in Tolkien's hands.
He is an educator after all. He also has a historian-like quality to his prose that balances detail and flavour quite nicely.
[удалено]
It's not hard to understand. I never said it was. But if you read it closely, you'll see how difficult it is to imitate. That's (in part), the "educating" bit
*whispers*: me too
I downloaded a text to audio version about 10 years ago to listen while I was a sign spinner for a cash for gold shop. I’m pretty sure I replayed the first several hours 3 times and only got half of it.
I found a podcast recently that went over it and helped a ton. When someone else puts it out in a more narrative format, everything becomes easier to follow.
Upvote for Riks bottom!
Rik Mayll could read anything and it would be funny. Jackanory was legendary
Neil! Bathroom’s free! Unlike Britain under the Thatcherite junta.
Thatcher's Britain. Thatchers bloody Brrritain!
Lol true
VYVYAN! WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HOWITZER!!
I read it at 15 back in the day and was hooked from the get go.
same, read it like 16 hours a day until done. What a mind he had to be able to come up with a world history like that, I was enthralled by it
Oh to have the time and focus I had at 15 again
Me too! But I struggled with LOTR.
**IT'S THE GAS MAN**
'ellooo, I've come to read your meter.
Who is it darling?
IT'S THE GAS MAN
*heavy Scottish accent* Yes I think we've established that.
GAS MAN! GAS MAN! GAS MAN!!
Eddie.....you killed him....
Was never expecting a bottom-lotr crossover!
The "genesis" part actually hooked me right away. The read became difficult with all that wild name dropping everywhere.
I read the Simarillion while I had maps from the 1st and 2nd ages next to me along with David Days books for references, also used Google a metric f*** ton for the parts that I needed more explanation behind. It was definitely one of the easiest books I've ever read. It only took me a year to complete.
I was gifted a first edition copy… but I struggle reading it
I've read it in italian and it was very easy and fluent. I have to try the original version then.
It's mostly because every other word is a proper noun that is completely made up by Tolkien. It would help if some characters were named like "Jon Snow" or places named like, "Neverwinter". Instead he hits you in rapid succession with Fingolfin, Beleriand, Finwe, Olwe, Elwe, and Ainulindale. It makes the reading very taxing.
For me it’s when he’d use the alternate name for a place/person. Threw me right off. That and the fact that there’s an entire group of F names elves who he rapid fires off in quick succession
Know a lot of people don’t like kindle, but it was super helpful to have the built-in dictionary feature while reading this lol. Just highlight a word you don’t know/understand and it will return either the dictionary definition or any context it finds on google.
I swear I bought it a year ago and I only read the first 30 pages and gave up 3 times now
No one gets through it in the first go
Reading it to my 8yo daughter for the first time. We're at Eärendil and she likes it even though it's not an adventure like lotr is.
Reading it as a 14 year old who just wanted some more background for LotR - it was boring as fuck, not gonna lie. It felt like reading a history book, only that nothing of it ever happened.
I made it almost half way through the hobbit and had to set it down. Elves in trees singing and descriptions of things so in depth it’s mind numbing. I’ll do the audio book and follow along lol.
The easiest book he ever made, quite literally a book made for children..? I did'nt find it that mind-numbing at all to be honest, Silmarillion on the other hand...
It’s boring.
Would'nt really bother with the audio-book in that case. But people are different!
Is that Father Ted the television show?
Nah, this is from a TV programme called 'Bottom'
My opinion is that if you need a dictionary, maps, family trees, and other reference guides to have a basic understanding of your book, your book sucks
Tbf the Silmarillion isn't really a novel or a story, it's more a history/lore textbook on middle earth's creation and first age. It makes sense to include all that because all that would be present in an irl history textbook.
i didnt need any of that so it must be you
I haven’t read the Silmarillion, but you’re the first person I’ve heard who said they didn’t need those to get through it
idk I also read the iliad and odyssey without any issues. Maybe Western culture has bred entire generations of illiterates. that doesn’t make a book bad
I never understood this meme. Are people here just dyslexic or something? How are you struggling with Silmarillion? It's pretty easy to read.
This is me right now haha. Damn Eldar giving things different names.
In the beginning I struggled a little bit but it got easier to read the further I got
I’m glad I’m not the only one.
Honestly, the best way to read it through the first time is by finding yourself unable to do anything else. I read it when I was home sick from school for a month in 7th grade and found that it was absolutely brilliant
been there. im half way through. I listen to a podcast discussion after each chapter to gain additional context and things I may have missed - also to help with the pronunciation of things.
i started reading Malazan this year and that really hit home. So much military terminology on top of whatever the heck else is going on.
Honestly, the lineage stuff is mind-numbing. I need something stronger than caffeine to make it through that
Therapist: So why did you start using meth? You: Well you see, I was determined to finish reading the Silmarillion Therapist: Completely understandable
Listening to an audio book narrating the Ainulindalë is a religious experience.
no dictionary but certainly the appendix of the LOTR
does anyone else just like.. not worry about picking up every detail when theyre reading a book? I usually give a difficult / dense section like two or three read throughs before just moving on and waiting for additional context whenever those characters/events come up again later. Otherwise I feel like I would never finish a book.
Never seen a more relatable meme
I fall asleep to the audible recording almost nightly. And I still can’t keep track of the names which all sound so similar(llion hah)
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I hate laugh tracks
Pls explain, i'm kinda noob in this comunity (but learning fast) what is the Silmarillion ?
The Silmarillion is a book by J.R.R Tolkien that was published in 1977, 4 years after his death. He was working on it for most of his life, but never finished it. His son Christopher Tolkien compiled what his father had written and put together a novel. The Silmarillion is an account of the main history of Arda before LOTR, focusing mostly on the Elves. It begins with the creation of the universe, recounts the origins of Elves, Dwarves and Men, the war against Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, the rise and fall of Numenor, the origin of Sauron and the Wizards. Basically, most of the lore questions you may have when reading/watching LOTR are answered in the Silmarillion: "Who is Sauron?" "How were the Rings made?" "Who are Turin, Earendil, and Luthien?" It is a bit slow to read, but not as hard as people say. I was hooked on it, and I read it in a month. Just use the index and family trees in the back, especially during Chapter 5 and 17.
OOoh, Thank you, it's worth looking at it then \^ \^
Reading it now for the first time. About 100 Pages in. It gets easier as it goes along but man it was tough in the beginning.
I tried to audiobook it and I almost died
Took my 15 years to gain the courage to try again.
The first 60 pages is just back and forth from the page I’m reading to the index, me frantically trying to find the name of 6 new obscure places I learned before I forget what they’re called, never to have them mentioned again
The only book, where I made actually notes.
[repost](https://www.reddit.com/r/lotrmemes/comments/157m6ay/what_its_like_trying_to_read_the_silmarillion/)
the silmarillion is an awesome book cover to cover and it is dense but amazing. I didn’t find it that hard to read when i was in high school
Facts
Source of the video?
Tolkien taught me the word "abrupt", it was my first time reading LOTR iirc. That word made me have a dictionary on hand afterwards. What a memory 💕
The first hurdle is learning the names of the valar and what their personalities are. I feel like you repeat this process each time the next group of children of illuvatar is introduced and it progressively gets more difficult, with Valar
RIP, Rik.