Hi everyone! I'm just about done reading this and was really surprised to find no Tolkien threads on here! Does anybody...

I feel you man. I think what's so appealing about the Silmarillion is with how much dignity all of this characters behave. Every character is motivated by some higher passion, even selfish characters whose actions cause the plot like Morgoth and Feanor. Events like the kinslaying at Alqualonde are much more tragic because the reader knows that Feanor has a point to some extent, since the jewels are his creation and the Valar made a huge mistake by setting Morgoth free again. And the sons of Feanor and other more psychotic characters never commit truly base actions like killing and stealing for the sake of it. And that makes it all the more tragic when they inevitably do commit atrocities.

That's also why the Silmarillion has no sex, unlike the GRRM type of fantasy and even the Bible which it is based on to some extent. There is no need for it. A character committing some type of heroic act or crime purely because they are horny or greedy would be farcical, that's why nobody in the Silmarillion is ever motivated by pure lust. Even when Maeglin betrays Gondolin to Morgoth, what drives him is not just his desire for Idril but his whole Freudian complex of growing up with his abusive dad, his dad almost killing him when his mother and him reach Gondolin, being introduced into this wonderful new world but always being just a bit short of totally acceptance, etc..

TL;DR - The Silmarillion is cool because all the characters are fucked in the head, but in a deep Freudian way and not a shallow "he was depressed" Tumblr type way.

I'm actually in the middle of reading it right now. Went through it years ago, but I think I was a bit too young to really appreciate it as much as I am now. It's absolutely fantastic; after having read Lord of the Rings and Children of Húrin, all the pieces just fall in place with the Silmarilion.

Pretty solid take, user.

So you recommend reading the Silmarilion last then?

Yeah, definitely. I think it's a far more effective piece of writing if you're already familiar with Tolkien and wish to go deeper; there aren't enough broken references in Lord of the Rings to confuse things anyhow. It's how I did it, and I loved the feeling of finally understanding those references, and all the implications they actually had in LotR - I don't think I'd have been as into it if I hadn't read the more conventional work first. Remember that LotR was written with you not necessarily knowing all these references in mind; you're in the same place as the hobbits, not knowing what's really going on out in the world. The mysteries of Moria, the nature of the Balrog; being familiar with these won't lessen the story, but it will change it somewhat.

I think Tolkien wanted to emulate the feeling of reading an old germanic epic, enjoying it for what it actually in on its own, and then through scholarship picking up on all the nuance and history afterwards from other ancient fragments and stories that contextualise it.

Hi OP here, I'm a stupid NIGGER with bad taste!

Varg, aka Gandalf The White 19, here
This is a shit book and Tolkien was actually a covert pagan.

do posts like this actually mean anything to anyone? there's so many layers of autism im 100% convinced its some demented zogbot learning ai in zuckerberg's cuck dungeon

AHEM

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yes melkor? you look like you have something to say

GET THEE GONE FROM MY THREAD, THOU JAIL-BIRD OF MANDOS

Fingolfin is the most brilliant example of this, when he rides across Anfauglith mistaken for a furious God. Imagine the sublime sorrow he must have felt on arriving in Middle Earth after all that betrayal and death, only to see the first rising of the moon as a massive token of the waning time of his people.

Fingolfin's reaction to the Dagor Bragollach is nothing short of fantastic

>Thus he came alone to Angband's gates, and he sounded his horn, and smote once more upon the brazen doors,
>and challenged Morgoth to come forth to single combat. And Morgoth came.
>That was the last time in those wars that he passed the doors of his stronghold, and it is said that he took not the
>challenge willingly; for though his might was greatest of all things in this world, alone of the Valar he knew fear. But he
>could not now deny the challenge before the face of his captains; for the rocks rang with the shrill music of Fingolfin's horn,
>and his voice came keen and clear down into the depths of Angband; and the chad Fingolfin named the virgin Morgoth craven, and lord of slaves.

The part in The Children of Hurin where Morgoth curses Hurin is beautifully written as well, I can't find the English version atm
youtube.com/watch?v=eCmOt241jX8

That was pretty cool, user. German is a great language. Another scene that I really like is Fëanor's fiery speech to the Noldor, which is immediately followed by his and his sons' oath.

>Fair shall the end be,' he cried, though long and hard shall be the road! Say farewell to bondage! But
>say farewell also to ease! Say farewell to the weak! Say farewell to your treasures! More still shall we make. Journey
>light: but bring with you your swords! For we will go further than Oromë, endure longer than Tulkas: we will never
>turn back from pursuit. After Morgoth to the ends of the Earth! War shall he have and hatred undying. But when we
>have conquered and have regained the Silmarils, then we and we alone shall be lords of the unsullied Light, and
>masters of the bliss and beauty of Arda. No other race shall oust us!'

>Then Fëanor swore a terrible oath. His seven sons leapt straightway to his side and took the selfsame vow
>together, and red as blood shone their drawn swords in the glare of the torches. They swore an oath which none shall
>break, and none should take, by the name even of Ilúvatar, calling the Everlasting Dark upon them if they kept it not;
>and Manwë they named in witness, and Varda, and the hallowed mountain of Taniquetil, vowing to pursue with
>vengeance and hatred to the ends of the World Vala, Demon, Elf or Man as yet unborn, or any creature, great or small,
>good or evil, that time should bring forth unto the end of days, whoso should hold or take or keep a Silmaril from their
>possession.

I'm reading the Silm first, and only watched LotR many moons ago. Still really good!