The Silmarillion (J.R.R. Tolkien)

The Silmarillion is J.R.R. Tolkien's tales/myths of the beginning- the first age of Middle Earth.  Here we see how Eru (called Iluvatar by the Elves) created the Ainur, whose music shaped and formed Middle Earth.  Some of these dwelt on Earth and became Valar, and lesser spirits Maiar.  But a rebellious Ainur, named Melkor, came too, and some fallen Maiar joined him, one of whom was named . . . Sauron.

Though dominated by the title tale, this book consists of several stories:
- Ainulindale (12 pages)- the creation story
- Valaquenta (10 pages)- of the Valar and Maiar
- Quenta Silmarillion (290 pages)- the history of the elves, mostly, and their battles (against each other, men, dwarves, and Melkor/Morgoth)
- Akallabeth (30 pages)- the downfall of Numenor
- Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age (25 pages)- immediate background to The Lord of the Rings

The Silmarillion (collectively) is both enchanting and boring.  In places, it has:
- wonderful mythology, with profound insights on the nature of our world (the parallels to Christianity are strong)
- heart-rending tales of tragedy and loss
- fascinating stories
- interesting background
In other places, it's an overwhelming list of names and places, relevant only to the Tolkien fanatic (the included 50-page index is helpful but reveals the complexity).

Personally, I enjoyed parts of this for the background it gave to The Lord of the Rings.  Here we learn how elves, dwarves, orcs, and men were created, and about wizards, Balrogs, dragons, and other things found in the classic LOTR stories.  We also see the great battles of ancient times, and understand why Middle Earth looks as it does during The Lord of the Rings books.  Yet, this is in many ways a hard and boring read.  Ultimately, I recommend it only for those obsessed with Tolkien; for the lay reader, three tales (the first two and final) are most interesting and will suffice.

Rating: B-