The Silmarillion

By: J. R. R. Tolkien

Narrated by: Martin Shaw

Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

The complete unabridged audiobook of J.R.R Tolkien's The Silmarillion.

The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien’s world. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part. The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-Earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor.

Included in the book are several shorter works. 'The Ainulindale' is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. 'The Akallabeth' recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age and 'Of the Rings of Power' tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings.

©1977 The Tolkien Estate Limited and C.R. Tolkien (P)1977 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"How, given little over half a century of work, did one man become the creative equivalent of a people?" ( The Guardian)
"Demanding to be compared with English mythologies...at times rises to the greatness of true myth." ( Financial Times)
"A creation of singular beauty...magnificent in its best moments." ( Washington Post)
"A grim, tragic, brooding and beautiful book, shot through with heroism and hope... its power is almost that of mysticism." ( Toronto Globe & Mail)

One of the best readings I've ever heard

This is, by far, one of the best readings of the best books I've ever heard!

If you're familiar with Tolkien and haven't read this book, look no further than this audiobook narrated by Martin Shaw. I've listen to over a dozen male narrators of fantasy books (Michael Kramer is a good one, particularly his Mistborn performance), and no one has topped Martin Shaw's performance with the Silmarillion. I definitely recommend listening to this book and then actually reading it (if you want to read the hard copy or Kindle editions), as Shaw gives you the proper pronunciations of the literally hundreds of names of people and places. Also it would be a good idea to have a map of Beleriand/pre-LOTR Middle-earth handy while listening, as on the first listen it can become difficult to keep places straight.

Beyond the performance, this is my favorite work of Tolkiens' to date. It has so much packed in, particularly the Ainulidale ( the first part) that I have gone back and listened to the whole book three times now, and the first part eight times.

I'm so glad they brought this to the US store, as before it was only available in the UK Audible store and had to jump through a few hoops to get at it. It's worth every penny (or credit) and more to add this title to your collection! I can't recommend this highly enough. Enjoy!

Epic World Building

This is the ultimate in epic fantasy lore and world building! Tolkien introduces readers/listeners to the evolution of Middle Earth. Told through various stories, the history, lore and legends of Middle Earth emerge in a fantastic fashion. Honestly, it’s like reading/listening to the Bible of fantasy- especially Tolkien’s fantasy realm!
#Fantasy #WorldBuilding #StoryTellingGreatness #Tagsgiving #Sweepstakes

I just love being there in Valinor and Middle Earth

I don’t know that all fans of LOTR will love it. It’s quite different and intended more of an series of tales like reading mythology. But if you’re interested in learning about all the history that LOTR hints to throughout the books you may just love it v I go sleep to it a lot. Just listen to a story or two and drift off. :-).

The Full Lore of Middle Earth

The Silmarilion answers nearly any question one may have after finishing Tolkien's classic Lord of the Rings; but it is not for everyone. Most persons I have met complain that the style differs from LotR and (particularly) The Hobbit, but that is not the project nor promise of this work. Tolkien and his son as editor have produced a significant achievement in this work. It reads like ancient lore for a long forgotten time. Many have attempted this style (some inspired by Tolkien, and even Tolkien himself varied in success in accomplishing the tone of this book); this book is only eclipsed by Children of Hurin in its fulfillment of such a project by Tolkien.
I recommend this to those who are curious about or hungry for more Middle Earth. If you enjoy the writing style of Beowulf, for instance, and love Tolkien's lore, this book will be an enchanting experience.

fantastic on every level.

the production and narration are wonderful. I highly recommend this for any fan of tokens work or general fantasy.

Exquisite

This is Well narrated. The author, though not around any longer, has certainly left behind some great treasures that are good for readers of all ages and imaginations. This book is certainly one of the Silmarils of his works. Worth the time and listening.

Great Book, Great Speaker

The speaker kept me engaged. I admit that there were times that I was bored out of my mind but I got through it. I am very happy I did. I will say that some of his pronunciations annoyed me, it didn't take away from the story. I would have never been able to read the book. This is a great alternative.

Reads like stereo instructions

But it's impossible to deny the masterwork Tolkien has created with Middle Earth. Great read.

Exactly what I hoped for

Martin Shaw’s voice is excellent for listening to the Silmarillion. I’ve read it before but hearing it was a new experience I thoroughly enjoyed, though I will admit it may be difficult to follow if you haven’t read the Silmarillion before.

a great listen

I loved revisiting the Silmarillion via this audiobook. it comes to life and was a most charming summer read