The Lord of the Rings trilogy is of course one of the great literary sensations of it’s time. However, as some dedicated Tolkien fans may know, it is really just the tip of the iceberg. With the death of Tolkien in 1973, his son compiled and published his father’s notes into a definitive prequel to both the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: The Silmarillion.

The Bible of Middle Earth?

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An  epic tale of good vs evil

If you think that Sauron is the ultimate lord of darkness,  think again. Melkor is introduced in the first of five parts to The Silmarillion, and has an origin story scarily similar to that of Satan. Beginning as one of a collection of holy figures created by Eru Ilúvatar; Tolkien’s response to God, Melkor is lead astray into betrayal and evil, and essentially takes the role of Satan in bringing destruction into the universe. This guy is so bad that even Sauron himself serves as his loyal assistant. It’s not just the characters that make this book so similar to the Bible; the language and form creates many parallels to be made. Each story in The Silmarillion is on a biblical scale; comprised of epic wars, revenge, heroes and villains- each with it’s own moral to be discovered.

The Origin of our Favourite Lord of the Rings Characters

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And you thought Shelob was bad..

The story of elves, dwarves and men dates back to the very beginning of Middle Earth, and the Silmarillion is essentially the history from here. Old favourites such as Galdalf, Galadriel and Elrond make an appearance- and even Shelob rears her terrifying face. Funnily enough, Shelob is actually the descendent of an even more frightening spider called Ungoliant; a heavily featuring character in this book. Her job as the aide of Melkor is to spin webs of darkness and consume the light of Middle Earth.

Filled with Extra gems

At the end of this book, you will find a complete family tree of all the major characters, which is great to refer back to if you find yourself a little lost (I know I did). This is followed by an appendix that elaborated on all of the references and names that perhaps weren’t explained fully in the book, and again is easy to refer to whilst reading. This segment at the end of the book even contains a note on the correct Elvish pronunciation of certain vowels and words (as Elvish is a language in its own right), and a series of classic Tolkien-esque maps of the realms mentioned in the book to serve as the icing on the literary cake.

The only problem I have found with this book is that it is is a fairly lengthy and difficult one. I often found myself having to reread a paragraph several times before fully appreciating and understanding the language- but make sure you do persist. If you only read one book by this man, let it be The Silmarillion, as if displays his finest characters, technique and deepest thoughts. Finishing such a historical saga gives a huge sense of accomplishment, and a must for anyone who calls themselves a Tolkien fan.