[dixierose]

I agree with you. The Silmarillion is a very hard read. I loved the LOTR series as well as the Hobbit, but I was left totally confused when I tried to decipher The Silmarillion. I may just grab it again and give it another try now that this "Tolkien Virgin" thread is going.

[Mudboy Slim]

"I was left totally confused when I tried to decipher The Silmarillion."

The massive number of names and seemingly unrelated adventures can appear cumbersome, but the beauty of the Silmarillion, IMHO, is that you can pick up the book and read one chapter at a sitting and not feel obliged to continue on to the next chapter.

FReegards...MUD

[The Iguana]

I loved The Silmarillion. Couldn't put it down.

But then most people aren't like me.

It's not a fantasy novel per se (of course, neither is LOTR, but that's off the subject). It's not strict narrative. As a result, it can be offputting to those expecting any of the above.

But if one reads LOTR and The Hobbit first - and loves them - then you can approach The Silmarillion with a sense of why these events and people matter.