Absolutely Incredible.

Wow, that was a truly epic experience. My love for the Lord of the Rings has just gone up tenfold with this timely masterpiece. The Silmarillion.

The lore, history, and indept worldbuilding are just out of this world. There's so many details in this. It feels more like a work of art than a book. J.R.R. Tolkien really is the master of the fantasy realm.

After listening to the Lord of the Rings trilogy on audible by Andy Serkis last year, I knew I had to check out The Silmarillion narrated by him, and damn did he not disappoint. He gives us an incredible performance with his acting skills and arranges of voices he adds to each character.

Now The Silmarillion is not like a normal book, more like a historical text that spans over a very long time period. So, a lot of names of people and places mentioned are hard to pronounce, so in my experience, it's good to read along while listening to an audible version, making it an amazing experience of this epic world.

The Silmarillion comprises five parts. The first part, Ainulindalë, tells of the creation of Eä, the "world that is." Valaquenta.

The second part gives a description of the Valar and Maiar, the supernatural powers in Eä.

The third part, Quenta Silmarillion, which forms the bulk of the collection, chronicles the history of the events before and during the First Age, including the wars over the Silmarils which gave the book its title.

The fourth part, Akallabêth, relates the history of the Downfall of Númenor and its people, which takes place in the Second Age.

The fifth and final part of the Rings of Power and the Third Age is a brief account of the history of the One Ring to rule them all which led to and gave us what is the amazing trilogy The Lord of the Rings.

I will definitely be delving into more of J.R.R. Tolkiens books. Even though the world is dark and full of evil. It's place you could just get lost in with its magnificents and beauty.

If you are a fan of the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and haven't read The Silmarillion yet, then I very highly recommend that you do. It is an epic journey every fantasy reader must experience....😁🔥💙

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Excellent!

This is another fascinating collection of tales from J R R Tolkien and another truly captivating performance by Andy Serkis! I geeked out when I saw this was on its way and I have to say I was not disappointed! Please do a reading of Beren and Luthien Mr Serkis! I already own a copy on here but to hear you bring it to life would be amazing!

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Exceptional

Another great addition to the Tolkein collection on audible. This listen gives a comprehensive overview of the entire history of Middle Earth. It can admittedly be difficult to follow in some areas but is extremely rewarding as the complexity makes the entire story so satisfying.

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Quite the mix

This was clearly a work that was "gathered together", and the stories vary a lot in terms of scope and scale. Sometimes, they concern the life of a particular character, othertimes it's a broader history of tribes with individuals only mentioned in passing. Andy Serkis' performance is great as always (easily at the same level as the trilogy & the Hobbit).

I really enjoyed parts 1, 2, 4, and 5. Certain bits of 3 also stood out to me - in this there are definitely moments of classic Tolkien bittersweet story telling, where good prevails, but at the price of great change for the characters or world, and those were clear high-points. Melancholic and reflective.

There is also a lot of drier historical stuff - which I appreciate just from a world building aspect. There are lots of names thrown about in many languages of people, places, and events. It all serves to build a very real sounding and deep world.

However, there is an awkward middle-ground, where dry historical tone meets an attempt at character driven story. I know Tolkien can write amazing relatable & charming characters. He does so repeatedly in the Hobbit and LoTR. But here... let's just say you'll be spending a lot of time with lords being mighty and prideful, and the occasional lady being fair and beautiful.

In summary, a lot of this is good, and continues to flesh out the wider world of the story that I love. But also be prepared for many "B-sides" that may have been better left on the editing room floor. I'd definitely recommend listening with a map open to get an idea of where things are happening.

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Fantastic Performance

Andy does a fantastic job reading, making it ever more engaging. A fantastic listen for anyone even remotely interested in lotr.

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Performance

Andy Serkis is the perfect reader for anything written by Tolkien he fits the role so much and puts everything into his work

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Superb narration

A wonderful retelling of the stories of the Silmarillion. Brilliantly narrated by Andy Serkis. I have loved listening to this.

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Serkis is a genius

Andy Serkis makes everything 100 times better. Andy Serkis needs to do all of Tolkiens books on audible.

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Andy Serkis!

Andy really brings The Silmarillion to life. I listened to the other version on here and struggled but Andy’s version is made easier to take in with his use of different voices for characters.

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Enjoyable listening experience

I really enjoyed listening to Andy Serkis reading The Silmarillion. Although I found the story a little hard going at times, the performance was wonderful.
I have enjoyed all the Tolkien books read by Andy Serkis and would recommend them to all.

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6 people found this helpful