LET'S READ THE SILMARILLION! Ainulindalë & Valaquenta

[@ReadingRonin]

I am sitting here after just finishing my first complete reading of The Silmarillion. Now, I am ready to go back in again to obtain a deeper understanding of this beautiful creation of Tolkien. Aurë entuluva!

[@brewingbooks]

Fantastic! You’ll find a wealth of new details on your second read for sure 🙂

[@crusader2112]

I just started reading The Silmarillion and I love that you’re doing this, this will be a big help. 👍 Peace ✌🏻

[@brewingbooks]

That’s fantastic! Glad to be of some help 🙂 Have fun reading!

[@crusader2112]

@@brewingbooks Thanks. 👍

[@ofcosmicomics]

Great idea and great motivator to give it another read!

[@brewingbooks]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@kristanjohnson6084]

Cool idea, thank you for posting this video. Good luck to new readers of The Silmarillion. I've been making my way slowly through it the second time, and recently reached the end of the First Age. Actually, my second read through was unintentional. It started with curiosity about the compressed timeline of the streaming series, The Rings of Power, a deeper dive into TLotR appendices, which led back to The Silmarillion. I read the excerpt from Tolkien's letters in the forward for the first time in the newer edition of The Silmarillion, and it drew me into a re-read. I saw much advice about taking time with reading The Silmarillion, being sure to use the glossary in the back as frequently as necessary. And since much time can pass in the space of a couple sentences or paragraphs, I found it more enjoyable processing my re-read at the pace of about a page a day. A lot can happen on a single page! Some passages, like the sundering of the Elves on their journey to Valinor, was easier to process even more divided up; I gave each new sundering a day, so I could mull over the magnitude of each separation. It made it much easier to remember later which groups were which. Not rushing was some of the best advice I received for making my way through The Silmarillion the second time around. It's been much more enjoyable.

[@brewingbooks]

Wonderful advice! Thank you for sharing. And yes, using the glossary and maps, continuously, is essential for an informed reading experience 🙂

[@yokez]

I really love how Biblical The Silmarillion feels

[@brewingbooks]

The first two works certainly have that aura about them 👍

[@tomkelly7799]

I’ve literally been rereading the series and started The Silmarillion a few days ago! I’m excited to see your analysis 👍

[@brewingbooks]

Great! Hope you find the videos useful 🙂

[@salmanhyder1655]

Excellent idea. Thanks. My favorite chapter is 5 ON ELDAMAR. Particularly when it is 'whispered read' in an ASMR tone. I usually fall to sleep listening to that chapter in low tone reading pitch. Pure escapism into the wonderful world of Prof. Tolkien.

[@brewingbooks]

That’s a fantastic chapter, you’re right 🙂

[@stevehoran6011]

Believe it or not, I was planning to read this first time in February, so great timing. I’m in!

[@brewingbooks]

Perfect timing then 😁

[@nawarmasijah5447]

Akallabêth is probably my favourite chapter, I really like it's connection to the line of Elendil, to the White Tree of Gondor and to the story of Atlantis. Thank you for the video! 😊

[@brewingbooks]

Thanks! I agree, the Akallabeth is quite a unique account that stands apart from the rest of the works. Very dark and tense.

[@skaal98]

Are you planning on getting the new History of the Middle-Earth boxed sets with illustrated covers?

[@brewingbooks]

I’m tempted … but perhaps I’ll wait till they release a couple more box sets in the series first 😅

[@MickeyHarp]

This is a great video idea, almost like a books club. I struggled with this book on a number of failed attempts. I left it for a good few years and tackled it again when the illustrated edition came out. Like advised, I changed my mindset and thought it more of a textbook than a novel. This helped loads and I really enjoyed it. I have paused the video at 7:14 and will come back when I’ve read the first part. Looking forward to it!

[@brewingbooks]

Yes! 🙂 Many thanks and best of luck with the read 👍

[@MickeyHarp]

That went soooo much more smoothly and enjoyable. I struggled with the language previously and trying to absorb a mountain of information. This time it was more of a fresher course. Having recently started my Penguin Clothbound Classic journey with The Iliad, I found myself drawing comparisons with the Greek pantheon and their inter-relationships. How many chapters do you think you’ll recap next? Just so I can read up beforehand.

[@brewingbooks]

We’re tackling the first three chapters from the Quenta Silmarillion next 😃

[@Crainiac0_0]

can't wait!

[@brewingbooks]

Thanks!

[@Relics_of_Arda]

Cool!

[@brewingbooks]

Thanks 🙂

[@BradlehDadleh]

Just started my second read through at the beginning of the year! I bought 2 editions of the illustrated deluxe, just so I could read one haha. My favorite book!

[@brewingbooks]

That's awesome!

[@Heydd-k5i]

Awesome video

[@brewingbooks]

Thanks!

[@jules6473]

This is so helpful, thank you ❤

[@brewingbooks]

I'm so glad!

[@sonmi2246]

I've been reading the Silmarillion every year during January/February-- and The Hobbit at the end of summer, and The LOTR at the end of November into December-- so this is perfect timing for me!

[@brewingbooks]

That’s great! 😄

[@BenFarmerCreative]

I'm almost there, I have to finish my re-read of the Trilogy and then I'm diving into The Silmarillion so I'll catch up, thank you so much for doing this!

[@brewingbooks]

That’s brilliant! Hope you can join us in our readings 👍

[@Carlo-V.]

Well done James!!!

[@brewingbooks]

Thank you so much 😃

[@milfredcummings717]

Since you love Tolkien so much, I was wondering if you had read Voyage to Orient by Gérard De Nerval. Apart from having read a few of Tolkien's books, I am not at all familiar with literary criticism related to his literary work. So maybe what I'm writing might be a long-known thing. Anyway, whenever I read a medieval or ancient literary classic, I always find at least something that Tolkien took from that literary tradition. However, when it comes to the actual plot of The Lord of the Rings, I found that Nerval's book may have had the greatest influence on Tolkien's most famous novel. The other day I decided to re-read Tolkien's works, and this time I planned to start from the beginning, so to speak, with The Silmarillion and The Hobbit. So your video in KZbin's recommendations was a pleasant surprise.

[@brewingbooks]

Wonderful! I haven’t yet read Nerval’s book tbh. But I’ll certainly pick it up soon. Thanks for the heads up 🙂

[@charliemaddock3459]

Ive read it but im so glad you're doing this thank you im in . I guarantee your pronunciation is gonna be much better than mine 😁👌

[@brewingbooks]

Thank you so much! It’s been a long while since I’ve posted an update, but hopefully it’ll be soon.

[@charliemaddock3459]

@@brewingbooks looking forward to it !

[@ilikemandalorians9861]

I literally just ordered my first copy of the book! 🤩 excellent timing, sir lol Though I do have to read The Hobbit and LotR first

[@hermanmelville3368]

Yes, start firstly with Hobbit.

[@ilikemandalorians9861]

@@hermanmelville3368aye, but probably months after this series ends 😅

[@brewingbooks]

How fantastic! Which edition did you order if I may ask? 🙂

[@ilikemandalorians9861]

@@brewingbooks it’s the less pricey of the “illustrated by the author” editions (ie the one that’s not leatherbound)

[@brewingbooks]

@@ilikemandalorians9861 A great edition no doubt 🙂

[@NickBR57]

Quite a few errors in this but a good intro to The Silmarillion, though confusing Ea with the Universe, Valar and Maia with Elves and Men and a few other errors, may be confusing to the newcomer.

[@brewingbooks]

Eä is indeed the Universe created by Illuvatar and the word he spoke to make the universe into being. Also, I don’t believe I’ve confused Valar/Maiar with Elves/Men at all.

[@CT--fd6gc]

Oh fuck yes! I just started reading it

[@brewingbooks]

Awesome 👍

[@CT--fd6gc]

@@brewingbooks perfect timing sir. I have to re read what I just read a lot. My mind starts going elsewhere so I get sidetracked thinking about other stuff other than what I'm reading.