The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion: The Myths and Legends of Middle-Earth by JRR Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien, 304 pages

This the book that JRR Tolkien spent most of his life trying to write and never quite finished.  Begun during the First World War, the stories were written and rewritten over and over again until the author's death in 1973, layers building upon layers like a Monet lily-pond.  The story of the composition of the material included in The Silmarillion takes up the better part of the 12 volume History of Middle Earth.  It is doubtful it ever would have been published had Tolkien not half-heartedly decided to use some of the names in a children's book he wrote called The Hobbit and its somewhat larger sequel.  As it is, it was cobbled together by his son Christopher for posthumous publication.

The Silmarillion begins with the creation of the world and an enumeration of the powerful spiritual beings who shape and guide it, for good or ill.  This is the section most likely to cause readers to simply give up on the book.  It continues with the tale of the Silmarils, their creation by the elf-lord Feanor, their theft by Morgoth the Enemy, the awful oath of the sons of Feanor, and the long war between the elves and Morgoth.  This section includes some of the most beloved tales of the Tolkien legendarium - the romance of Beren and Luthien, the tragedy of Turin Turambar, and the adventure of Earendil.  The book continues with the tale of the rise and fall of the island kingdom of Numenor, and concludes with an account of the forging of the Rings of Power.

Poetically digressive, light on character, and lacking a central plot, this is not for everyone, certainly.  Casual fans of Tolkien will undoubtedly struggle, fans of the movies should definitely start with the books the movies were based on, and chronological order be damned.  The Silmarillion should be recognized as what it is, however - not merely fantastic but truly magical, deeply humane, the greatest work by perhaps the greatest author of the twentieth century.