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The Silmarillion
- Narrated by: Andy Serkis
- Length: 19 hrs and 24 mins
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Publisher's summary
The forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion tells the earlier history of Middle-earth, recounting the events of the First and Second Ages, and introducing some of the key characters, such as Galadriel, Elrond, Elendil and the Dark Lord, Sauron.
The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor.
Included on the recording are several shorter works. The Ainulindalë is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings.
This brand-new unabridged recording is read by the acclaimed actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.
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Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides, based upon the myth of Jason and Medea and first produced in 431 BC. The plot centers on the actions of Medea, a former princess of the "barbarian" kingdom of Colchis, and the wife of Jason; she finds her position in the Greek world threatened as Jason leaves her for a Greek princess of Corinth. Medea takes vengeance on Jason by murdering Jason's new wife as well as her own children, after which she escapes to Athens to start a new life.
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Great Narrator makes this story work
- By cosmitron on 08-02-18
By: Euripides
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The Aeneid
- By: Virgil
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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The Aeneid represents one of the greatest cultural and artistic achievements of Western Civilization. Within the brooding and melancholy atmosphere of Virgil's pious masterpiece lies the mythic story of Aeneas and his flight from burning Troy, taking with him across the Mediterranean the survivors of the Greek onslaught. Aeneas, after many travails and adventures, including a love affair with Dido Queen of Carthage and a visit to the underworld to see his father, ends up in Italy.
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An epic in every sense of the word
- By James on 01-06-05
By: Virgil
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She And Allan
- By: H. Rider Haggard
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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She and Allan is a novel by H. Rider Haggard, first published in 1921. It brought together his two most popular characters, Ayesha from She (to which it serves as a prequel), and Allan Quatermain from King Solomon's Mines. Its significance was recognized by its republication by the Newcastle Publishing Company as the sixth volume of the celebrated Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy Library series in September 1975.
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Best of the Trilogy
- By emett holloway barfield III on 05-26-19
By: H. Rider Haggard
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The Gods of Pegana
- By: Lord Dunsany
- Narrated by: Ritchard Milton
- Length: 1 hr and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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" The Gods of Pegana" is the first book by Lord Dunsany, published in 1905. The book is a series of short stories linked by Dunsany's invented pantheon of deities who dwell in Pegana.
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Dunsany is great. This reader/performance is...
- By Advocatus Peregrini on 06-23-18
By: Lord Dunsany
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Mythology
- By: Edith Hamilton
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Since its original publication by Little, Brown and Company, in 1942, Edith Hamilton's Mythology has sold millions of copies throughout the world and established itself as a perennial best-seller in its various available formats. Mythology succeeds like no other audiobook in bringing to life for the modern listener the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths and legends that are the keystone of Western culture - the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present.
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Good reading of classical myths
- By Kathi on 03-18-13
By: Edith Hamilton
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The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
- By: Howard Pyle
- Narrated by: David Thorn
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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American author Howard Pyle (who also wrote The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood) weaves the tales of chivalrous knights, the magic sword of Excalibur, the magician Merlin the Wise, and the legendary Arthur, later to become King of Britain. Pyle describes bouts of jousting and knightly jealousies played out in grand style.
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An Entertaining Account of Arthur’s Early Days
- By Jefferson on 12-03-11
By: Howard Pyle
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Faust
- By: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is a poem, translated by Bayard Taylor, which tells the beautiful and emotional story of a man who has seen and done it all. However, despite all of his learning and education, his life still feels empty and unaccomplished. He believes wholeheartedly that there is something else out there. Faust, having exhausted all other fields of study, turns to magic for fulfillment. He summons the devil and makes a pact - that if the devil can show him something rewarding and fulfilling, he will give the devil his soul.
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Misleading
- By Grant Pajak on 03-29-17
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Roman Mythology: Captivating Roman Myths of Roman Gods, Goddesses, Heroes and Mythological Creatures
- By: Matt Clayton
- Narrated by: Randy Whitlow
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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If you're looking for a collection of Roman myths that speaks to all ages then keep listening....Feats of strength and skill, monsters, magic, divine interventions, and the overcoming of impossible odds by larger-than-life figures all feature in this audiobook. The Roman myths contained in this collection will be brought to life so all the details are more than merely a bunch of dry facts. Not only does this audiobook offer captivating stories for you to enjoy, but it also gives you impressive knowledge about history.
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I'm Happy With This
- By Autumn in Spring on 09-15-18
By: Matt Clayton
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Gilgamesh: The New Translation
- By: Gerald J. Davis
- Narrated by: John Hanks
- Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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The Epic of Gilgamesh relates the tale of the fifth king of the first dynasty of Uruk (in what is modern-day Iraq), who reigned for 126 years, according to the ancient Sumerian list of kings. Gilgamesh was first inscribed in cuneiform writing on clay tablets by an unknown author during the Sumerian era and has been described as one of the greatest works of literature in the recounting of mankind's unending quest for immortality.
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Poetic translation of an epic story
- By K on 07-12-15
By: Gerald J. Davis
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The Mabinogion
- By: Charlotte Guest
- Narrated by: Richard Mitchley
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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The Mabinogion, the earliest literary jewel of Wales, is a collection of ancient tales and legends compiled around the 12th and 13th century deriving from storytelling and the songs of bards handed down over the ages. It is a remarkable document in many ways. From an historical perspective, it is the earliest prose literature of Britain. But it is in its drama that many surprises await, not least the central role of King Arthur, his wife, Gwenhwyvar, and his court at Caerlleon upon Usk.
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A Wonder Whose Origin is Unknown
- By John on 07-28-17
By: Charlotte Guest
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The Plays of Sophocles
- Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone
- By: Sophocles
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Sophocles was born at Colonus, near Athens in about 496 BC and is considered to be one of the premier playwrights of Greek tragedy. His stories may have been filled with strife, but Sophocles himself was prosperous and came from a good family. It is said that he was handsome, wealthy, and a highly respected citizen of Athens. During his life, he wrote over 120 plays and was instrumental in how plays would eventually be performed, including the addition of stage props.
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Bad Dialogue
- By Zoe Olvera on 08-12-18
By: Sophocles
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A dry compilation of old material, minus images
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Feels like a research paper
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very disappointing
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Great dramatization, but read the book first!
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Feels like a research paper
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The quality continues.
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Chapters are out of order
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Combined into one volume, this is the definitive collection of Tolkien's five acclaimed modern classic 'fairie' tales in the vein of The Hobbit, read by Derek Jacobi. The five tales are written with the same skill, quality and charm that made The Hobbit a classic. Largely overlooked because of their short lengths, they are joined here in one volume which reaffirms Tolkien's place as a master storyteller for listeners young and old.
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Enjoyable Tolkien short stories
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The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth
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The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son was originally published in the 1953 edition of Essays and Studies. In December of that year, J.R.R. Tolkien took possession of a reel-to-reel tape recorder and, some time during the first few months of 1954, decided to record ‘the whole thing on tape’ as a way of ‘testing’ the performative quality of the dramatic dialogue between Tídwald and Torhthelm.
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Short sweet and to the point
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The radio dramatisation of The Hobbit became a classic when it was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1968 and it continues to delight today. Tolkien's famous saga, the prelude to the Lord of the Rings, has all the ingredients of fantasy and adventure: dwarves, elves, goblins and trolls, a fearsome dragon, a great wizard, a perilous quest, and a dramatic climax.
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Takes a little getting used to
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By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
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The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is a collection of poetry written by J. R. R. Tolkien and was first published in 1962. The audio is read by Sir Derek Jacobi and is a collection of 16 poems that contain an assortment of bestiary verse and fairy tale rhyme. It is a stunning recording that captures all the characters in their own charming and mysterious ways.
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Almost disappointing
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The Chronicles of Narnia Complete Audio Collection
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For over 60 years, readers of all ages have been enchanted by the magical realms, the epic battles between good and evil, and the unforgettable creatures of Narnia. This box set includes all seven titles in The Chronicles of Narnia - The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; and The Last Battle.
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Comes without book subdivisions - chapter key below
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Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Maud'dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.
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This classic deserves better
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By: Frank Herbert
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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A collection of three medieval English poems, translated by Tolkien for the modern-day reader and containing romance, tragedy, love, sex and honour.
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An absolute delight!
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By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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El Silmarillion
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien, Rubén Masera - traductor, Luis Domènech - traductor
- Narrated by: Luis Posada
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- Unabridged
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Edición revisada del clásico Silmarillion del gran J. R. R. Tolkien. El Silmarillion cuenta la historia de la Primera Edad, el antiguo drama del que hablan los personajes de El Señor de los Anillos, y en cuyos acontecimientos algunos de ellos tomaron parte, como Elrond y Galadriel… Una obra de auténtica imaginación, una visión inspirada, legendaria o mítica, del interminable conflicto entre el deseo de poder y la capacidad de crear.
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Fascinante libro
- By Jesus on 10-14-24
By: J. R. R. Tolkien, and others
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A Rare Recording of J. R. R. Tolkien
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Length: 42 mins
- Original Recording
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J. R. R. Tolkien was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor best known as the author of fantasy works like "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings." Listen as Tolkien reads "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil," "The Hoard," "Perry-The-Winkle," and "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon." Also included is a reading of "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" in Elvish and "The Road Goes Ever on," sung by William Elvin with music by Donald Swann.
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Not all Tolkien - wish I'd noticed that
- By Tracet on 04-21-15
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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The Hobbit
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Martin Shaw
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- Abridged
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Whisked from his comfortable hobbit-hole by Gandalf the wizard and a band of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.
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ONLY 5 chapters
- By Michelle S. McCreary on 04-16-18
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
What listeners say about The Silmarillion
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jimmy
- 07-12-23
TL;DR - strongly recommended
When I heard about Andy Serkis reading for a Silmarillion audiobook I was excited and cautiously optimistic but worried about two things: (1) whether he has the right voice to read this story, and (2) whether he'd get the Elvish pronunciation right.
(1) I enjoyed Serkis' reading of the Hobbit and LOTR, but the Silmarillion is a very different book so I wasn't sure whether he'd pull it off. I needn't have worried. Serkis is not just some actor from the movies who got roped in to doing the audiobooks as a movie tie-in. He's a master storyteller. His reading is absolutely mesmerizing and spellbinding. He even made the boring foreword and preface by Christopher Tolkien sound interesting. He also does character voices, even for Christopher and JRR Tolkien in the front matter, which was neat. I give him an A+ for his reading.
(2) His Elvish pronunciation is very good overall, though sadly not perfect. He makes a pretty good fist of it, and is correct most of the time. It starts strong, then dips, and then gradually improves as the book goes on. He beautifully rolls his r's, no doubt having learned to do this from Morfydd Clark in the Rings of Power show. However, he sometimes reverts to natural English language vowel sounds instead of the correct Elvish ones. My biggest fault with his pronunciation is his letter 'i' which should sound like the "ee" in "keen" or "seen," but he often says like a regular 'i,' especially early on. The names of most of the Noldorin princes suffer from this issue.
Fortunately, by the time he gets to Numenor he's mostly nailing this. He also sticks to one pronunciation for each name for the whole book. This is good, as changing pronunciation of a name mid-book is jarring, as was sometimes done by Kate Redding in the Wheel of Time audiobooks. His worst-pronounced name is Maedhros, which he pronounces "May-dross" (it should roughly be "My-thross, with "dh" making a "th" sound). It's just a shame since he does so well for so much of it that we can see how he could have done it perfectly, but didn't quite get there. I give him an A- for pronunciation.
Comparison to Shaw: Although I enjoyed the Martin Shaw audiobook, Serkis is an improvement all round. Shaw has a grim and powerful voice which is appropriate for the material but is a bit ponderous, while Serkis is captivatingly emotive. Serkis is better overall at the pronunciation, too, with some of his mistakes probably coming from listening to Shaw.
The Silmarillion itself: the book is a masterpiece, perhaps even surpassing LOTR. It's a challenging read, but if you can manage it, the rewards are great. It's not a normal book, being written in a mythic and historical style that feels more like an oral story that is told around a campfire than a novel. There is almost no descriptive prose, but rather a continual narrative that feels more like a plot summary. With such terse prose the story moves through thousands of years of Elvish history at breakneck pace, with many names to learn (some of which are confusingly similar to each other). Edited together posthumously from drafts, the prose is sometimes cringeworthy (e.g., "wounded with many wounds") but is often astoundingly beautiful (e.g., "Then he began a long and secret labour, and he summoned all his lore, and his power, and his subtle skill; and at the end of all he made the Silmarils.") It's also a bit disjointed, being essentially several interconnected legends stitched together to create a whole. But the whole is majestic.
I recommend reading (or listening) to this along with the Children of Hurin, a more fleshed-out novel that corresponds to the two Silmarillion chapters on Turin Turambar. When you get to those chapters, read/listen to that book instead. You will also need to refer to a map of Middle-earth in the First Age, and a family tree. These are included in the printed book but obviously aren't in the audiobook. Pause often and refer to these. Then you'll have a better time. Enjoy the journey!
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- Nick H
- 08-16-23
Not For Typical ‘Fantasy Fans.’ But Brilliant If You Study Mythology!
The ironic thing is that Tolkien made this book expanding on The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit universe, but made it for a totally different audience than the people who normally like those books. Namely: this is not a book for the typical fantasy fan. If you are only familiar with fantasy novels, but haven’t read any actual Greek, Norse, Christian or other mythology (and to a relatively large extent too), you’re probably going to have a bad time with this. It doesn’t have a traditional ‘narrative’ and it’s written in an intentionally (though beautifully, if you understand what it’s going for) archaic and roundabout way. Major events are underplayed, and relatively uninteresting events are overplayed. Stories overlap and revert back in time in confusing ways at the start of each new section. It doesn’t go out of its way to connect any of the dots you may have wondered about from reading Tolkien’s novels, either. In other words, it’s absolutely not ‘fanservice’ as we understand it today.
It’s much better than that. What we get with this book is a gorgeous love letter, not only to the ancient mythologies of our world, but more specifically the joy of searching out various texts and piecing together a mythology’s puzzle for yourself. The Silmarillion’s stories are intentionally created as self-contained myths, implied to be written by various fictional ‘authors.’ That’s why one chapter might cover the same ground that the previous did, because that new ‘author’ was telling his own story, in which it’s not assumed that the audience (possibly hundreds of years later) already knows some tidbit we heard already by reading the entire collection at the same time. Different tales are told with different styles, even, which is incredibly difficult to do. And the breadth of mythology established is immense.
These stories are all bound up in one book within our world, but the best way to properly understand it is to imagine it more like sitting in some library in Rivendell, picking up various epic tales off the shelf. In Middle-earth, this would be a series of unconnected texts, among an even larger collection of tales and songs and poems.
In our own world, the experience of reading The Silmarillion is most akin to seeking out Homer’s epic poems, then reading Aeschylus, afterwards trying Apollonius, Euripides, and eventually the Aeneid. Each one of these poets sheds more light on some aspect of the Trojan War, telling different stories and focusing on different perspectives. Some tell what happened before, some after, and some use the same characters. Some don’t even tell anything about it, but she’s light on the gods and characters who lived before the war was even conceived. But every story ties into this pivotal event in one way or another. The Silmarillion is more like that experience of learning Greek mythology through the copious reading of different poets, but rolled into one book. It’s not just a story, like The Lord of the Rings. It’s an entire cultural history. And I’m blown away every time I read it.
This was my first time reading Andy Serkis’ new narration as well, and I hugely enjoyed it! It was also my first time reading it in Tolkien’s originally intended order, right after The Hobbit. Definitely changes your perspective on his universe, though I still like reading it after LOTR the best.
最初にこの話は読みにくかった、ぼくにとって。けどいろんなギリシャ神話や宗教な神話読んだ後で、やっとこの話はわかります。集めた中つ国の神話です。ロードオブザリングのようの一つの話じゃない。サーキス俳優のナレーションがもちろん素晴らしい。彼はこれもやった良かったね!
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- Kindle Customer
- 07-11-23
Andy Serkis, unsurprisingly, brings the gravitas
As the title says, Andy Serkis brings the gravitas required of reading a tale spanning from a cosmogonic myth to a variety of romantic fairy-stories. This is what Tolkien himself stated his intention was in setting down the Silmarillion. His son, Christopher, then took his disparate notes and forged them into something greater than the sum of its parts. All of it is interconnected, and all of it has in some way to do with the History of the Elves. Yes, there are a lot of names. Yes, it's almost impossible to remember them all. That is not the point. When listening to Andy Serkis's deep, weighty narration you are carried away to this world of myth and fairy-story. You are caught up in the world-changing love of Beren and Luthien. You are horrified at the rise of the first Dark Lord, Morgoth. The listening in itself is somewhat of a religious experience, which seems apt when considering Tolkien's aims and his own personal faith, even though he explicitly stated that it was "fatal" for any legend of England to contain the Christian religion. This story is not Christian. It is English. And it is very great, in the eyes of Elves and the hearts of Men.
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- Curtis Sharp
- 09-07-23
One of the greatest stories ever told, by just as great a narrator
I have long been a listener of the Silmarillion; it is probably my favorite work of literature. It is tough to listen/read for the first time, but Andy certainly makes it a ton of fun to listen to, especially as someone who knows what is going on. I was so stoked when I heard that this iteration was coming out. Could not have been happier with it!!!! Please give it a listen!!!
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- Anonymous User
- 08-10-23
Best production of the work so far!
Only thing missing is that it should just be accompanied by PDF of the maps
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- C. Noel
- 01-04-24
Excellent Narrator
Andy Serkis, once again, does a fantastic job at narrating this detailed deep dive into Tolkien’s wonderful fantasy world. The Simarillion builds on the history and lore of these stories and characters and fantasy that we all love. Highly recommend.
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- JSink
- 08-11-23
Fantastic
Having never read or listened to the Silmarillion before I didn’t know what to expect. Now that it’s over I just want more. Tolkien is amazing and as usual Andy was phenomenal in his narration! Highly recommend.
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- Anonymous User
- 12-11-23
Andy serkins
The book is great and Andy serkins reading it just makes it all the more better lol
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- Austin Cavitt
- 07-11-23
The best of Tolkien's work with great narration!
Serkis maintained the same excellent quality he showed with his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings performances.
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- Wiz&Rib
- 07-21-23
Stunning
Stunning stunning beautiful stunning beautiful amazing fabulous fantastic fantasy reading by one of our generations best.
He’ll help you understand The Silmarillion with ease.
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