The Silmarillion

ThepopularpaperbackeditionwithacoverdesignbyTolkienhimself,tocomplementtheHobbitandLordoftheRingspaperbacks.IncludesaspecialprefacebyJ.R.R.Tolkien.TheSilmarillionisanaccountoftheElderDays,oftheFirstAgeofTolkien'sworld.ItistheancientdramatowhichthecharactersinTheLordoftheRingslookback,andinwhoseeventssomeofthemsuchasElrondandGaladrieltookpart.ThetalesofTheSilmarillionaresetinanagewhenMorgoth,thefirstDarkLord,dweltinMiddle-Earth,andtheHighElvesmadewaruponhimfortherecoveryoftheSilmarils,thejewelscontainingthepurelightofValinor.Includedinthebookareseveralshorterworks.TheAinulindaleisamythoftheCreationandintheValaquentathenatureandpowersofeachofthegodsisdescribed.TheAkallabethrecountsthedownfallofthegreatislandkingdomofNumenorattheendoftheSecondAgeandOftheRingsofPowertellsofthegreateventsattheendoftheThirdAge,asnarratedinTheLordoftheRings.《精灵宝钻》追溯了《魔戒》以前更深远的、过去的传奇，从“爱努的大乐章”，也就是创世之初，一直讲到第三纪元结束时。从中可以看见托尔金所架构的神话世界，格局恢弘精深。独一之神伊露维塔从意念中创造出（精灵与人类口中的）众神，合奏宇宙的大乐章。但和谐的乐章中出现了一个自私的叛逆者魔苟斯。起初，精灵蒙召到西方与众神一起住在福地阿门洲，诺多族精灵王子费诺制造了奇特的精灵宝钻，把双圣树的光芒收存其中。魔苟斯残害双圣树，使阿门洲陷入黑暗，又夺了宝钻逃到中洲称王。于是费艾诺发下可怕的誓言，率领全族精灵背叛众神，离开福地，回到中洲向魔苟斯发起挑战。精灵和人类的命运由此改变，引出一个个悲壮传奇的故事……