The Silmarillion

Anumber-oneNewYorkTimesbestsellerwhenitwasoriginallypublished,THESILMARILLIONisthecoreofJ.R.R.Tolkien'simaginativewriting,aworkthathecouldnotpublishinhislifetimebecauseitgrewwithhim.ItsoriginsstretchbacktoatimelongbeforeTHEHOBBIT.ButTHEHOBBITwascaughtupinwhatTolkiencalled"thebranchingacquisitivetheme"hebeganinTHESILMARILLION,andeventuallyTHELORDOFTHERINGSemergedfromthisaswell.TolkienconsideredTHESILMARILLIONhismostimportantwork,and,thoughitwaspublishedlastandposthumously,thisgreatcollectionoftalesandlegendsclearlysetsthestageforallhisotherworks.ThisisthestoryofthecreationoftheworldandthehappeningsoftheFirstAge,theancientdramatowhichthecharactersinTHELORDOFTHERINGSlookbackandinwhoseeventssomeofthem,suchasElrondandGaladriel,tookpart.ThethreeSilmarilswerejewelscreatedbyFeanor,themostgiftedoftheElves.WithinthemwasimprisonedtheLightoftheTwoTreesofValinorbeforetheTreesthemselvesweredestroyedbyMorgoth,thefirstDarkLord.Thereafter,theunsulliedLightofValinorlivedononlyintheSilmarils,buttheywereseizedbyMorgothandsetinhiscrown,whichwasguardedintheimpenetrablefortressofAngbandinthenorthofMiddle-earth.THESILMARILLIONisthehistoryoftherebellionofFeanorandhiskindredagainstthegods,theirexilefromValinorandreturntoMiddle-earth,andtheirwar,hopelessdespitealltheirheroism,againstthegreatEnemy.Thebookincludesseveralother,shorterworksinadditiontoTHESILMARILLION.Precedingitare"TheAinulindale,"amythoftheCreation,and"TheValaquenta,"inwhichthenatureandpowerofthegodsissetforth.AfterTHESILMARILLIONcomes"TheAkallabeth,"ataleofthedownfallofthekingdomofNumeno,andfinally"OftheRingsofPower,"theconnectinglinktoTHELORDOFTHERINGS.ThissecondeditionfeaturesanumberofminortextualcorrectionsalongwithaletterwrittenbyJ.R.R.Tolkiendescribinghisintentionsforthework,writtenmorethantwenty-fiveyearsbeforeitseventualpublication.AsdescribedbyChristopherTolkieninthepreface,itservesasabrilliantexpositionofhisconceptionoftheearlierAgesofMiddle-earth.,