It's hard to find a favourite part in Tolkiens' books but the one that gets me is when the trees are destroyed in the Silmarillion. Valinor is suddenly plunged into darkness and fear and confusion is widespread until Feanor with his bright torch speaks out fiery words against the valar and a crazed mob is formed brandishing torches and marching, in their mad fever,to war against the newly renamed Morgoth in Middle-earth ignoring the pleas of the Valar.
There's something so fast about it all and something so real about the way fear was suddenly (and dangerously) converted to anger and exileration as often happens in real life. I don't think the Sil is as good as the LotR but I think it could have been, and perhaps should have been had old age and the gift of man not gotten in the way
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"Come away, O human child!/ To the waters and the wild/With a faery hand in hand,/ For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand."
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