Why is it so difficult?

[Galadriel]

For me it was because I couldn't quite relate to the characters well enough. There wasn't enough dialogue to make the characters seem 'human' enough. Add that to the slightly dry and less descriptive manner in which it is written, and you've got your answer from me.

[Galadriel55]

I've read the Sil after LOTR, and although I was familiar with some of the names, by far not most of them. At first, I was really confused about which Valar is which. Then - all the names of Finwe's children and grandchildren (except for Feanor and Galadriel, who I know fro LOTR). To me, Finwe, Fingolfin, Finrod, and Fingon were like one person. Later on I've sorted it out, though. The next confusion was about the family trees. It took me a while to understand all the relationships in the 3 Houses of Edain. Right now, I find all this inforation pretty much straightfoward.
I think that you can only truly start understanding the Sil once you've got the basics, which will not happen right away. People who put the book down because it's too complex should try one more time, maybe.

[findorfin]

Weirdly I've never read the Silmarillion. However, I listened to the Audio version countless times (thank you Martin Shaw) in my teens. I've just dug the tapes back out and have decided to purchase the CD version.

In this format I never had a problem with the story and loved the 'historicity' of it. I also loved the family trees (especially the House of Finwe) and created my own copies of them.

I'm now wondering if, like the old greek myths which would have been read/spoken to you, listening to the Silmarillion made a big impact. I certainly don't have an urge to read it, but now I've found them again, they're going straight on my Blackberry so I can listen to them.

[Durelin]

And I still have not read the Sil. Oh dear.

I've read a lot more myth, epic, saga, and historical narrative in the past few years and think I would appreciate Tolkien's style (and influences) even more.

I am also so many years distant of LotR that it might feel like I'm entering an entirely new world again.

[Mister Underhill]

The Sil is challenging, no question, especially diving right in with the Ainulindalë and the Valaquenta, which can be like cracking open a King James Bible from an alternate dimension while you're trying to kick back on the beach on summer vacation. I don't know if I would have ever gotten through it if it wasn't for wanting to be able to keep up on these here Downs. I'm glad I did, though the Sil will never be the sort of comfort book that LotR is for me. My experience reminded me of reading Moby Dick -- the work you put in slogging through the first third or so pays off in spades on the back end, and once you get comfortable and conversant in the world of the First Age, you can go back and appreciate some of the poetry in the earlier chapters.

Some good advice has been given in this thread. I'll echo the things that ring true for me:

• Have easy access to maps and family trees. For me, having a couple of extra bookmarks so that I could easily flip to the resource I needed was enough.
• Have a nice chunk of time to devote to it. The Sil is not the type of book to read in small sips, ten pages before bedtime or something.
• Hang in there at least until you get into the first few chapters of the Quenta proper. If you can get to chapters that have actual scenes and exchanges of dialogue and a narrative thread, you can keep your head above water.

I'd add, don't approach it as a duty. If you love Middle-earth, you probably owe it to yourself to give the Sil a shot, but it doesn't make you a bad Tolkien fan if you never warm up to it.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

I'd add, don't approach it as a duty. If you love Middle-earth, you probably owe it to yourself to give the Sil a shot, but it doesn't make you a bad Tolkien fan if you never warm up to it.

So true! You can't understand The Sil if you don't love the world of LOTR (not only ME, I mean the whole world).
I think it helps to reread The Sil after you finish it, because many things could be unclear or confusing the first time.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

So true! You can't understand The Sil if you don't love the world of LOTR (not only ME, I mean the whole world).

Absolutely. And I think appreciation of Sil is also impacted by the ways in which LOTR touched you.

To use my experience as an example of what I mean... I fell in love with not just the story, but with the rich depth behind and surrounding that story. Tolkien was constantly throwing in tidbits that hinted at a full history and life underlying, surrounding, upholding, and informing the world we were experiencing with Bilbo, Frodo and his friends. For example:

• Elrond tells Bilbo & co. that the sword Gandalf took from the trolls had been owned by the King of Gondolin.
• Gimli, in his chant about Kazad-dum refers to "Elder days before the fall of mighty kings in Nargothrond and Gondolin that now beyond the western seas have passed away".
• Faramir recounts Gandalf talking about "my youth in the west that is forgotten".
• Aragorn sings about Beren and Luthien.
• Bilbo sings about Earendel (knowing he is Elrond's father).

The Appendicies were rich fare for one eager and yearning to learn more and dig deeper into that history - but far too short for my taste.

Publication of Silmarillion was, for me, like opening the BonAdventure penthouse restaurant to one previously limited to snacking on hour-dourves in the lobby. Now I could actually *VISIT* that old world, rather than just hear about it.