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The Silmarillion
- Narrated by: Andy Serkis
- Length: 19 hrs and 24 mins
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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.
Critic reviews
‘How, given little over half a century of work, did one man become the creative equivalent of a people?’ The Guardian
‘Demanding to be compared with English mythologies… at times rises to the greatness of true myth’ Financial Times
‘A creation of singular beauty… magnificent in its best moments’ Washington Post
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What listeners say about The Silmarillion
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- Duncan C
- 11-07-23
Enjoyable listening experience
I really enjoyed listening to Andy Serkis reading The Silmarillion. Although I found the story a little hard going at times, the performance was wonderful.
I have enjoyed all the Tolkien books read by Andy Serkis and would recommend them to all.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 17-08-23
Incredible
amazing story only made better by Andy serkis' emotive reading! any audio book I read that isnt read by him is gonna suffer in comparison
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- Callom
- 09-02-24
An epic with an epic reader
Andy Serkis is perfect for this. The Silmarillion is harder reading than The Hobbit and LOTR, but it is worth sticking with it.
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-02-24
Detail
10/10 going to listen again as so much information and now I may understand power of the rings slightly
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- Anonymous User
- 15-08-23
Another amazing audiobook by Andy Serkis!
Another amazing audiobook by Andy Serkis. Out of all of Tolkien's works, The Silmarillion is the toughest to read. So listening to this was really helpful. The book is written beautifully and the narrator reads it excellently. A recommended audiobook to those wanting to read The Silmarillion, those currently reading it, and even those who have already finished it but want to delve in it again. It's a must read for all you Tolkien fans.
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- TH
- 20-08-23
Fantastic Story!
If you have ever struggled to read the book, this is an excellent alternative. Andy Serkis reads beautifully and expertly pronounces the lands and names of the characters from JRR Tolkien's The Silmarillion. The story provides the extensive history of middle earth in the ages before LOTR, and is a must if you are a fan!
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- GM
- 12-09-23
Great in every aspect except one
I really enjoy Andy Serkis’s reading of The Silmarillion. Except for his wrong pronunciation of the diphthong “AE” like in Maedhros. It’s not “may-dhros”, Andy, it’s “mah-eh-dhros”!
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- Amazon Customer
- 22-01-24
elvish history of Middle earth.
fantastic listen, with a narrator that paints a picture like an artist with a brush...
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- David Morris
- 21-04-24
it's the Middle-Earth Bible. a must for anyone that appreciates Tolkien's work
Great foundation for the world we love, the building blocks for The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings. Serkis does a great job of narration, great emotion. But if you choose the older Martin Shaw version you won't be disappointed. Have listened to both and equally pleased with the immersion.
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- Alan
- 27-10-23
Absolutely Incredible.
Wow, that was a truly epic experience. My love for the Lord of the Rings has just gone up tenfold with this timely masterpiece. The Silmarillion.
The lore, history, and indept worldbuilding are just out of this world. There's so many details in this. It feels more like a work of art than a book. J.R.R. Tolkien really is the master of the fantasy realm.
After listening to the Lord of the Rings trilogy on audible by Andy Serkis last year, I knew I had to check out The Silmarillion narrated by him, and damn did he not disappoint. He gives us an incredible performance with his acting skills and arranges of voices he adds to each character.
Now The Silmarillion is not like a normal book, more like a historical text that spans over a very long time period. So, a lot of names of people and places mentioned are hard to pronounce, so in my experience, it's good to read along while listening to an audible version, making it an amazing experience of this epic world.
The Silmarillion comprises five parts. The first part, Ainulindalë, tells of the creation of Eä, the "world that is." Valaquenta.
The second part gives a description of the Valar and Maiar, the supernatural powers in Eä.
The third part, Quenta Silmarillion, which forms the bulk of the collection, chronicles the history of the events before and during the First Age, including the wars over the Silmarils which gave the book its title.
The fourth part, Akallabêth, relates the history of the Downfall of Númenor and its people, which takes place in the Second Age.
The fifth and final part of the Rings of Power and the Third Age is a brief account of the history of the One Ring to rule them all which led to and gave us what is the amazing trilogy The Lord of the Rings.
I will definitely be delving into more of J.R.R. Tolkiens books. Even though the world is dark and full of evil. It's place you could just get lost in with its magnificents and beauty.
If you are a fan of the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and haven't read The Silmarillion yet, then I very highly recommend that you do. It is an epic journey every fantasy reader must experience....😁🔥💙
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1 person found this helpful