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The Silmarillion

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The Silmarillion

Written by: J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien
Narrated by: Andy Serkis
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About this listen

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.

©1977 The Tolkien Estate Limited and C.R. Tolkien (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers
Classics Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Military Fiction Celebrity Elf
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What the critics say

‘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

‘A grim, tragic, brooding and beautiful book, shot through with heroism and hope… its power is almost that of mysticism’
Toronto Globe & Mail

What listeners say about The Silmarillion

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  • Overall
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Excellent Listen!

Fantastic work by Andy Serkis reading this epic story!

10/10 would recommend to any Tolkien fan.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Andy Serkis is a god of voices, and tone. He has a passion for Tolkien and you can tell in the narration of every book.

He has a passion for Tolkien and you can tell in the narration of every book.

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Great

I got audible just for the Silmarillion (and the hobbit) read by Andy Serkis, was not disappointed.

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Mesmerizing

A fantastic reading-passionate and compelling. Serkis really brings these stories to life. Hearing them read aloud I was struck how beautiful is Tolkien's prose. The formal and rich tone is perfectly matched by Serkis' deep voice and clear articulation. A sublime experience listening to these fantastic and tragic tales.

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Amazing

I listen to this every night while I fall asleep. 12/10. I don’t want to listen to anything not read by Andy anymore.

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Wonderful listen, but better enjoyed as a book

I very much enjoyed listening to Andy's performance of Tolkien's masterpiece. However, given the depth of world building and breadth of characters, the Silmarillion would be better enjoyed as a book, especially if this is your first time going through it.

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Superb Listen

Andy Serkis was amazing; His pronunciation and passion are stellar. I could never read through a book this size with the number of characters you're introduced to, plus the older-english verbiage. He brings the text to life. Enjoyable listen from start to finish. If you're a middle-earth fan and love the history/world-building, this is lore on lore on lore. Highly recommend.

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Love the narration

My first time reading/ listening to The Silmarillion. Yes theres a lot of characters and confusing names but I still followed and understood the majority of the story. I will listen again. Dont put pressure on yourself to follow perfectly, just sit back and enjoy.

The performance is brilliant

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The Shaw Recording Is Better

I am a big fan of Andy Serkis - he is a talented actor - but I found him disappointingly melodramatic on this project.
The imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien in developing his Middle Earth mythos is astounding in 'The Silmarillion'.. and matched with unsurpassed character development, intricate plotting, and poetic prose. This is an outstanding book in the Pantheon of Fantasy Literature.. and absolutely belongs in your Library.

As to what HarperCollins Audio offers: Serkis's performance isn't lacking - the reading is very, very good (his signature baritone timbre is pleasant to listen to for hour after hour) - but there are relatively few opportunities for voice-acting in this book, robbing Serkis of his greatest strengths.. and the dramatic acting is excessive (his portrayal of Glaurung the Dragon is over-the-top, for example). This presentation is relegated to a disappointing "acceptable" status.

After taking all into account, I recommend spending your Credit on the other 'Silmarillion' audiobook option available on this platform. This 8/10-star version is a reasonable investment of your time & money, but the 1980s Martin Shaw narration - dated in production values as it is - would be a superior choice.

ATTN PRODUCERS: An appended PDF with genealogies, timelines, and the author's notes on languages - as offered in the text versions of this work - would improve this product considerably

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Love both versions!

Loved this version of Andy Serkis. Something new to my ears. Crisp and clear narration. Would be awesome if he can also do all of the other Tolkien books.

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