I did not know that Tolkien worked on the Silmarillion for 20 years prior to his death. I thought he started working on it much later and never finished it. Shippey covers Tolkien’s view on his family name and how he preferred Suffield. It tells a lot about Tolkien’s personality. He seems like a rather particular man. Of course he would have to be in order to take so much time and thought into his characters names. With his denial of knowing Shakespeare, and use of allegory and his discontent with his German-derived family name, you can get a sense of his idiosyncrasy.
Having not read the Silmarillion I do not think I could fully get as much out of this chapter or make my own conclusions. This chapter was almost a crash course in the Silmarillion. This chapter illuminates some of the history referred to in the Lord of the Rings. Shippey refers to Tolkien’s article, On Fairy Tales, often and I am glad I read that so I knew exactly what he was talking about.
I like the fact that Tolkien meant the Silmarillion to fill a gap in English tradition and history. It is evident in the similar stories based off of Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon traditions. I really cannot get over the story of Beren and Luthien. It was incredibly close to Tolkien’s heart and it was a story inspired by the love of his life. I would have loved to have heard Tolkien read this story and watch his reactions and retelling of it.
