This chapter was very informative for someone like me who has never attempted to read Tolkien’s most challenging work, The Silmarillion. Before reading this chapter, I had no idea that Tolkien was never able to complete his work to his satisfaction in order for it to be published. If it were not for his son who edited his notes on the history of Middle Earth, the world might not have had access to works that would allow them to understand what a life-long process this was for Tolkien. It surprised me that such a complicated and detailed work like The Silmarillion would not receive more attention, or at least equal attention, as the works it supports. Personally, I was not aware of its significance before taking this class. Also before taking this class, I was unaware of how devoted Tolkien was to bringing to life his mythology for England. The fact that his longest and difficult work is about the Elves illustrates Tolkien’s love of them.
While reading this chapter, I thought that Tolkien’s works are unlike any other because he developed his works unlike any other author. It’s as if he worked backwards. It is just so impressive that he started with the languages and names of people and then developed the stories to go along with them. Come to think of it, maybe the other authors of fantasy are the ones that have been doing it backwards. It is so amazing that he was capable of producing, not only languages of different peoples in the world of Arda, but also differing languages within each species. I like when Shippey points out that there are separate Elvish languages, including Quenya, the language of the Light-Elves, and Sindarin, the language of the Wood-elves. It would take an expert of language, like Tolkien, to be able to use changes of sounds and semantics to create two different, yet similar languages.
Another aspect of The Silmarillion that I found was outlined well in this chapter was Shippey’s explanation of how Tolkien not only has a plethora of Elves’ names, but that the Elves have complicated genealogies. This “passion for family history” is another characteristic of Tolkien, which few authors develop so thoroughly, that explains why his novels come alive; they are believable. I feel that the only way someone could truly understand what Shippey is talking about is to personally read this work, and I hope that I will find time in my life to do this. I like how Tolkien’s son points out to the reader that in order to conquer the difficult task of reading The Silmarillion, “one must place oneself imaginatively at the time of the ending of the Third Age-within Middle-earth, looking back.”
Emily Marvin? November 13, 2008, at 10:09 AM
