A Snippet of Spring

The weather has been swinging back and forth between winter and spring for a little while. It seems to have settled on spring for now. (I hope so, anyway!) However, the flowers and leaves in my area haven't quite recovered yet from a snowstorm beating. But... I have photos from a few weeks ago when everything looked a lot like spring. Hopefully the trees and plants will come back to life so I can capture a few photos of real spring. :)

    

These trees are irresistible. 

And so is fungus, sometimes. 

I don't even know what kind of plant this is, but it makes a good picture.

When my brother threw a rock into the stream, I tried to photo it. It's hard to capture a splash, but I gave it my best shot. (Photography pun intended.)

Water is a fascinating thing. 

Spring flowers! Premature ones, sadly, that perished in the snow. Hopefully they'll return... 

My little brother was very happy with the camellia blossoms!

Hope you liked these glimpses of spring! If you got the late March snow, are there any flowers left in your backyard/neighborhood? 

All images taken/edited by me. 

The Silmarillion, by J. R. R. Tolkien

Today, we have a book I've been planning to review for some time -- The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien, which is a richly detailed history of Middle-earth.

 If you've ever spent time perusing the Appendixes in Return of the King, you may want to consider picking this up, as it's a mine of golden Middle-earth information! Provided, of course, that you are willing to dig for it. Because this book is definitely not at the easy-reading-level of the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings (that last one isn't even that easy to read, actually). Personally, I believe it's worth the effort.

As always, let's start off with a summary.

In The Silmarillion, J. R. R. Tolkien details the history of Middle-earth from its creation up to the War of the Ring, summarizing some events briefly, delving thoroughly into others. Good and evil clash over the centuries, from the rebellion of Melkor to the epic struggle for possession of three marvelous jewels, the Silmarils. 

It begins with the creation of the universe Tolkien has created, which extends beyond Middle-earth; it's literally the entire world, in which Middle-earth is but a part. Ea, the world that is, was created by Eru (The One) also known as Iluvatar (The All-father), who sung the universe into being with eternal music. He created also the Ainur, from whom came the Valar and the Maiar, to sing the music of the world and guard it. 

But one of the Ainur, Melkor, rose up against Eru and turned to darkness, seeking power over the world. He became Morgoth, the Dark Lord, and continued to chase after the power he so desperately craved. He raised up servants for himself: the Balrogs, and his lieutenant Sauron.

Meanwhile, the Valar continued to guard the world and those who lived on it. 

The core of The Silmarillion is the tale of the work of Feanor, a high-born, gifted Elf who created the Silmarils. In these jewels of surpassing beauty were captured the Light of the Two Trees of the land of Valinor before the trees were maliciously destroyed by Morgoth. But Morgoth stole the jewels for himself. Feanor's arrogance led him into calamity... but the tale is too long to trace here.

The Silmarils played farther into history when the mortal man Beren loved high-Elven Luthien and was commanded by Luthien's father Thingol to bring a Silmaril from Morgoth's iron crown before he might marry her. 

And then there are the tales of the marked-for-disaster Turin Turambar, the fall of Gondolin, the voyage of Earendil the mariner, the downfall of Numenor,and far more. 

Well. That's probably enough to begin with. 

I started The Silmarillion at the age of twelve or thirteen. The first time I read it I got very little out of it, having read it too quickly. The second time I picked up more. And I get more out of it every time I read it. 

I read it because 1) it came recommended and 2) I wanted more Middle-earth. I'd already read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and was interested in the history. I was not disappointed, although I did find it a challenge to read. 

You see, The Silmarillion is a history textbook, really. Therefore, it is difficult to read at times. The difference, at least for me, is that it is told in true Tolkien style -- with a generous helping of poetry. The writing is unbelievably beautiful, and that is something you do not find in history textbooks. At least, I haven't. Tolkien's writing is vivid as always, although again, the reader must pay close attention so as not to miss information. It's clear and detailed, to the point that whenever he describes something I want to draw it. 

Now, this has probably gotten long enough, so I'll wrap up with some overall thoughts.

At the beginning, I said that this book is a mine of fascinating information but you must be willing to dig for it. That pretty much sums it up. For every reader who wants to learn more about Middle-earth, or historical events referenced in Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion is a must-read. On the flipside, if you don't really care for other works by Tolkien, I doubt you'll care for this one. 

But if you do love Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, you might just like this for the sake of it being further tales from Tolkien. What was the deal with Beren and Luthien and why are Aragorn and Arwen compared to them? Find it in the Silmarillion (it's one of the easiest stories to digest, and one of my favorites)! Who exactly was this Earendil that Bilbo sang about in Fellowship of the Ring? That's in The Silmarillion too! There are also glossaries of characters and places and even some Elvish language translations. Lots of great stuff for the avid Tolkien fan. 

Recommended for ages 13 up. 

The realm of fairy-story is wide and deep and high and filled with many things; all manner of beasts and birds are found there; shoreless seas and stars uncounted; beauty that is an enchantment and an ever-present peril; both joy and sorrow as sharp as swords. In that realm a man may, perhaps, count himself fortunate to have wandered, but its very richness and strangeness tie the tongue of a traveller who would report them. ~J. R. R. Tolkien

Media by me; quote by J. R. R. Tolkien.