This is where the wold of Middle Earth begins. The Silmarillion is JRR Tolkien's labor of love. Here is a philologist's creation of a myth, languages, and a world. This book is the background for his other works. Though much of it waswritten before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings it was not published until after his death. His son, Christopher Tolkien did the final editing. The book can be hard reading but is well worth the effort. Tolkien creates an entire world including his own creation story that parallels the book of Genesis. With stunnig style the reader is swept away into a new world, or is it? Tolkien's genius is to bring this fantasy to a believable status by his use of language as well as his creation of a language. The Lord of the Rings may be his best known work but The Silmarillion is his magnus opus. He spent his life writing and rewriting this work. He never finished the final revisions which were completed by his son after his death. This book is powerful reading. Tolkien was a master at immersing the reader in the story, pulling you into his world. His original intent was to create a mythos for England. He did ever so much more. [BUY]