I've been listening to the audiobook of the Silmarillion while on a run or doing chores. At first I thought "this has to be the worst idea" since I found myself going back constantly and re-listening to bits to find out who was being referenced in some long description or I'd lose track of what happened entirely.
However, I've since decided that this must be the best way to enjoy all the little detail. Each re-listen I've understood more and more. It's a strange way to enjoy the work but I honestly think the creation myth at the beginning is really well written and had I just read the book I may have read it the once, retained some of it, referred back to it maybe, and moved on to the rest of the tale.
Slow going but commenting just because you may enjoy this too if you've made it to this thread. I haven't read the rest of the books since I was a kid so priming myself thoroughly for the re-read with Silmarillion first seems like it's going to have a nice payoff as rich as the world is.
I first read the Silmarillion 20 years ago and then re-read it last year. What struck me is how short it actually is, compared to the sense of scale that I remembered. Of course the Silmarillion is cherrypicked from decades of manuscripts, so I guess it shouldn't be surprising that it conveys a sense of mythological world-building depth beyond its page count.
Oh no, it's definitely enhances! It's not merely descriptive of what happened, and it doesn't break the fourth wall or step out of the story. As much as LOTR was the tale of the Ring collected, compiled, and related essentially by Bilbo and Frodo, The Silmarillion is the creation stories assembled by the elves and first men. It's very in-world.
However, I've since decided that this must be the best way to enjoy all the little detail. Each re-listen I've understood more and more. It's a strange way to enjoy the work but I honestly think the creation myth at the beginning is really well written and had I just read the book I may have read it the once, retained some of it, referred back to it maybe, and moved on to the rest of the tale.
Slow going but commenting just because you may enjoy this too if you've made it to this thread. I haven't read the rest of the books since I was a kid so priming myself thoroughly for the re-read with Silmarillion first seems like it's going to have a nice payoff as rich as the world is.