I am sitting here after just finishing my first complete reading of The Silmarillion. Now, I am ready to go back in again to obtain a deeper understanding of this beautiful creation of Tolkien. Aurë entuluva!

I really love how Biblical The Silmarillion feels

Excellent idea. Thanks. My favorite chapter is 5 ON ELDAMAR. Particularly when it is 'whispered read' in an ASMR tone. I usually fall to sleep listening to that chapter in low tone reading pitch. Pure escapism into the wonderful world of Prof. Tolkien.

Great idea and great motivator to give it another read!

I’ve literally been rereading the series and started The Silmarillion a few days ago! I’m excited to see your analysis 👍

Believe it or not, I was planning to read this first time in February, so great timing. I’m in!

I just started reading The Silmarillion and I love that you’re doing this, this will be a big help. 👍 Peace ✌🏻

Akallabêth is probably my favourite chapter, I really like it's connection to the line of Elendil, to the White Tree of Gondor and to the story of Atlantis. Thank you for the video! 😊

Cool idea, thank you for posting this video. Good luck to new readers of The Silmarillion. I've been making my way slowly through it the second time, and recently reached the end of the First Age. Actually, my second read through was unintentional. It started with curiosity about the compressed timeline of the streaming series, The Rings of Power, a deeper dive into TLotR appendices, which led back to The Silmarillion. I read the excerpt from Tolkien's letters in the forward for the first time in the newer edition of The Silmarillion, and it drew me into a re-read. I saw much advice about taking time with reading The Silmarillion, being sure to use the glossary in the back as frequently as necessary. And since much time can pass in the space of a couple sentences or paragraphs, I found it more enjoyable processing my re-read at the pace of about a page a day. A lot can happen on a single page! Some passages, like the sundering of the Elves on their journey to Valinor, was easier to process even more divided up; I gave each new sundering a day, so I could mull over the magnitude of each separation. It made it much easier to remember later which groups were which. Not rushing was some of the best advice I received for making my way through The Silmarillion the second time around. It's been much more enjoyable.

Awesome video

Are you planning on getting the new History of the Middle-Earth boxed sets with illustrated covers?

This is so helpful, thank you ❤

This is a great video idea, almost like a books club. I struggled with this book on a number of failed attempts. I left it for a good few years and tackled it again when the illustrated edition came out. Like advised, I changed my mindset and thought it more of a textbook than a novel. This helped loads and I really enjoyed it. I have paused the video at 7:14 and will come back when I’ve read the first part. Looking forward to it!

Ive read it but im so glad you're doing this thank you im in . I guarantee your pronunciation is gonna be much better than mine 😁👌

I've been reading the Silmarillion every year during January/February-- and The Hobbit at the end of summer, and The LOTR at the end of November into December-- so this is perfect timing for me!

can't wait!

I'm almost there, I have to finish my re-read of the Trilogy and then I'm diving into The Silmarillion so I'll catch up, thank you so much for doing this!

Well done James!!!

Since you love Tolkien so much, I was wondering if you had read Voyage to Orient by Gérard De Nerval. Apart from having read a few of Tolkien's books, I am not at all familiar with literary criticism related to his literary work. So maybe what I'm writing might be a long-known thing. Anyway, whenever I read a medieval or ancient literary classic, I always find at least something that Tolkien took from that literary tradition. However, when it comes to the actual plot of The Lord of the Rings, I found that Nerval's book may have had the greatest influence on Tolkien's most famous novel. The other day I decided to re-read Tolkien's works, and this time I planned to start from the beginning, so to speak, with The Silmarillion and The Hobbit. So your video in KZfaq's recommendations was a pleasant surprise.

Cool!

I literally just ordered my first copy of the book! 🤩 excellent timing, sir lol Though I do have to read The Hobbit and LotR first

Just started my second read through at the beginning of the year! I bought 2 editions of the illustrated deluxe, just so I could read one haha. My favorite book!

Oh fuck yes! I just started reading it