Silmarillion Blues

Silmarillion Blues is a long-term group read and literary analysis project focusing on Tolkien's Middle Earth novels that started in August 2015.  The core discussion takes place over on BookLikes, where the participating bloggers share their posts, thoughts, or just lurk and read.  We started with The Hobbit, and at a rate of a chapter a week, will eventually make our way through the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then move on to the other Middle Earth titles, with an ultimate goal of finishing with The Silmarillion.

My reviews of the The Hobbit, Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King include comparisons to the Peter Jackson films as well as illustrations from the Alan Lee illustrated editions of the books that I read from.  For The Silmarillion I'm reading from a copy illustrated by Ted Nasmith.  If I acquire further Alan Lee illustrated Tolkien books, those will be used when the time comes as well.

The Hobbit : An Expected Journey

Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Party
Chapter 2 - Roast Mutton
Chapter 3 - A Short Rest
Chapter 4 - Over Hill and Under Hill
Chapter 5 - Riddles in the Dark
Chapter 6 - Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire
Chapter 7 - Queer Lodgings
Chapter 8 - Flies and Spiders
Chapter 9 - Barrels Out of Bond
Chapter 10 - A Warm Welcome
Chapter 11 - On the Doorstep
Chapter 12 - Inside Information
Chapter 13 - Not at Home
Chapter 14 - Fire and Water
Chapter 15 - The Gathering of the Clouds
Chapter 16 - A Thief in the Night
Chapter 17 - The Clouds Burst
Chapter 18 - The Return Journey
Chapter 19 - The Last Stage

Lord of the Rings : Fellowship of the Read

Prologue
Book One
Chapter 1 - A Long-expected Party
Chapter 2 - The Shadow of the Past
Chapter 3 - Three is Company
Chapter 4 - A Short Cut to Mushrooms
Chapter 5 - A Conspiracy Unmasked
Chapter 6 - The Old Forest
Chapter 7 - In the House of Tom Bombadil
Chapter 8 - Fog on the Barrow-downs
Chapter 9 - At the Sign of The Prancing Pony
Chapter 10 - Strider
Chapter 11 - A Knife in the Dark
Chapter 12 - Flight to the Ford
Book Two
Chapter 1 - Many Meetings
Chapter 2 - The Council of Elrond
Chapter 3 - The Ring Goes South
Chapter 4 - A Journey in the Dark
Chapter 5 - The Bridge of Khazad-dum
Chapter 6 - Lothlorien
Chapter 7 - The Mirror of Galadriel
Chapter 8 - Farewell to Lorien
Chapter 9 - The Great River
Chapter 10 - The Breaking of the Fellowship

Lord of the Rings : The Towering Read

Book Three
Chapter 1 - The Departure of Boromir
Chapter 10 - The Choices of Master Samwise

Lord of the Rings : The Return of the Read

Book Five
Chapter 1 - Minas Tirith
Chapter 2 - The Passing of the Grey Company
Chapter 3 - The Muster of Rohan
Chapter 4 - The Siege of Gondor
Chapter 5 - The Ride of the Rohirrim
Chapter 6 - The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Chapter 7 - The Pyre of Denethor
Chapter 8 - The  Houses of Healing
Chapter 9 - The Last Debate
Chapter 10 - The Black Gate Opens
Book Six
Chapter 1 - The Tower of Cirith Ungol
Chapter 2 - The Land of Shadow
Chapter 3 - Mount Doom
Chapter 4 - The Field of Cormallen
Chapter 5 - The Steward and the King
Chapter 6 - Many Partings
Chapter 7 - Homeward Bound
Chapter 8 - The Scouring of the Shire
Chapter 9 - The Grey Havens
Appendices
A. Annals of the Kings and Rulers
  I. The Númenorean Kings
    (i) Númenor
    (ii) The Realms in Exile
    (iii) Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur
    (iv) Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion
    (v) Here Follows a Part of the Tale of Aragorn and Arwen 
  II. The House of Eorl
  III. Durin’s Folk
B. The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands)
C. Family Trees (Hobbits)
D. Calendars
E. Writing and Spelling
  I. Pronunciation of Words and Names
  II. Writing
F.
  I. The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age
  II. On Translation 

Biblo's Last Song

Silmarillion Blues

Ainulindalë
Valaquenta
Quenta Silmarillion
I. Of the Beginning of Days
II. Of Aulë and Yavanna
III. Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor
IV. Of Thingol and Melian
V. Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië
VI. Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor
VII. Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor
VIII. Of the Darkening of Valinor
IX. Of the Flight of the Noldor
X. Of the Sindar
XI. Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor
XII. Of Men
XIII. Of the Return of the Noldor
XIV. Of Beleriand and its Realms
XV. Of the Noldor in Beleriand
XVI. Of Maeglin
XVII. Of the Coming of Men into the West
XVIII. Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin
XIX. Of Beren and Lúthien
XX. Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad
XXI. Of Túrin Turambar
XXII. Of the Ruin of Doriath
XXIII. Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin
XIV. Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath
Akallabêth
Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age

Unfinished Tales  

Part One: The First Age
  I. Of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin
  II. Narn I Hin Hurin
Part Two: the Second Age
  I. A Description of the Island of Numenor
  II. Aldarion and Erendis: the Mariner's Wife
  III. The Line of Elros: Kings of Numenor
  IV. The History of Galadriel and Celeborn and of Amroth King Lorien
Part Three: The Third Age
  I. The Disaster of the Gladden Fields
  II. Cirion and the Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan
  III. The Quest of Erebor
  IV. The Hunt for the Ring
  V. The Battles of the Fords of Isen
Part Four
  I. The Druedain
  II. The Istari
  III. The Palantiri

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