What it Takes to be a True Tolkien Fan

The Silmarillion--to read or not to read?

Hello and welcome to Many Meetings, the heart of Tolkien-dom on Substack!

I’m Breanne, a new-ish substacker, but a lifelong Tolkien fan. This space is one I’ve created to welcome others into these beautiful stories, sometimes on walks with my dog and sometimes in a quiet corner of your inbox.   

Many Meetings is where I’ll be hosting my yearly read-through of The Lord of the Rings coming this September (paid subscribers only!) and sharing my reviews on Rings of Power S2 this August.

With a little over a month before we journey back through The Lord of the Rings together, today’s post explores why making everything about being a “true” Tolkien fan or not isn’t necessary within this fandom.

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I don’t believe there’s such a thing as a “true” Tolkien fan.

I believe the only thing required to make you a fan of Tolkien is that you enjoy Tolkien. You either like the works of Tolkien and enjoy them in the ways that work for you, or you don’t.

• Love to read the books and devour and discuss all the written works? You’re a Tolkien fan.

• Have no interest in the books, but the film/tv shows adapted from his work hold deep meaning for you? You’re a Tolkien fan.

• Have a hard time reading the hefty books or sitting through the lengthy films but love asking questions and learning by general osmosis within the Tolkien community? You’re a Tolkien fan.

When it comes to the Tolkien spaces I host, there is no hierarchy. Yes, some of us know more about these works than others. And yes, while some love the stories and the conversations surrounding them, they have no interest in learning exactly how Arwen Undómiel descended from a female being so powerful she kept an entire kingdom hidden from evil with her powerful enchantments for more than an age.

Both perspectives are entirely acceptable. 

But neither approach makes one a “true” Tolkien fan and the other an “untrue” one. As for me and my house, the only thing required for you to be a true Tolkien fan is for you to enjoy Tolkien's works and/or the adaptations and various art forms that spring forth from it. That’s it. 

I bring this up because when I mention that I’ve read The Silmarillion I’m often met with comments in the vein of, “Oh, you’re a real Tolkien fan now!”. Or, I encounter those who have read it and claim to have some kind of superiority to those who haven’t. 

Or I’ll talk positively about Amazon’s The Rings of Power online and get comment after comment saying some form of, “Real Tolkien fans don’t watch that garbage show!”.

No thanks.  

I don’t think reading/not reading The Silmarillion or watching/not watching The Rings of Power makes you any more or less of a true fan. I’ll happily die on the hill of advocating against these exhausting and unnecessary hierarchies that have no meaning or purpose within the Tolkien fandom.

My aim is to make this legendarium accessible and welcoming to all. With The Rings of Power returning at the end of the month (August 29th) and my Lord of the Rings read-through returning on September 22nd, I want to address reading The Silmarillion and dismantle the idea of using it as a litmus test to determine if reading it makes you a “true” Tolkien fan.

But first, what is The Silmarillion?

Before we get into the benefits—or burdens, depending on your perspective—of reading this book, let’s be clear on what it is. 

Wikipedia tells us that it, “is a collection of myths and stories in varying styles by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, assisted by the fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay.

Knowing this is extremely helpful when looking to delve into it. This book isn’t a straightforward adventure novel like The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. Think of it as a collection of histories spanning thousands of years from the fictional world (Arda) Tolkien imagined. And keep in mind the material is compiled from things Tolkien often changed his mind on or took in different directions as time progressed. 

Because of this The Silmarillion is, without question, a hefty and dense, albeit beautiful, work of literature. 

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A Love/Hate Relationship

Some people pick up The Silmarillion and immediately have a “not for me” reaction. This is 100% valid. Some people crack it open and fall head over heels in love. Also valid.

Having spent most of my life in the Tolkien fandom, it seems either people love it or loathe it. Depending on your taste in reading, I see how you could land in either place.

Personally, I was a Tolkien fan for 33 years before I completed my first read of it. I don’t regret or wish I did it differently. I’ve been reading LOTR nearly every year since I was 12 years old and have had a rich and fulfilling experience each time. 

But now that I’ve read The Silmarillion, I see this familiar and beloved story of Lord of the Rings in a whole new light. The first thing I want to tell people who have read The Lord of the Rings for the first time is: “Now go read The Silmarillion and then re-read The Lord of the Rings, it’ll be a whole new experience!”

For one, The Silmarillion changed my understanding of how Tolkien writes female characters. There exists an entirely valid criticism that Tolkien barely includes female characters in his most popular stories (The Hobbit and LOTR). This is an undeniable and sad fact. 

People have questioned how I can even read his works at all knowing he didn’t include women characters in the way they deserved. This tells me they might be familiar with his most  famous works, but they most likely haven’t delved into The Silmarillion.

Unlike LOTR, there are many strong, nuanced and layered female characters in this book.

Lúthien by Ted Nasmith

If you dare to open its pages, you’ll learn of the pride of Galadriel and how it led her to seek out lands of her own she could rule. You’ll see how her willing participation in a rebellion led to disastrous consequences for Middle-earth and help you understand some of the basis for why Rings of Power has adapted Galadriel in the way they have.

You’ll learn of Arien, a spirit who refused to join her balrog siblings who were corrupted by the Black Enemy, Morgoth. And how she became a being so bright and powerful she alone could carry the vessel that housed the sun and Morgoth’s servants have hid from her ever since. 

You’ll learn of Haleth who, after her father and her twin brother were slain in an Orc raid, became Chieftain of the Haladin and led her people to safety in the Forests of Brethil.

And most famous of all, you’ll learn of Lúthien; a powerful woman inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s wife, Edith. Lúthien was renowned in many deeds, but most of all in her battle against Morgoth himself on a quest to save the man she loved. 

I don’t have time to mention Varda, most revered among the elves, who ruled equally alongside her husband. Or Yavanna who ventured into the darkness of Melkor to put the world to sleep and thus preserved the promise of its coming life. Or Nienna who taught Gandalf the wisdom and pity we see him use in LOTR. And so, so many more.  

The complaint that Tolkien didn’t properly give attention to women in the Lord of the Rings is warranted. But when people dismiss him as an author completely because they don’t believe he does female characters justice, I implore them to check out his most beloved and precious work: The Silmarillion. 

Do you have to read The Silmarillion to understand the plot of The Lord of the Rings or The Rings of Power show?

Short answer: absolutely not. 

Long answer: what happens in The Silmarillion is certainly tied to the events of LOTR and Rings of Power, but Tolkien does such a good job of weaving past lore into the narrative that you don’t have to read The Silmarillion to understand the journey Frodo takes to destroy the One Ring or the story Amazon is telling with The Rings of Power.

And when it comes to reading The Lord of the Rings specifically, most of the events in The Silmarillion take place thousands of years before the One Ring was even conceived in the mind of Sauron. So, not reading it isn’t going to leave you scratching your head and confused about what unfolds in LOTR. 

But what it will do is add layers and depth to this story in ways you won’t believe. 

• You’ll know exactly what Strider is referring to when he tells the Hobbits in The Fellowship of the Ring: “But long before, in the first days of the North Kingdom, they built a great watch-tower on Weathertop, Amon Sûl they called it.” 

• Or you’ll meet Treebeard in the Two Towers and know he only exists because two lesser gods (who were married to each other) had a marital dispute about their own creations destroying one another. A compromise was reached by gaining the permission to create the Ents from the great regent of Middle-earth on a separate enchanted continent. 

• You’ll know the history behind Gandalf saying in Return of the King, “Verily, this is the sapling of the Nimloth the fair; and that is the seedling of Galathilion, and that fruit of Telperion of many names, Eldest of Trees.”

In short: it’s not necessary to read The Silmarillion to understand The Lord of the Rings, but I can promise it will add beautiful dimension and layers to your read-through if you decide to pick it up.   

Advice for Your Quest:

If you choose to pregame your Lord of the Rings read-through with The Silmarillion this year (you still have time, we don’t officially start reading LOTR until September 22nd), here are my best tips that personally helped me. Take what might work for you and leave the rest.

Tips: 

• Don’t do it alone! Like any quest, your chances of success are higher if you gather faithful companions to go through it with you. It’s entirely optional of course, but whether in person or online, seek out people to come alongside you as you read. 

  This could look like finding a friend to read with you. Or it could look like subscribing to this substack or following along and engaging with the thriving Tolkien communities online. I’ve found many accounts on TikTok and Threads that helped open my eyes to everything The Silmarillion had to offer and I know you can too! 

• Try an audiobook version! Andy Serkis has one on audible that is so well done, it regularly chokes me up with how beautifully he reads it. I’ve also heard good things about the Martin Shaw version. 

• Don’t just read the book. Engage with the interactive maps found over at the LOTR Project. Take some time to peruse the masterful art work of Ted Nasmith. Look up YouTube videos about any character or place you’re curious about. All of this can really help bring the text to life. 

To read or not to read?

This decision is entirely up to you and how you want to engage with the works of Tolkien. Maybe you’re fine to watch Rings of Power purely from a casual enjoyer perspective. Maybe you want to know how Sauron came to be evil (he was not always so!) and who the god-like being that was his master wove his darkness into the very fabric of Middle-earth. Maybe you just want to keep it light when it comes to these tales. Maybe you want to roll out the parchment to map the family tree of Fëanor, his seven sons and their genealogies.

Either way, you’re a true Tolkien fan in my book.

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Side note: I want to personally thank you for being here. Starting a new Substack publication from scratch entirely dedicated to Tolkien was a big leap of faith for me last year and your response has been so welcoming. We now have 1,591 overall subscribers and 193 paid subscribers (only 7 more needed to reach 200!). I can’t believe you’re actually making this happen!

I’m so excited to see how we continue to build this space together. Please share with your own Fellowship, I’d be honored to have them join us here.

Speaking of which, if you’re looking to add even more Tolkien to your inbox, consider subscribing to Jokien with Tolkien. I’ve been a subscriber there for over a year and have greatly enjoyed what Josh has worked to create in that space. I’m sure you will as well.

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Now, what say you? Are you pro-Silmarillion? Why or why not?