I Know More About Lord of the Rings Than American History

Because I no longer have to read textbook chapters every week for class, I started reading the prequel (The Silmarillion) to the prequel (The Hobbit) of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  In addition to the actual story, the book is filled with maps, family trees, appendices, and a fifty-two page index of names, along with a note on pronunciation.  Good old J.R.R. really put it all out there on this one, as he worked on it all throughout his life.  The Silmarillion details an account of the First Age of the World, while the more well-known Hobbit and Lord of the Rings takes place in the Third Age.  Many of the stories that happen in this book are then referenced in songs and Elvish pieces of wisdom down the line.  It will be so exciting when I recognize one.

(photos by e.hunt)