Listening to him narrate the fall of Gondolin is to understand why people call this book a “secret masterpiece.”
Serkis, however, sounds like a man weeping over the grave of his friends. He puts the tragedy back into The Tragedy of the Children of Húrin . If you want to feel the dread of Túrin Turambar’s incestuous doom, or the grief of Húrin being forced to watch his children fail, Serkis is the superior choice. He makes you care about the names on the page.
Let’s be honest. For decades, The Silmarillion has carried a reputation. It’s the “difficult one.” The dense, biblical, beautiful history of the Elves. The book where maps have no hobbits and chapters span millennia. Many fans own it. Few have finished it. silmarillion audiobook andy serkis
: While Shaw is often praised for a "dignified" and "soothing" delivery, Serkis is favored by those who prefer a more modern, storytelling-focused approach. Technical Details Duration : Approximately 19 hours and 24 minutes .
: The article details the history of the work, including its posthumous publication by Christopher Tolkien and the editorial challenges in collating the "battered notebooks" left by J.R.R. Tolkien. Expert Opinion Listening to him narrate the fall of Gondolin
To truly appreciate this release, one must address the elephant in the room: the Martin Shaw audiobook.
: He incorporates musical elements into the reading, matching the medieval folk meter Tolkien originally invoked. Comparison with Martin Shaw He makes you care about the names on the page
For collectors, this is a must-own. Paired with his readings of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , Serkis has now completed the holy trinity of Tolkien audiobooks. He has done what few thought possible: He made the "difficult" book accessible without dumbing it down. He made the ancient feel urgent. He made the music of the Ainur finally sound like music.