A sweeping and majestic tale of heroism, tragedy, romance and evil being overcome grander than both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. It follows the story of the World of Arda, Tolkien’s “secondary world” from its conception by Eru (the One or God) Illúvitar and the music of the Ainur, to the forging of the Silmarils, jewels which contain the light of the trees of Valinor, to the Oath of Fëanor, to the beautiful tale of Beren and Lúthien, to the tragedy of Túrin Turambar and the dragon Glaurung, to the solemn and epic Fall of Gondolin, to the final War of Wrath, where the fate of the world is decided at last. The Silmarillion is an epic and Tolkien’s life’s work, and I think everybody, a fan of fantasy or not, should read it despite its writing style.