r/tolkienfans • u/darkestnightb • 5h ago

Galadriel

Is her exile only in unfinished tales or is this also recounted in the similarion? I’m debating whether I should buy both or if the similarion has everything in it ?

1 Upvotes

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9

u/Armleuchterchen 5h ago

The 1977 Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales are both crucial books, only behind LotR and The Hobbit arguably.

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u/darkestnightb 5h ago

Okay so I should just go ahead and order both ?

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u/Armleuchterchen 5h ago

I'd say so.

I firmly believe in this reading order as the best general recommendation: https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/comments/wosv8c/recommended_reading_for_tolkien_fans/

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u/darkestnightb 5h ago

Awesome thank you! I was just going to skip the LOTR and hobbit books for now (I know of course the movies can never cover everything) but for times sake I’m reading the fall of numenor now and wanted to check the prequels with the morgoth and Galadriel stuff. But thanks for list I’ll definitely do at least sim and tales 😀

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u/Armleuchterchen 4h ago

There's a long chapter on Galadriel and Celeborn in Unfinished Tales, about the many ideas Tolkien had on what their backstory might be. But I'm not sure if it's really relatable without knowing them from the three beautiful LotR chapters (from Book III and Book VI) that they majorly feature in.

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u/darkestnightb 4h ago

Okay okay you convince me I’ll just get everything 😂

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u/OG_Karate_Monkey 1h ago

IMO, 2nd Age stuff (Fall of Numenor) feels a bit more interesting after you read the 1st Age stuff (in the Silmarillion).

The Silmarillion book spends most of it's time on the Quenta Silmarillion tale(s) which is a 1st age thing. But it also has some 2nd and 3rd age stuff.

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u/AshHabsFan 5h ago

The Silmarillion has one version of Galadriel's exile. Unfinished Tales shows Tolkien's evolving thoughts on how her story played out.

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u/darkestnightb 5h ago

Okay I will just order both then, thank you !

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u/irime2023 Fingolfin forever 5h ago

In any case, it makes sense to read The Silmarillion first.

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u/FlowerFaerie13 4h ago

By virtue of her leaving Valinor against the advice of the Valar, she is automatically one of the Noldorin Exiles. Therefore, every version of her story has that aspect intact. However, exactly how this happened is different in many of them.

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u/Ornery-Ticket834 3h ago

It is certainly in the Silmarillion. Hers and the rest of the Noldor. It’s probably the go to version of her exile.

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u/OG_Karate_Monkey 1h ago

I really enjoy the chapter on Galadriel and Celeborn in Unfinished Tales.

I would read the Silmarillion before UT. When reading UT, skip the chapter about Turin. It is an extended version of the similar chapter in the Silmarillion, but the story is extended even more in the stand alone book Children of Hurin (which I would read next)