Superb Edition - Rated 
I am sure there is no pint in discussing The Silmarillion itself. Whoever is considering to buy this particular edition is more than likely very familiar with the context.
The edition is wonderful. Good paper, beautiful pictures that help a lot to dive into book's atmosphere. Sure it is on a heavy side as any other book with so many illustrations and on a good paper. Anyone who is interested in an illustrated book of The Silmarillion, I would recommend this edition.
I don't think this is a 1 star rating at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Rated
This is the foundation to The Lord of The Rings! How can anyone think that this wonderful book deserves a 1 star rating! I think this book is very hard to get into, so if you buy it, make sure you give it the time that it needs to read, do not read while reading other books or you will completely lose your concentration for it. So read carefully and enjoy another of Tolkien's wonderfully written books.
Referring to this hardcover edition - Rated 
Well, you probably have read the Silmarillion already if you're not looking for a simple paperback edition. I'll make it short, since it's already been a year or so since I got this copy and I never got to go through the book from cover to cover on this one (and the text itself does not help very much).
Here's why I don't quite recommend that you *Tolkien fans* like me to purchase this edition:
-shiny pages, it's kind of difficult to read.. whatever light there is, natural-source or not;
-the format of the pages: they are.. too large even for a hardcover ed. (I really don't like struggling with a book);
-pretty heavy;
-again about the shiny pages: you've got the feeling that you're reading a book given to you by the Watchtower people or Jehovah's Witnesses (not that I have anything against any of the above but still...)
Believe me, reading the US 50th LOTR ann. edition seems like a picnic compared to this... so! go for the 2006 new print et cetera et cetera published by HarperCollins.
A must have edition of Silmarillion for any Tolkien fan - Rated
This review is regarding the 2004 Ted Nasmith illustrated edition of 'The Silmarillion'. I got my copy of this masterpiece finally yesterday, after a month-long agonising wait. Since this edition will, in all probabilities, be bought only by avid fans who already own a less expensive edition of 'Silmarillion', I will restrict my review to my impressions of this edition, and not the story. (Anyways, as far as the story is concerned, I can say with confidence that, so far, no other book had so much of influence upon me than the 'Silmarillion'. 'LoTR' simply pales in comparison to this in my eyes.)
Among the renowned Tolkien artists, I rate Ted Nasmith's illustrations of Silmarillion as probably the best. John Howe and Alan Lee may have an edge in "LoTR" and "Hobbit", but they cannot beat Nasmith in "Silmarillion". His portrayal of characters might leave much to be desired, but his depictions of landscapes are too beautiful. And this new 2004 edition has over 45 of his renowned paintings. The book is a bit heavy and seems very much durable. The papers are of the glossy type that might give a little trouble in certain lighting conditions, but is otherwise quite elegant. Thus, in all ways, this book is the counterpart of the 3 volume Alan Lee illustrated box set edition of "LoTR" which, incidently, I happened to receive together with this. I think I can treasure this gem for the rest of my life.
But I have got a complaint with this edition as well. I sorely missed two of Ted Nasmith's most beautiful artworks. One is the picture of Luthien clad in a blue dress dancing in the forests of Neldoreth. Whenever I think of Silmarillion, the picture that first flash through my mind is this. I was once quite shocked (a pleasant shock, really) to see it as the title picture of a music program in a local Malayalam language TV channel in India. (Maybe the producers had no clue as to whose picture it was. They may have used it as they found it to be quite beautiful.) Instead of this, the book has another picture of dancing Luthien that does not quite measure up to the one mentioned above. Another picture I missed was that of Tuor looking upon Gondolin across the fields of Tumladen. These were pictures that captured my imagination when I saw them on a website before I knew anything about Silmarillion.
I do not know why the publishers omitted these. These were some of Ted Nasmith's best. Maybe they did not blend with the tone of the rest of Nasmith's paintings in the book. But if that was the case, they could have at least used these as the front and back cover for this edition. (They would have made a damn good cover better than the current one.) Moreover, the existing cover paintings are redundant as they are included inside the book as well.
Other than this, the 2004 Ted Nasmith illustrated edition of "The Silmarillion" is a must-have in any Tolkien fan's library.
Requires repeated reading - Rated 
This collection of lose knit tales of the history of Middle Earth and those that live there. We learn many things as what different names of beings and places mean. This helps add a dimension to the stories that take place there.
I would say that it would help to read Lord of the Rings first because it is more comfortable when getting to know the area and characters. Then we can see where they came form; relationships are better understood.
Much of The Silmarillion can be taken in small bits and then sit back and contemplate how it could have been.
One does not just cut through any cultural history book for light reading and just shelving it. This is a cultural history book and will require rereading.
When people talk about the war I think back to which one they are talking about. Or are they just referring to one of the many orc skirmishes.
You do not have to be a Tolkien fan to find interest in this collection.
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