I still stick by my statement though Despite the very personal Connection Tolkien had to the Silmarillion the real meat of the story come into play in Lord of the Rings. Similar to the Meat of the Story in Star wars Being the films now known as IV-V-VI.

People like me who are huge tolkien fans and go for source hunting and enjoy the backdrop of feigned history in fiction may get into the Silmarillion, though the Majority of Readers love The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and cannot abide the Silmarllion. Christopher Tolkien said they call it the Old Testament.

Someone like Stephen King gives no apology over his literary Critcism that Lord of the Rings is a masterpiece and reading the Silmarillion was a bore like reading a dictionary. I don't agree with his statement but it seems to fall in line with the general opinion of readers.

Tolkien Believed the same people who hated and could not understand Beowulf would also hate The Silmarllion. I like beowulf and the Silmarillion myself so i come down on Tolkiens side and not the side of the Literati as they call themselves who choose what is literature and what is not. They banished LOTR as being not real literature so they can go fuck themselves as far as i am concerned.

If they prefer Joyce Ulysees to Tolkien then thats their problem.