# The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/silmarillion/

3 people recommended The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien in Hacker News comments, 2 had mixed feelings and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 12 months, in 3 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Readers call it a great joy and praise Martin Shaw's audiobook; the common caveat is that it is long-winded and name-heavy.

Summary written by Claude from 5 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Audiobook narration by Martin Shaw (1 comment in the sample): "Martin Shaw's recording of the Silmarillion is similarly wonderful." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46587048))
- Deep, lasting reading joy (1 comment in the sample): "the greatest joy I've ever had reading a book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50134018))

## What people warn about

- Long-winded, name-heavy, hard to follow (2 comments in the sample): "it's rather long-winded and name-heavy, so it can be hard to follow" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46231599)) "finding it very hard reading" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46230721))
- Readers repeatedly bounce off it (1 comment in the sample): "I’ve bounced off this book a dozen times over decades" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46402290))

## Other fantasy novels people recommend

- [The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien](https://hackerapproved.com/p/lord-of-the-rings/): 52 recommend, 13 mixed, 10 criticize
- [Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/dungeon-crawler-carl/): 43 recommend, 4 mixed, 6 criticize
- [The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hobbit/): 34 recommend, 6 mixed, 9 criticize
- [Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/harry-potter-and-the-methods-of-rationality/): 15 recommend, 4 mixed, 17 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien", https://hackerapproved.com/p/silmarillion/ (3 recommend, 2 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.