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intoxicatedcake's review against another edition
5.0
Simple and poignant; an encapsulation of life, relevant to the modern day.
ladysweden's review
3.0
I enjoy this little story by Tolkien and I must say my appreciation for it increased after I listened to The Legendarium Podcast have an hour and ten minutes long discussion. It helped me understand what the context of the story was.
roxa's review against another edition
5.0
This is my first encounter with Tolkien. Somehow, I haven't yet plucked up the courage to start reading his mammoth series - this is partly George R.R. Martin's fault, for being just TOO juicy by comparison.
Anyway, this short story isn't fantasy, but a beautiful metaphor or allegory, if you will. It's about the condition of the artist and it will appeal to anyone who's ever tried doing something creative at least once in their lives. Loved all the hidden meanings, the half-spoken truths, the overwhelming feeling of creative anxiety it breathes from its pages, even the fact that it was so short and straight to the point - mind you, generally I'm not a big fan of that.
But above all I loved this short story's message: any creative endeavour not only deserves support, but should ask for it. Treasure any crumb of talent within yourself, however small and insignificant, and let people around you help you grow it into something polished and real.
Anyway, this short story isn't fantasy, but a beautiful metaphor or allegory, if you will. It's about the condition of the artist and it will appeal to anyone who's ever tried doing something creative at least once in their lives. Loved all the hidden meanings, the half-spoken truths, the overwhelming feeling of creative anxiety it breathes from its pages, even the fact that it was so short and straight to the point - mind you, generally I'm not a big fan of that.
But above all I loved this short story's message: any creative endeavour not only deserves support, but should ask for it. Treasure any crumb of talent within yourself, however small and insignificant, and let people around you help you grow it into something polished and real.
abidoodle's review
3.0
This was a light hearted, thought provoking short story/allegory that I thoroughly enjoyed. It gets better and better the more you read it. I would highly recommend reading it, it’s a super fast and fun yet also deep read!
skelterr1's review against another edition
4.0
A very short story by J.R.R. Tolkien about the painter Niggle. In my opinion just a simple story with deeper elements on closer inspection. Definitely worth a read if you like Tolkien's other work.
4/5 stars.
4/5 stars.
icarusabides's review
4.0
I was grasping at the edges of understanding with this at times, probably due to my lacking knowledge of Catholic theology, but the charming story carried me along regardless. It's told in such a lovely relaxing manner and the audio version is expertly narrated by Derek Jacobi.
There's a lot of depth in this short story that far smarter people than I will be able to dig down into but the ruminations on life, procrastination, and perfectionism are just beautifully done. It's a rather delightful read with enough depth to intrigue and fascinate.
There's a lot of depth in this short story that far smarter people than I will be able to dig down into but the ruminations on life, procrastination, and perfectionism are just beautifully done. It's a rather delightful read with enough depth to intrigue and fascinate.
jfuel's review
5.0
This tale has a strange quality that seems to draw you deeper in each time you read it.
nicolasrumpf's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5