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charlottejones952's review against another edition
1.0
I listened to this on audiobook, narrated by Derek Jacobi. Despite the narration being very lively and fun, I didn't really enjoy the story itself too much. Being a Lord of the Rings fan who for some reason has never managed to get through The Hobbit, I think Tolkien's children's fiction just isn't for me. There is something very silly about the characters but I can see this being something read to the children in Hobbiton.
I'm glad I listened to this and gave it a go but unfortunately I wouldn't recommend it. There are better children's books out there and much better Tolkien books too.
I'm glad I listened to this and gave it a go but unfortunately I wouldn't recommend it. There are better children's books out there and much better Tolkien books too.
areadingmidnightfairy's review against another edition
4.0
Een dun boekje met leuke grappige tekeningen van Tolkien. Het grappige aan dit boekje is dat de linkerpagina nederlands is en de rechterpagina is in het engels in Tolkiens handschrift.
Het is een kinderverhaal over meneer blijleven die een auto koopt, en dan van de ene situatie in de andere terecht komt. Best sneu maar ook weer grappig. Ook die 3 beren waren wel 3 ondeugende beren. Leuk kinderverhaaltje om voor te lezen.
Het is een kinderverhaal over meneer blijleven die een auto koopt, en dan van de ene situatie in de andere terecht komt. Best sneu maar ook weer grappig. Ook die 3 beren waren wel 3 ondeugende beren. Leuk kinderverhaaltje om voor te lezen.
bookwomble's review against another edition
4.0
Mr. Bliss is delightfully amusing, both the book and the title character himself. He gets himself into a series of farcical scrapes involving his new car, three thuggish teddy bears, four obese brothers, some cabbages and some bananas. Mr. Bliss is a frightful coward throughout, not at all the hero you might expect, which I think would make him a rather sympathetic character for younger children. He does stand up for himself in the end, albeit in a somewhat passive/aggressive way. Oh, and watch out for a surprise appearance by Old Gaffer Gamgee!
Tolkien's illustrations are, to be generous, charmingly naïve, but they do fit the story well. He's a good illustrator of landscape and the inanimate, but he was self-confessedly limited in his depiction of people and animals. If the pictures look like they were coloured in with pencils at the kitchen table, that's because they probably were.
Mr. Bliss is an interesting comparison with [b:The Sunday Books|10888098|The Sunday Books|Mervyn Peake|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309980365s/10888098.jpg|15427086] by [a:Mervyn Peake|22018|Mervyn Peake|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1206549489p2/22018.jpg]: both by giants of 20th century literature; both created by fathers for their children; both published posthumously. Peake's illustrations for that book are much better than Tolkien's, but then he was an illustrator by profession.
Conversely, Peake left no text for his pictures, the story being written years later by family friend, [a:Michael Moorcock|16939|Michael Moorcock|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1222901251p2/16939.jpg], and I think that Tolkien's is the superior tale.
Tolkien's illustrations are, to be generous, charmingly naïve, but they do fit the story well. He's a good illustrator of landscape and the inanimate, but he was self-confessedly limited in his depiction of people and animals. If the pictures look like they were coloured in with pencils at the kitchen table, that's because they probably were.
Mr. Bliss is an interesting comparison with [b:The Sunday Books|10888098|The Sunday Books|Mervyn Peake|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309980365s/10888098.jpg|15427086] by [a:Mervyn Peake|22018|Mervyn Peake|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1206549489p2/22018.jpg]: both by giants of 20th century literature; both created by fathers for their children; both published posthumously. Peake's illustrations for that book are much better than Tolkien's, but then he was an illustrator by profession.
Conversely, Peake left no text for his pictures, the story being written years later by family friend, [a:Michael Moorcock|16939|Michael Moorcock|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1222901251p2/16939.jpg], and I think that Tolkien's is the superior tale.
llamasquama's review against another edition
5.0
So cute! Just the kind of story you can imagine reading aloud. Gets sillier and sillier as it goes, and Tolkien's drawings are just lovely.
wcs53's review against another edition
5.0
I reread this for Tolkien Reading Day. It’s a fun, little read that Tolkien wrote for his children. His illustrations make it even better
littlebearreading's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful children's story with just enough silliness. I can't wait to read it to my children.
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