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elon's review
3.0
I'm not sure why I read this, as the poems/songs were my least favorite part of the Rings books, but I think the audio format helped, and this was quite enjoyable.
gijs's review against another edition
4.0
Tolkien created Tom Bombadil and inserted him 'as is' into the Lord of the Rings epic; the character instantly intrigues and makes you want to pick up the trilogy, again!:
"When Frodo asks Goldberry, ‘who is Tom Bombadil?’ she replies simply, ‘He is’ – he, who at that moment is tending the hobbits’ ponies and can be heard singing Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow; Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow. At this, Frodo looks at Goldberry ‘questioningly’, and she adds: ‘He is, as you have seen him. He is the Master of wood, water, and hill.’ Later, when Frodo asks Tom himself, ‘Who are you, Master?’ the reply is: ‘Don’t you know my name yet? That’s the only answer.’"
"One reader of The Lord of the Rings, Peter Hastings, felt that Goldberry’s ‘He is’ implied that Tom Bombadil is God. Tolkien disagreed: ‘Goldberry and Tom are referring to the mystery of names. … Frodo has asked not “what is Tom Bombadil” but “Who is he”. We and he no doubt often laxly confuse the questions. Goldberry gives what I think is the correct answer. We need not go into the sublimities of “I am that am” [God’s words to Moses in Exodus 3:14] – which is quite different from he is. She adds as a concession a statement of part of the “what”’ (Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (1981), pp."
"When Frodo asks Goldberry, ‘who is Tom Bombadil?’ she replies simply, ‘He is’ – he, who at that moment is tending the hobbits’ ponies and can be heard singing Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow; Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow. At this, Frodo looks at Goldberry ‘questioningly’, and she adds: ‘He is, as you have seen him. He is the Master of wood, water, and hill.’ Later, when Frodo asks Tom himself, ‘Who are you, Master?’ the reply is: ‘Don’t you know my name yet? That’s the only answer.’"
"One reader of The Lord of the Rings, Peter Hastings, felt that Goldberry’s ‘He is’ implied that Tom Bombadil is God. Tolkien disagreed: ‘Goldberry and Tom are referring to the mystery of names. … Frodo has asked not “what is Tom Bombadil” but “Who is he”. We and he no doubt often laxly confuse the questions. Goldberry gives what I think is the correct answer. We need not go into the sublimities of “I am that am” [God’s words to Moses in Exodus 3:14] – which is quite different from he is. She adds as a concession a statement of part of the “what”’ (Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (1981), pp."
naomileunis's review against another edition
3.0
I hoped I was gonna love this as much as I loved the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings but sadly that wasn't the case. I'm not really a big fan of poems and I felt that the dutch translations sometimes just weren't good. I might give this book another try in English to see if Tolkiens original words make it a better read.
sokasokaa's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
rebekahflora's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
fallingletters's review against another edition
4.0
I'm really not the right sort of person to appreciate poetry. This stuff isn't too bad! I most enjoy reading about the Middle-earth context of these poems. The commentary, including earlier versions of the poems, enhances the reading, but at times I thought it would've been better as an annotated version (i.e. with definitions for obscure words in the margins of the poem).
helenafaustina's review
5.0
After having read the Silm just before this, I was definitely not prepared. XD This is was so lighthearted and simple, definitely not what I expected out of Tolkien, but I loved it! The poems were so fun and pretty. I think my favorite was Princess Mee.