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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
I have read most of this collection before in other books, but thoroughly enjoyed reading them again. The book also contains Tolkien's essay On Fairy Stories which is very interesting.
The book contains Roverandom, Farmer Giles of Ham, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Smith of Wootton Major and Leaf by Niggle.
The illustrations by Alan Lee are lovely.
The book contains Roverandom, Farmer Giles of Ham, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Smith of Wootton Major and Leaf by Niggle.
The illustrations by Alan Lee are lovely.
Well the book has five stories, as per the preface these were written before the LOTR and were the foundation for the LOTR universe.
4/5 : Smith of Wootton Major (The best narrative and story)
4/5 : Roverandom (Some what nice, but felt childish)
3/5 : Leaf by Niggle (It is said that this was about his personal life, kind of JD Salinger's 9 stories it was)
3/5 : Farmer Giles of Ham (I was like, ah what! is living then was that simple with all the complications?)
3/5: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Well it is not completely related to Bombadil, I liked only few of them in all say only 3 or 4)
I saved myself from getting tangled with his lecture of "On Fairy-Stories", because it was some what more experienced writer who want to write about fairy story would want to venture in, not us who seldom visit like the Smith of Wootton Major or Roverandom.
4/5 : Smith of Wootton Major (The best narrative and story)
4/5 : Roverandom (Some what nice, but felt childish)
3/5 : Leaf by Niggle (It is said that this was about his personal life, kind of JD Salinger's 9 stories it was)
3/5 : Farmer Giles of Ham (I was like, ah what! is living then was that simple with all the complications?)
3/5: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Well it is not completely related to Bombadil, I liked only few of them in all say only 3 or 4)
I saved myself from getting tangled with his lecture of "On Fairy-Stories", because it was some what more experienced writer who want to write about fairy story would want to venture in, not us who seldom visit like the Smith of Wootton Major or Roverandom.
Understanding Tolkien's definition of Faerie is key to grasping the depth of this book, and will help distinguish it from the rest world of the fantasy genre.
Three short folktales written by Tolkien. The third one on Tom Bombildill looks like a shortened version of some elements of the Lord of the Rings. The first one, The Farmer from Giles is a classic fairy tale with ordinary men being heroes and dragons
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This collection of disparate stories and poems was new to me and...I can't believe how much I loved them. They touched my heart in a real way. I was going to leave a quote or two here, but it would be hard to pick one. Just. Okay I'm feeling incoherent but the poems had a sort of beautiful writing (even though all of Tolkien's writing is beautiful) that is more whimsical and musical than in some of the other work and reminds me a little of W.B. Yeats ('come away O human child...'). Some of the stories are recognisably set in the Middle Earth/Aman/Eä universe, some are set in our own world in the distant past (though Tolkien would say that they are one and the same). The Sea-Bell was my favourite poem, Smith of Wootton Major my favourite story because both show the 'peril' of the Perilous Realm (Faërie), a brief contact with something that is too beautiful and too bright, before we are forced to return to the grey world. Okay I'm all in my feelings but this collection is amazing - it has joined the ranks of my favourite books of all time - and I don't know how to talk about it or convey that.
Roverandom: Almost feels like it could be a blend of all Pixar movies. Cute, but doesn't really have any staying power. I forgot about the story as soon as I started the next one. 3 stars.
Farmer Giles of Ham: About the same as Roverandom. Fun. Talking dog. But forgettable once it's over. 3 stars
Tales of Tom Bombadil: Some of these poems are quite fun, and some are very memorable. Wide range of styles and tones, I'd probably like them even more if I already liked poetry! 4 stars
Smith of Wootton Major: Really conveys the loss of not being able to go back. A great metaphor for losing whatever is important to you in life and moving on. 5 stars
Leaf by Niggle: Absolutely the best part of this collection. I think everyone can relate to this, the feeling of never having time for what we want to do, and the ending is just great. 5 stars
Farmer Giles of Ham: About the same as Roverandom. Fun. Talking dog. But forgettable once it's over. 3 stars
Tales of Tom Bombadil: Some of these poems are quite fun, and some are very memorable. Wide range of styles and tones, I'd probably like them even more if I already liked poetry! 4 stars
Smith of Wootton Major: Really conveys the loss of not being able to go back. A great metaphor for losing whatever is important to you in life and moving on. 5 stars
Leaf by Niggle: Absolutely the best part of this collection. I think everyone can relate to this, the feeling of never having time for what we want to do, and the ending is just great. 5 stars