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cristi_ivan 's review for:
Tales from the Perilous Realm
by J.R.R. Tolkien
“But fat cat on the mat/Kept as a pet,/He does not forget.”
This definitely felt like a return to Middle-Earth, reading once again about elves, dragons, Tom Bombadil and hobbits. Tales from a Perilous Journey contains 4 short stories, published before separately, and a collection of poetry.
1. Roverandom (4/5) – is the story of a dog, Rover, that is cursed by a wizard because he was impolite and actually took a bite out of the wizard’s pants. After the wizard transforms him into a toy, we follow the wonderful journey of the dog in his quest to undo the wizard’s spell, travelling between the Moon and the dark depths of the Deep Blue Sea. This short story’s main theme revolves around the concept of home and being with your loved ones.
2. Farmer Giles of Ham (4/5) - this medieval fable is quite similar to The Hobbit. It’s about Giles, a farmer who enjoys a simple and comfortable life on his farm. Giles is no hero, but when a giant gets lost on his way home and trespasses on Giles’ land, the farmer manages to scare him away. His fame grows, reaching the ears of the King of the Middle Kingdom, who offers him a sword as a gift. But shortly after, Chrysophylax, the dragon, decides to roam once again the lands of the Middle Kingdom; and all eyes are on our accidental hero – Giles the farmer, who need to prepare to go on an adventure.
3. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (3/5) - this part contains 16 poems with different themes. Not my favorite part, but it still had some highlights here and there. I really liked “Cat” – about the ancestry of our ordinary house pet, “The Mewlips” – felt it like a horror poem, about a creature that dwells in dark and wet places, and it has a really interesting ending, “Shadow-Bride” – that could be a reinterpretation of the tale of Beren and Luthien.
”Beyond the Merlock Mountains, a long and lonely road,
Through the spider-shadows and the marsh of Tode,
And through the wood of hanging trees and the gallowsweed,
You go to find the Mewlips—and the Mewlips feed. (The Mewlips)”
4. Smith of Wootton Major (5/5) - this one is about faeries. Every 24 years, the people from Wootton Major celebrates The Feast of Good Children, where 24 children are invited to the party. The high point of the party is the cake and this time, there is something different about it. The cook’s apprentice, Alf, hid a faery star in the cake and one of the children swallowed it.
5. Leaf by Niggle (5/5) - this one is an allegory of Tolkien’s creative process and it talks about perfectionism in art and those many things that interfere during the creation, keeping us from reaching our true goal.
All in all, an interesting collection of stories, that will surely please die-hard fans of Tolkien. 4 stars for me.
This definitely felt like a return to Middle-Earth, reading once again about elves, dragons, Tom Bombadil and hobbits. Tales from a Perilous Journey contains 4 short stories, published before separately, and a collection of poetry.
1. Roverandom (4/5) – is the story of a dog, Rover, that is cursed by a wizard because he was impolite and actually took a bite out of the wizard’s pants. After the wizard transforms him into a toy, we follow the wonderful journey of the dog in his quest to undo the wizard’s spell, travelling between the Moon and the dark depths of the Deep Blue Sea. This short story’s main theme revolves around the concept of home and being with your loved ones.
2. Farmer Giles of Ham (4/5) - this medieval fable is quite similar to The Hobbit. It’s about Giles, a farmer who enjoys a simple and comfortable life on his farm. Giles is no hero, but when a giant gets lost on his way home and trespasses on Giles’ land, the farmer manages to scare him away. His fame grows, reaching the ears of the King of the Middle Kingdom, who offers him a sword as a gift. But shortly after, Chrysophylax, the dragon, decides to roam once again the lands of the Middle Kingdom; and all eyes are on our accidental hero – Giles the farmer, who need to prepare to go on an adventure.
3. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (3/5) - this part contains 16 poems with different themes. Not my favorite part, but it still had some highlights here and there. I really liked “Cat” – about the ancestry of our ordinary house pet, “The Mewlips” – felt it like a horror poem, about a creature that dwells in dark and wet places, and it has a really interesting ending, “Shadow-Bride” – that could be a reinterpretation of the tale of Beren and Luthien.
”Beyond the Merlock Mountains, a long and lonely road,
Through the spider-shadows and the marsh of Tode,
And through the wood of hanging trees and the gallowsweed,
You go to find the Mewlips—and the Mewlips feed. (The Mewlips)”
4. Smith of Wootton Major (5/5) - this one is about faeries. Every 24 years, the people from Wootton Major celebrates The Feast of Good Children, where 24 children are invited to the party. The high point of the party is the cake and this time, there is something different about it. The cook’s apprentice, Alf, hid a faery star in the cake and one of the children swallowed it.
5. Leaf by Niggle (5/5) - this one is an allegory of Tolkien’s creative process and it talks about perfectionism in art and those many things that interfere during the creation, keeping us from reaching our true goal.
All in all, an interesting collection of stories, that will surely please die-hard fans of Tolkien. 4 stars for me.