Tales from the Perilous Realm

Product Information

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil - Lord of the Rings fans will rejoice at the inclusion of this tale, which was unfortunately omitted from the movie trilogy. This is a fantastically childish book that is thoroughly charming; it really captures the essence of Tolkien’s softer themes and humour. Not everything has to be constantly dark and foreboding for his writing to be successful. This is simple, imaginative and a good little bit of fun. Tolkien, himself a philologist, sprinkled several philological jokes into the tale, including a variety of ingeniously fake etymologies. Almost all the place-names are supposed to occur relatively close to Oxford, along the Thames, or along the route to London. Por último, nos encontramos con un ensayo sobe los cuentos de hadas. Ya sabéis que Tolkien era un erudito, profesor de universidad y experto en folklore y cuentos tradicionales. Este ensayo me pareció muy interesante y esclarecedor, aunque había puntos con los que no estaba de acuerdo. LEAF BY NIGGLE is an odd little piece which acts as an obvious allegory of man's life from cradle to grave. It's the most openly 'childish story in the book but still worth a look for fans of the author willing to give something very different a chance. Tolkien's style is as evocative as ever.

Farmer Giles of Ham - Reminiscent of The Brave Little Tailor, Farmer Giles of Ham chronicles the adventures of a curmudgeonly farmer (and his faithful dog) as a chance encounter with a giant leads to a most unwanted charge to rid the realm of a deadly dragon. Leaf by Niggle is an unusual choice for inclusion, as I don't really consider that Faerie enters into it at all. For me, this was the most surprising story in the collection as it is utterly unlike anything else I've read by Tolkien. It has a dystopian and Kafka-like opening and is set in an industrialised society, not at all a legendary, Dark Age or Medieval locale. It later moves onto more metaphysical, even theological, ground. Despite Tolkien's avowed dislike of allegory, that's what this story seems to be. I really liked it. If Tolkien had not been consumed by his Middle-earth conception, could stories of this nature have been what he was known for? That being said, the story does feel as if it has roots in Earth’s history – our past – and thus, sort of leaves you feeling content at the same time as wanting more of Tolkien’s writing. Leaf by Niggle - This tale is widely considered an allegory of Tolkien's life, and shows how profound the creative process can be on a person. My favorite thing about this little tale is that you can still see the grand scope in which Tolkien writes. His mine clearly always saw the big picture, and what could be, rather than just weaving a little something-something…even for his 4 year old son.After things have calmed down a bit, Chrysophylax, a mighty dragon, makes his way to Ham. Now, all the villagers and the king want Giles to slay him. Giles, knowing that he must either face up to the tall tale that's been told about him or the dragon, chooses to face the dragon. Rating: 4★ Farmer Giles went home feeling very uncomfortable. He was finding that a local reputation may require keeping up, and that may prove awkward.” Este me deja un poco descolocado, no ha sido mala lectura pero durante gran parte del relato no sabía muy bien qué quería contar. En el pueblecito de Wooton mayor, más grande que Wooton menor pero sin ser nada grande, hay un puesto muy relevante, el de cocinero Mayor. Éste prepara comidas para las fiestas, entre ellas La tarta de los veinticuatro, una celebración especial con una tarta espectacular. Cuando el cocinero se retira, deja su puesto a un ayudante, Alf, pero el pueblo elige a otro. En esa tarta acaba una estrella aparentemente mágica, que le cae en suerte al hijo del herrero, que posteriormente será El herrero de Wooton mayor. Esta historia tiene un giro muy bueno, pero en su mayoría no sucede mucho. Leaf by Niggle is probably the most famous of the “not an allegory” stories written by Tolkien. In separate letters he wrote regarding Niggle that “it is not really or properly an ‘allegory’ so much as ‘mythical’” as well as “I tried to show allegorically how [sub creation] might come to be taken up into Creation in some plane in my ‘purgatorial’ story Leaf by Niggle.”

Leaf by Niggle, a highly allegorical short story about a character, Niggle, who is thought to represent Tolkien's ambition and anxieties as a fantasy author Also included is J R R Tolkien: An Audio Portrait, in which Brian Sibley draws together interviews from radio and television programmes featuring the author himself, his original publisher Rayner Unwin, his biographer Humphrey Carpenter and many others torelate the story of both Tolkien the man and the worlds he created.

BookBliss

Leaf by Niggle reads quite nicely and has a few humorous moments, but for the most of it, I was getting strong Orwell-vibes. And that's not exactly a good thing because, while I like 1984, Orwell is by far the most depressing author I've come across and have ultimately given up on reading all his works. The Annotated Hobbit · The History of The Hobbit · The Nature of Middle-earth · The Fall of Númenor

Cuenta la historia de un perro de juguete que se convierte en uno de verdad y vive maravillas por la Luna, bajo el mar, conoce a magos poderosos y a otros dos perros llamados como él. No me maravilló especialmente y la verdad es fue el que menos me gustó. Es cierto que fue escrito para niños (está basado en una vivencia real con su hijo) y tal vez eso tenga que ver. Above a starry sea!As fun as it can be to read Sam's poems about stone trolls and hear about Frodo's dark and despairing dreams, this selection of poetry left me rather underwhelmed.Farmer Giles saves his farm and, as a consequence, the local village from a rampaging giant. This earns him a fierce reputation for heroism; thus, he is rewarded by the King with a rather glamourous sword. The King, believing this to be a mere ceremonial weapon, parts with the blade gladly. It turns out that the sword is actually Tailbiter, an ancient weapon that carries a powerful enchantment. Indeed, it cannot physically be sheathed when in close proximity to a dragon. Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.