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Tales from the Perilous Realm

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Tales from the Perilous Realm

By: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
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About this listen

Combined into one volume, this is the definitive collection of Tolkien’s five acclaimed modern classic ‘fairie’ tales in the vein of The Hobbit, read by Derek Jacobi.

The five tales are written with the same skill, quality and charm that made The Hobbit a classic. Largely overlooked because of their short lengths, they are finally together in a volume which reaffirms Tolkien's place as a master storyteller for readers young and old.

  • Roverandom is a toy dog who, enchanted by a sand sorcerer, gets to explore the world and encounter strange and fabulous creatures.
  • Farmer Giles of Ham is fat and unheroic, but – having unwittingly managed to scare off a short-sighted giant – is called upon to do battle when a dragon comes to town;
  • The Adventures of Tom Bombadil tells in verse of Tom's many adventures with hobbits, princesses, dwarves and trolls;
  • Leaf by Niggle recounts the strange adventures of the painter Niggle who sets out to paint the perfect tree;
  • Smith of Wootton Major journeys to the Land of Faery thanks to the magical ingredients of the Great Cake of the Feast of Good Children.

Taken together, this rich collection of tales from the author of The Children of Húrin will provide the reader with a fascinating journey into lands as wild and strange as Middle-earth.

Classics Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Genre Fiction Small Town & Rural Fiction Magic Adventure Feel-Good

Critic reviews

Roverandom:
‘An old-fashioned story, yet it still speaks freshly today… would leap to life when read aloud to a child’ Independent

Farmer Giles of Ham:
‘A fabulous tale of the days when giants and dragons walked the kingdom’ Sunday Times

Leaf by Niggle:
‘A haunting and successful demonstration of the qualities of faerie’ New York Times

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil:
‘Something close to genius’ The Listener

Smith of Wootton Major:
‘Whoever reads it at eight will no doubt still be going back to it at eighty’ New Statesman

All stars
Most relevant
Delightfully simple almost childlike tales but with subtle insights into Tolkien’s deep spiritual views. In particular Smith of Wooton Major and my favourite Leaf by Niggle. Shame that the essay On Fairy Stories was not narrated as this is in published hardback edition.

Tolkien… never what it seems

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Apart from Tom's story ( personal preference), it's a delightful collection of stories in typical Tolkien's style.

lovely listen

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I'm a fan of Tolkien and this book gave me the chance to explore some of his less known work. They are tales for children, plus a few poems of Sam Gangee's style, and the best: Leaf by Niggle, which is a Christian allegory. Jacobi's performance is outstanding. It's a real pleasure to listen to him. He even manages to read Oliphant with aplomb. Bravo.

First class reading

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Farmer Giles of Ham is the standout story in this collection - tales of the unexpected by the master of fantastical fiction. It’s a kind of parody of dragon-slaying folklore and its eponymous protagonist becomes an unlikely hero after taking on a formidable ‘worm’. It’s brilliantly narrated, as are all the tales, by the wonderful Derek Jacobi. The first story concerns the dog Roverandom and his run-in with the irascible wizard Artaxerxes. The Man in the Moon - the greatest magician of all - makes an appearance. It’s a novella and very charming in its way, but probably outstays its welcome - though it is essentially a children’s story. That goes for most if not all of the stories in this collection, but adults - and in particular Tolkien devotees - will also love them. The Tom Bombadil section is in verse. Again, it drags on a bit, although the verse has great musicality and Jacobi reads it very well. Leaf by Niggle, the final story, is allegorical and even has an arguably Kafka-esque feel, at least thematically. It doesn’t work as well as some of the others - but again it’s charming, and beautifully read. This is a must for Tolkien fans and a good possible introduction to his work for younger listeners.

Dogs, dragons - and the Man in the Moon

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I like dogs and fantasy this is perfect for me :3
I keep coming back :D

dogs

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