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Tales from the Perilous Realm
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Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $18.48
You Save: $ 9.52 ( 34% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Average Customer Rating:
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Tales from the Perilous Realm Description
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780547154114
ISBN: 0547154119
Label: Houghton Mifflin
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 432
Publication Date: 2008-11-17
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Studio: Houghton Mifflin
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780547154114
ISBN: 0547154119
Label: Houghton Mifflin
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 432
Publication Date: 2008-11-17
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Studio: Houghton Mifflin
Editorial Review of Tales from the Perilous Realm
The definitive collection of Tolkien's classic "fairie" tales,
in the vein of The Hobbit, illustrated by Oscar winner Alan Lee
Never before published in a single volume, Tolkien's four novellas
(Farmer Giles of Ham, Leaf by Niggle, Smith of Wootton Major, and
Roverandom) and one book of poems (The Adventures of Tom Bombadil)
are gathered together for the first time, in a fully illustrated volume. This
new, definitive collection of works -- which had appeared separately, in various
formats, between 1949 and 1998 -- comes with a brand-new foreword
and endmatter, and with a series of detailed pencil illustrations by Alan
Lee, in the style of his other award-winning Tolkien work, most recently in
The Children of Húrin.
The book is the perfect opportunity for fans of Middle-earth to enjoy
some of Tolkien's often overlooked yet most creative storytelling. With
dragons and sand sorcerers, sea monsters and hobbits, knights and
dwarves, this collection contains all the classic elements for Tolkien buffs
of all ages.
in the vein of The Hobbit, illustrated by Oscar winner Alan Lee
Never before published in a single volume, Tolkien's four novellas
(Farmer Giles of Ham, Leaf by Niggle, Smith of Wootton Major, and
Roverandom) and one book of poems (The Adventures of Tom Bombadil)
are gathered together for the first time, in a fully illustrated volume. This
new, definitive collection of works -- which had appeared separately, in various
formats, between 1949 and 1998 -- comes with a brand-new foreword
and endmatter, and with a series of detailed pencil illustrations by Alan
Lee, in the style of his other award-winning Tolkien work, most recently in
The Children of Húrin.
The book is the perfect opportunity for fans of Middle-earth to enjoy
some of Tolkien's often overlooked yet most creative storytelling. With
dragons and sand sorcerers, sea monsters and hobbits, knights and
dwarves, this collection contains all the classic elements for Tolkien buffs
of all ages.
Customer Reviews of Tales from the Perilous Realm
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Early Tolkien Writing
Review: You need to know that I'm a Tolkien fan who reads the Lord of the Rings trilogy every year and always discovers something new. I've also read The Hobbit, The Silmarillion and The Children of Turin. Tales from the Perilous Realm is enjoyable reading based upon its own merit but what I find particularly fun about it are the connections with Lord of the Rings. It is not intended as a part of the over all saga, as the previous titles are, but bits and pieces have made their way into the Lord of the Rings trilogy such as the poem/song by Frodo at the Prancing Pony Inn and Sam's quote of Bilbo's poem/song regarding Tom Bombadil's imaginary encounter with a troll and, of course, the character of Tom Bombadil himself. One can also see glimpses of ideas and characters that are later developed or used such as dragons, and men of the land who become wandering heroes. As much as I enjoyed the stories, none of them have the complexity of Lord of the Rings and can appear quite simple in plot and style. However, Tom Shippey's introduction helps put them in an historical context within Tolkien's life and explain some of his intent in writing them. This helps the reader enjoy the stories in and of themselves while fans of Lord of the Rings can appreciate how much Tolkien's writing style and story-telling developed over time and found fruition in that saga. Tales from the Perilous Realm includes Tolkien's article on Fairy-Stories which approaches being an academic work on the distinctions of fairy stories, myths and fantasy writing of various cultures both old and new. Whether or not one is familiar with all the literature which he sites, the reader can appreciate how seriously he studied the subject and how it influenced his own work. If you haven't read anything by J.R.R. Tolkien, I suggest you start with the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings and then decide if you want to read Tales from the Perilous Realm. If you're a fan of his as I am, you'll enjoy the insights into one of our favorite authors which this book provides.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Tolkien, but not Lord of the Rings
Review: Not sure if I'm supposed to review the performance of these dramatizations or the actual tales themselves. For the latter, this is Tolkien, but definitely not Lord of the Rings. These are earlier stories, and smack of Tweed England - they are funny, and homey, and sort of proper in that old fish n chips sort of way. For the former, the dramatizations are standard BBC, which isn't bad at all.
These are really fun for passing a car ride, especially if you have kids along.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Great intro for Tolkien for the novice, nice re-visit for the fan
Review: Great production values, nice quaint stories and some quintessential Tolkien poetry. I loved having stories read to me as a kid which is most likely the primary reason I enjoy audiobooks as much as I do, and this audiobook is no exception. If you are unfamiliar with Tolkien, then these stories will serve as a basis or introduction for continuing your odyssey with Middle Earth. If you're already a long-time Tolkien fan, you've probably already read these at some point, but you will most likely still appreciate having them read to you, just like beloved bedtime stories. I will definitely be listening to these again.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Die-hards only.
Review: Production values are high as with all BBC full cast recordings, though I would only recommend this to diehard fans that want to delve deeper into the Tolkien mythos.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Can't Go Wrong with Tolkien
Review: What better way to enjoy Tolkien than to have it performed for you. Four wonderfully written and thoroughly entertaining stories are just waiting to join you and the kids for a car ride, or an evening of imagination instead of television. Four stories are told over 2hrs and 55 minutes. The first, "Farmer Giles of Ham" has you laughing hysterically from the get go. It starts with an introduction of some of the characters (the dog, Gaum, is a favorite of ours) and a background to the story. As the story plays, you hear great sound effects that transport you into the adventure. The story starts with the farmer's dog, Gaum, discovering a Giant smashing crops and eating livestock as he travels. Farmer Giles falls over and accidentally shoots the Giant. Since he's so big, the Giant just thinks there are biting flies there and meanders in the opposite direction. Of course, rumors spread and the story gets exaggerated to the King who then sends the sword, "Tailbiter" to Farmer Giles. (Remember the sword in the Hobbit story?). A dragon then comes to the area burning crops, eating Parsons and "people of small stature" and wreaking havoc on the citizens. The Knights are all busy with a tournament, Christmas and then New Years, so it's up to Farmer Giles and "Tailbiter" to take care of the dragon. From there it's laughter to the listener. To tell anymore would spoil the story.
The next three stories: Smith of Wootton Major, Leaf by Niggle and The Adventures of Tom Bombadil are just as entertaining. It's very obvious that the players had a lot of fun with the story. They keep it fully entertaining & engaging for my children - Ages 10 and 7 - who had fun imaging what the story would look like if played out before them.
This audio rendition would be a great gift to any child or adult be they a Tolkien fan or not.
Review Summary: Early Tolkien Writing
Review: You need to know that I'm a Tolkien fan who reads the Lord of the Rings trilogy every year and always discovers something new. I've also read The Hobbit, The Silmarillion and The Children of Turin. Tales from the Perilous Realm is enjoyable reading based upon its own merit but what I find particularly fun about it are the connections with Lord of the Rings. It is not intended as a part of the over all saga, as the previous titles are, but bits and pieces have made their way into the Lord of the Rings trilogy such as the poem/song by Frodo at the Prancing Pony Inn and Sam's quote of Bilbo's poem/song regarding Tom Bombadil's imaginary encounter with a troll and, of course, the character of Tom Bombadil himself. One can also see glimpses of ideas and characters that are later developed or used such as dragons, and men of the land who become wandering heroes. As much as I enjoyed the stories, none of them have the complexity of Lord of the Rings and can appear quite simple in plot and style. However, Tom Shippey's introduction helps put them in an historical context within Tolkien's life and explain some of his intent in writing them. This helps the reader enjoy the stories in and of themselves while fans of Lord of the Rings can appreciate how much Tolkien's writing style and story-telling developed over time and found fruition in that saga. Tales from the Perilous Realm includes Tolkien's article on Fairy-Stories which approaches being an academic work on the distinctions of fairy stories, myths and fantasy writing of various cultures both old and new. Whether or not one is familiar with all the literature which he sites, the reader can appreciate how seriously he studied the subject and how it influenced his own work. If you haven't read anything by J.R.R. Tolkien, I suggest you start with the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings and then decide if you want to read Tales from the Perilous Realm. If you're a fan of his as I am, you'll enjoy the insights into one of our favorite authors which this book provides.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Tolkien, but not Lord of the Rings
Review: Not sure if I'm supposed to review the performance of these dramatizations or the actual tales themselves. For the latter, this is Tolkien, but definitely not Lord of the Rings. These are earlier stories, and smack of Tweed England - they are funny, and homey, and sort of proper in that old fish n chips sort of way. For the former, the dramatizations are standard BBC, which isn't bad at all.
These are really fun for passing a car ride, especially if you have kids along.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Great intro for Tolkien for the novice, nice re-visit for the fan
Review: Great production values, nice quaint stories and some quintessential Tolkien poetry. I loved having stories read to me as a kid which is most likely the primary reason I enjoy audiobooks as much as I do, and this audiobook is no exception. If you are unfamiliar with Tolkien, then these stories will serve as a basis or introduction for continuing your odyssey with Middle Earth. If you're already a long-time Tolkien fan, you've probably already read these at some point, but you will most likely still appreciate having them read to you, just like beloved bedtime stories. I will definitely be listening to these again.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Die-hards only.
Review: Production values are high as with all BBC full cast recordings, though I would only recommend this to diehard fans that want to delve deeper into the Tolkien mythos.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Can't Go Wrong with Tolkien
Review: What better way to enjoy Tolkien than to have it performed for you. Four wonderfully written and thoroughly entertaining stories are just waiting to join you and the kids for a car ride, or an evening of imagination instead of television. Four stories are told over 2hrs and 55 minutes. The first, "Farmer Giles of Ham" has you laughing hysterically from the get go. It starts with an introduction of some of the characters (the dog, Gaum, is a favorite of ours) and a background to the story. As the story plays, you hear great sound effects that transport you into the adventure. The story starts with the farmer's dog, Gaum, discovering a Giant smashing crops and eating livestock as he travels. Farmer Giles falls over and accidentally shoots the Giant. Since he's so big, the Giant just thinks there are biting flies there and meanders in the opposite direction. Of course, rumors spread and the story gets exaggerated to the King who then sends the sword, "Tailbiter" to Farmer Giles. (Remember the sword in the Hobbit story?). A dragon then comes to the area burning crops, eating Parsons and "people of small stature" and wreaking havoc on the citizens. The Knights are all busy with a tournament, Christmas and then New Years, so it's up to Farmer Giles and "Tailbiter" to take care of the dragon. From there it's laughter to the listener. To tell anymore would spoil the story.
The next three stories: Smith of Wootton Major, Leaf by Niggle and The Adventures of Tom Bombadil are just as entertaining. It's very obvious that the players had a lot of fun with the story. They keep it fully entertaining & engaging for my children - Ages 10 and 7 - who had fun imaging what the story would look like if played out before them.
This audio rendition would be a great gift to any child or adult be they a Tolkien fan or not.