The Tolkien Reader by J.R.R. Tolkien Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Tolkien Reader
Book Review: To Understand Tolkien
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently completed a philosophy course on JRR Tolkien's works and this book was an inherent part of understanding the mind and writings of JRR Tolkien. His ideas reach beyond just a little world he created in his spare time, they have the potential to change the world and the way we look at the beauty around us.Book Review: Tolkien's Poetry and Other Worlds
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the book one should read after they have finished "Lord of the Rings" and just before they are about start "The Silmarillion" or "Unfinished Tales". With the film of "Fellowship..." to come out in December 2001, it is clear that there will be an increased interest in the canon of Tolkien's works.Peter S. Beagle introduces the book with an essay in which he gives a good analysis of Gollum's character; notice how the creature always spoke in first-person plural. "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son" is so far Tolkien's only attempt at a play (brief though it is) and at writing something of his own that has the feeling of Beowulf. It is an addendum to what happened after the historical Battle of Maldon when the Danes invaded England. Tolkien was the type who would have felt at home in medieval northern Europe, and probably would have been a scribe like Snorri Sturluson.
The collection called "Tree and Leaf" is another side of Tolkien. "Farmer Giles..." is a non-Middle-earth tale about a medieval knight off to fight a dragon, and "Leaf By Niggle" is a Borges-type of magical realism about a painter trying to create reality out of his art. It is the closest piece, I believe, that Tolkien came to writing what snobs consider "literary".
It stands on its own, as does the classic essay "On Fairy Stories", in which he shows that fairy and/or faery tales are worth the attention of adults. To quote, he believes that fantasy is a higher form of Art, the most pure form and the most potent. He shows that fantasy works very well when it presents themes on recovery, escape, and consolation.
Now for the poetry. Ever wonder who Tom Bombadil really was? He's a bit Falstaffian for a Maia, and I doubt he will be in the film, but somehow Tolkien believed it necessary to include him as part of Frodo's journey to Rivendell. "The Adventures of TB" include Goldberry and Old Man Willow and quite a helping of Hey Come derry-do, merry-dol my darling! These poems begin what is known as The Red Book of Westmarch, originally written by Bilbo Baggins and Sam Gamgee (Tolkien only compiled them). Most of the songs which are about animals, trolls, and the Man-in-the-Moon, seem suited to the ears of children. The poems which stand out, however, are the narratives like "Errantry", "The Hoard", and "The Sea-Bell". Tolkien's poetry is in the classic traditional style of rhyme and meter. There's is nothing "modern" about it, and that is its quality. One who is inclined to reading T.S. Eliot or Wallace Stevens may not enjoy
Tolkien's old-fashioned style. But to readers of Kipling, Masefield, Graves, Sassoon, and Houseman, Tolkien's poetry is a delight, refreshing, and a fine conclusion to a collection of works by one of the best writers of the 20th century.
Book Review: Well worth reading!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a collection of several of Tolkien's smaller works like his short stories.
Most importantly, however, is that it contains his rather hard to find essay entitled
"On Fairy Stories" and its demonstration : "Leaf and Niggle." To appreciate more Tolkien's
other works (LOTR, etc.) I must recommed reading his essay. Eucatastrophe and all that jazz!Book Review: You can get the same material in "Tales from the Perilous Realm"
Summary: 3 Stars
Other than the intro by another person, and Tolkien's translation of an epic poem written by someone else, all the material original to Tolkien is contained in Tales from the Perilous Realm, with the addition of two more stories and an interesting preface which outlines where these works fit into the body of his literary work. The additional stories are "Roverandom" and "Smith of Wooten Major"--both worth reading too.Book Review: nice addition to Tolkien library
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is well done, full of several wonderful short stories, an essay, and even a poem or two. It's really not something to read all at once, but more of a selective reading volume. It also has excellent illustrations.