Tales from the Perilous Realm

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.

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

About the author

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on the 3rd January, 1892 at Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State, but at the age of four he and his brother were taken back to England by their mother. After his father’s death the family moved to Sarehole, on the south-eastern edge of Birmingham. Tolkien spent a happy childhood in the countryside and his sensibility to the rural landscape can clearly be seen in his writing and his pictures.