The ‘Tales from the Perilous Realm’ is a compilation of brilliant and imaginative short stories written by JRR Tolkien. All five of the tales in this book have no connection with one another and they all take place in different fantasy worlds that Tolkien created in his lifetime. They are:
Roverandom
Farmer Giles of Ham
Adventures of Tom Bombadil
Smith of Wootton Major
Leaf by Niggle
Roverandom was said to be the bedtime story that Tolkien read to his son, Christopher Tolkien. It’s an absolutely imaginative and creative tale of a talking dog and its adventures in a realm where three wizards control the world. It is the longest of the five tales compiled but nevertheless the one with the most action and adventure. One cannot help but feel immense pity and adoration for Tolkien’s protagonist in this story – Rover / Roverandom.
I personally think that Farmer Giles of Ham is my personal favorite out of the five. Tolkien brings the reader into a world of knights and dragons where an unlikely hero, an old farmer, Giles, confronts a menacing dragon and becomes the hero of the tale. With his literary expression and distinctive command of the English language, this story is highly addictive and can be reread countless times!
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil documents the journies and travels of the legendary Tom Bombadil in Tolkien’s realm of Middle Earth. It is in poem form: flaunting Tolkien’s genius in poetry. This is a must read for any Middle Earth fan and it offers a glimpse into the early histories of Middle Earth.
However, Smith of Wootton Major and Leaf by Niggle are somewhat abstract by Tolkien’s standards. They both possess a high quality of literary expression; especially with the descriptive part of the tales, but I have to admit that it is not as easy to follow as the previous tales.
Fans of Tolkien will enjoy this volume greatly not only as a great add on to their collection, but by the high quality of literature and imagination that this book will guarantee. When it comes to fantasy, Tolkien still stands high and mighty.
Ferdinand’s Rating: 4/5
An Intellectual Journey with Ferdinand 