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I love this book! Beautiful illustrations and a fun story set in the Middle Ages.
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Farmer Giles of Ham
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This is the 50th anniversary edition of Tolkien's best-loved short fairy story, originally told to his children in the 1920s and expanded for publication in 1949. Bluff Farmer Giles lives in a land-of-fable England, full of giants and dragons. A reluctant hero like the Brave Little Tailor or Bilbo in The Hobbit, Giles wins a great reputation by firing his blunderbuss at a wandering giant--who retreats not in fear but to avoid this tiresome stinging "insect". One thing leads to another, and despite all his excuses the now famous Giles is called to save his country from the marauding dragon Chrysophylax. He has a legendary anti-dragon sword and a lot of luck, but dragons can be as devious as politicians... Tolkien crammed much sly wit into his little story, plus jokey philological explanations that Giles's amazing adventures are commemorated in Thames Valley placenames like Worminghall and Thame. It's illustrated with nearly 50 line drawings by Paula Baynes: Tolkien loved these, but some look sadly faded here, like fourth-generation photocopies. As a bonus, the anniversary edition includes an introduction telling the story's history, a transcription of the original, unfinished draft, and 23 pages of notes on allusions and names (Chrysophylax means "keeper of gold", which is indeed what dragons do). A pleasant gift book. --David Langford
127 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1,1949
This edition
- Format
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127 pages, Hardcover
- Published
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November 15, 1999 by William Morrow
- ISBN
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9780618009367
- ASIN
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0618009361
- Language
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English
Characters More characters
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Farmer Giles
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Garm
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Agatha Of Ham
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About the author
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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien: writer, artist, scholar, linguist. Known to millions around the world as the author of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien spent most of his life teaching at the University of Oxford where he was a distinguished academic in the fields of Old and Middle English and Old Norse. His creativity, confined to his spare time, found its outlet in fantasy works, stories for children, poetry, illustration and invented languages and alphabets.
Tolkien's most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium' that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children's stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
Tolkien's most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium' that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children's stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
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Rating(4 / 5.0, 99 votes)
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99 reviews All reviews
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This review is based off of the Harper Collins Pocket Hardcovers sold in a set as the “Tolkien Treasury.” This book includes the published version of the story, the first manuscript version, and the short outline for the sequel. I’m including that info because I don’t know if other versions include the same.
To me this was a great little tale, falling just short of me loving it. I think this is a cute, silly story that could so easily fall into the realm of other fairytale stories/the same popularity, if only it was more readily available. Although, it is again one of those older children’s stories where while I’m reading I’m like, “this was told to kids?!” So with that being said this could easily have been dulled down or “Disney-fied” or made even more adult in a longer version/adaptation.
I feel like pretty much from top to bottom this story is about greed. While Giles is considered to be good to his people, and well liked, he is also still tempted by the gold of the dragon. Albeit, not as grossly as the king and his court.
Of course we also get the dual pleasure of something light and enjoyable as with most of Tolkien��s earlier works (ie. Roverandom or even the full length The Hobbit), mixed with the lush imagination of the king of fantasy Himself.
Personally a 5/5* for me, as I liked it even more the second time around.
To me this was a great little tale, falling just short of me loving it. I think this is a cute, silly story that could so easily fall into the realm of other fairytale stories/the same popularity, if only it was more readily available. Although, it is again one of those older children’s stories where while I’m reading I’m like, “this was told to kids?!” So with that being said this could easily have been dulled down or “Disney-fied” or made even more adult in a longer version/adaptation.
I feel like pretty much from top to bottom this story is about greed. While Giles is considered to be good to his people, and well liked, he is also still tempted by the gold of the dragon. Albeit, not as grossly as the king and his court.
Of course we also get the dual pleasure of something light and enjoyable as with most of Tolkien��s earlier works (ie. Roverandom or even the full length The Hobbit), mixed with the lush imagination of the king of fantasy Himself.
Personally a 5/5* for me, as I liked it even more the second time around.
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An enjoyable little story, with a wonderful narration from Derek Jacobi.
Would probably never have picked this up, if it wasn’t Tolkien and I have to admit to being somewhat underwhelmed by his non-middle earth stories.
Would probably never have picked this up, if it wasn’t Tolkien and I have to admit to being somewhat underwhelmed by his non-middle earth stories.
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Pošto je zima i sezona praznika, dobio sam želju da čitam i nešto magično i bajkovito. Ova knjiga upravo je to.
U pitanju je delo koje je Tolkin takodje prvenstveno napisao zbog svoje dece i priča koju im je kao malima pripovedao. Medjutim, ovo delo nije postalo klasik kao što je slučaj sa Hobitom.
Hobit je primetno ozbiljnije i obimnije delo, ali Farmer Gil od Hama nije ništa manje vredan. U pitanju je bajkovita priča u srednjovekovnom stilu. Tolkin koristi mnoge zaboravljene i mnogima nepoznate reči i izraze. Naravno, za sve postoji objašnjenje na kraju knjige. Pored toga, u ovom izdanju su i brojne crno-bele ilustracije.
Ovo je jedna kratka i zanimljiva priča, uz dosta šaljivih i satiričnih delova. Glavni junak jeste farmer Gil od Hama, a može se reći i njegov pas Garm. Farmer neplanirano i neočekivano postaje junak u kraljevstvu, da bi vrlo brzo taj status morao stvarno opravdati. Ne bih previše opisivao radnju koja je inače kratka, već bih se osvrnuo na brojne motive i skrivene detalje u priči. Tu je dosta pouka, kao što je sa Tolkinom uvek slučaj. Pročitao sam već u jednom od utisaka na internetu o svakom značenju imena koje je Tolkin koristio u ovoj priči, pa sam se nakon toga i sam malo više informisao. Iznenadilo me koliko je toga zapravo sakriveno i do detalja osmišljeno. Još jednom potvrdjuje veličinu i obim ideja ovog čoveka. Priča mi se veoma dopala i došla je na red za čitanje u pravo vreme. Pogodna je za decu, ali i odrasle koji žele da rasterete mozak od briga i svakodnevnice i za promenu uživaju u kratkoj priči koja će vam se sigurno dopasti.
U pitanju je delo koje je Tolkin takodje prvenstveno napisao zbog svoje dece i priča koju im je kao malima pripovedao. Medjutim, ovo delo nije postalo klasik kao što je slučaj sa Hobitom.
Hobit je primetno ozbiljnije i obimnije delo, ali Farmer Gil od Hama nije ništa manje vredan. U pitanju je bajkovita priča u srednjovekovnom stilu. Tolkin koristi mnoge zaboravljene i mnogima nepoznate reči i izraze. Naravno, za sve postoji objašnjenje na kraju knjige. Pored toga, u ovom izdanju su i brojne crno-bele ilustracije.
Ovo je jedna kratka i zanimljiva priča, uz dosta šaljivih i satiričnih delova. Glavni junak jeste farmer Gil od Hama, a može se reći i njegov pas Garm. Farmer neplanirano i neočekivano postaje junak u kraljevstvu, da bi vrlo brzo taj status morao stvarno opravdati. Ne bih previše opisivao radnju koja je inače kratka, već bih se osvrnuo na brojne motive i skrivene detalje u priči. Tu je dosta pouka, kao što je sa Tolkinom uvek slučaj. Pročitao sam već u jednom od utisaka na internetu o svakom značenju imena koje je Tolkin koristio u ovoj priči, pa sam se nakon toga i sam malo više informisao. Iznenadilo me koliko je toga zapravo sakriveno i do detalja osmišljeno. Još jednom potvrdjuje veličinu i obim ideja ovog čoveka. Priča mi se veoma dopala i došla je na red za čitanje u pravo vreme. Pogodna je za decu, ali i odrasle koji žele da rasterete mozak od briga i svakodnevnice i za promenu uživaju u kratkoj priči koja će vam se sigurno dopasti.
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Delightful. It has a much more light-hearted tone than The Hobbit or LOTR; I was laughing practically the whole time. It’s not connected with Middle-earth, but I guess it does have some magic since Garn (the dog) can talk (the most common words being “Help! Help!”) and Tailbiter jumps out of its sheath when a dragon is a couple miles away. Good for all ages!
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Herlig historie fra Tolkien dette. Småmorsom bonde skremmer tilfeldigvis bort en drage, får et sverd og blir en helt. Har ingenting å gjøre med verken Hobbiten eller LotR, men like fengende å lytte til.
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Ali zmaj koji se izvinjava što je napravio nered??? Preslatko
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I forgot how hilarious this entire thing is. I mean, obviously the overall story is funny, the highly reluctant farmer, the canniness of the grey mare (she’s the real hero here and we all know it), the ridiculous Latin and Tolkien’s never-ending (and never not funny) digs at the spoiled simpering knights and their greedy indebted king. But also almost every single line is hilarious. The way it’s written.
“They all crowded round him, calling him Good Aegidius, Bold Ahenobarbus, Great Julius, Staunch Agricola, Pride of Ham, Hero of the Countryside. And they spoke of Caudimordax, Tailbiter, The Sword that would not be Sheathed, Death or Victory, The Glory of the Yeomanry, Backbone of the Country, and the Good of one’s Fellow Men, until the farmer’s head was hopelessly confused.”
&c. It’s just rather great. Whether he’s being comic, whimsical, or tragic, Tolkien is just thoroughly Up My Alley. I love his writing so much.
“They all crowded round him, calling him Good Aegidius, Bold Ahenobarbus, Great Julius, Staunch Agricola, Pride of Ham, Hero of the Countryside. And they spoke of Caudimordax, Tailbiter, The Sword that would not be Sheathed, Death or Victory, The Glory of the Yeomanry, Backbone of the Country, and the Good of one’s Fellow Men, until the farmer’s head was hopelessly confused.”
&c. It’s just rather great. Whether he’s being comic, whimsical, or tragic, Tolkien is just thoroughly Up My Alley. I love his writing so much.
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