Lovely collection of short stories and poems, some relating to Middle Earth.
Tolkien's genius at work!

Leaf by Niggle was good but others just so-so

Contains the short story "Farmer Giles of Ham," and the the essay "On Fairy Stories" which explains many of his ideas.

An old friend that I will return to again soon.

The historical piece was a bit hard to get through, but I enjoyed Farmer Giles and the Adventures of Tom Bombadil. Leaf by Niggle and On Fairy Stories were the best part though by far! The story "Leaf by Niggle" is fun and unique, and the essay "On Fairy Stories" is a fascinating discussion of the importance of the fantasy genre and how it reflects our nature and calling as people.

"On Fairy Stories" should have been required reading for a literature major. Or for anyone who plans on giving kids reading material. He devotes an entire section on why fairy stories aren't only for children; Madeleine L'Engle and he would be good artist friends, and I can't shake the feeling that he was directly condemning Lewis's condescending tone in Narnia.

"Leaf by Niggle" is my new favorite theological exploration of art. If you're an artist of any sort--writer, painter, poet, anything--and a Christian, it's a must-read.

An erratic effort, probably published to garner some revenue for the LoTR stream. The first "story" is a nonfiction agglomeration of thoughs by Tolkien concerning Faerie literature. While his love of this subject is apparent, it just goes on and on and on. It must be what it is like to listen to me when I get on a roll. This first 100 pages are full of minutaie that have long ceased retaining any importance they might have one had, and that in itself was probably miniscule to begin with. At this point the book is one or even half a star.

Then the first story occurs. "Leaf by Niggle" is brilliant. Engaging, funny, tragic, all of that in a nice little package. Other stories follow, then poetry. The main draw for this book for me was some of the "Tom Bombadil" lore, a character somehow missed by the films. The lore is doggeral, but adds to to canon of the character. Further poetry covering elves, trolls, and the like abound as the book closes. No story arc, but a collection instead. If you are not a purist like me, skip the essay at the front, unless you are a fan of early 1900's Faerie story historiography.

Good collection, but as with a lot of Tolkien collections there's overlap with other works. Still very enjoyable, and I was able to find some minor works I hadn't read before

Eine hübsche kleine Sammlung in einem Band. Tatsächlich hatte ich das Gefühl dem Aufsatz über Märchen auf Englisch etwas bessee folgen zu können, vielleicht ist da von den Feinheiten doch zu viel in der Übersetzung verloren gegangen.
Farmer Giles of Ham war eine wahre Freude. Und da das Gedicht vom Olipaunt ist einfach nur klasse - ja, von allen Gedichten hat dieses am meisten Eindruck hinterlassen.
Oh. Und der kurze Dramenausschnitt ist auch durchaus interessant. Ich hätte dem Gespräch der beiden geene nich länger gelauscht und die gabze Geschichte erzählt bekommen.

Essential extras for Tolkien enthusiasts. The best bits are the essay "On Fairy Stories" and its companion tale, "Leaf By Niggle", but it also contains the tongue-in-cheek Farmer Giles of Ham and a number of compelling verses straight out of Middle-Earth.

The essay went way over my head, but the short stories and poems were a fun read. A nice companion to The Lord of The Rings.

The essay, On Fairy Stories, is worth buying this collection in and of itself. If you enjoy Tolkien's world of Middle Earth and wish to know more about the way he thought, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book. On Fairy Stories gives insight into Tolkien's beliefs on fantasy, and the short story selections included are a delight.