Fantastic.

"Fantasy remains a human right: we make in our measure and in our derivative mode, because we are made: and not only made, but made in the image and likeness of a Maker."

A lovely little collection of Tolkien's works. "On Fairy Stories" is a bit technical for my tastes, but contains some really keen insights (like the one quoted above) on the weight and value of fantasy. "Leaf By Niggle" is the real gem here, though – it's the most profound and potent expression of Tolkien's philosophy of sub-creation that I've encountered.

"It's a gift!"

Finally read the "Leaf by Niggle" section of this book. Hauntingly beautiful, rich in symbolism and allegory. Especially after reading so many of Tolkien's private letters, it's easy to see the parallels in his life. While it is sad that Tolkien was never able to complete his Picture, and disappointing that in so many places he did "not have time now to do more than hint at what he wanted," I think Tolkien would have been pleased that his work has been "the best introduction to the Mountains" for many many readers.

Update: Read On Fairy Stories at last (June 2016). Not an easy read, but a good summary of how Tolkien saw Fairy Stories as an important and undervalued part of literature.

Tree and Leaf if great collection of some of Tolkiens works and really sheds a light on the philosophy behind his writing. Leaf by Niggle was a particularly striking work that manages to sum up his views on the meaning of life and death and artistry in a few short pages. Christopher Tolkiens foreword sets the tone for the book very well and is worth reading over again at the end. I will say the same for Mythopea which is definitely worth a second look (or maybe more).

This book contains one of the best short stories, I've ever read - Leaf by Niggle. It's about an artist named Niggle who has the sort of disposition that allows him to feel widely but not so much so as to do anything about it. His artwork is often interrupted by his neighbors who need his help and don't quite like his artwork at all, besides. He has a long journey he needs to go on soon and he's trying everything he can to finish his magnum opus, his great work. A must-read for all artists.

Also inside is a poem concerning myths, a poem that follows the end of the Battle of Maldon, and an essay "On Fairy Stories." The essay is worth the read. It defines what fairy stories (or tales if you prefer) are, whether children prefer them, and it ends with an explanation of the Gospel being the greatest of all fairy stories.

I like it thus far

From an essay on the appeal of Faerie to a poem that's inspired by The Battle of Maldon, this book packs so much juicy content for people wishing to sub-create worlds in just 150 pages.

A fantastic book I can't recommend more to fantasy writers.

On Fairy-stories (1939): 5 (and i had to go back and downgrade some other recent 5s because they didn't belong in the same class as this masterpiece)
Mythopoeia (1930s): 5
Leaf By Niggle (1939): I have to read this again to rate properly because I suspect I missed a dimension or seven in my eagerness to finish it. It was painful and beautiful and maybe hopeful.
The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son (1953): 4.5

cf. also "Tales from the Perilous Realm"

Included in this edition is Tolkien's essay On Fairy Stories and his story Leaf by Niggle which are also in the book Tales from the Perilous Realm which I've recently read but worthy of a re-read. It's amazing to me that this gifted man was able to take fragments of a previous work, such as The Battle of Maldon, 991 CE and write a narrative for The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth which is a conversation between two loyal servants as they scour the battlefield for their lord to remove what is left of his body and the wastefulness of war. Mythopoeia is a poem dealing with opposite opinions, the lovers of myth v. the haters of myth. Enjoyed this work.

O livro é excelente e isso não tenho muito ao que adicionar ao que já foi falado. O meu único problema é com a tradução. Por sinal, com todas desse tradutor Reinaldo José Lopes (HarperCollins Brasil, 2020). O melhor, obviamente, ater-se aos trabalhos originais do Tolkien e de seu filho Christopher Tolkien.

pra tese e pro conto 5 estrelas, tirei uma estrela por causa da última parte do livro que eu não entendi nada.

Eu sou apaixonado por Tolkien, pela sua mente brilhante, pela sua arte e pela genialidade com que cria e constrói mundos tão fascinantes. Esta coleção de três ensaios apenas aprofundou meu amor por esse presente incrível que são suas histórias. Não há mais nada a acrescentar.


“A Fantasia continua a ser um direito humano; criamos, na nossa medida e ao nosso modo derivativo, porque fomos criados; e não apenas criados, mas criados à imagem e semelhança de um Criador.”

Árvore e folha
J.R.R. Tolkien