Il libro: un piccolo saggio in difesa della letteratura fantasy e la sua dignità, non solo come 'cibo' per l'infanzia, diviso in: On fairy stories, sull'opinione di Tolkien sul tema, Mythopoeia, sull'amore dei miti, il racconto "Leaf by Niggle", sulla vita, e il poema drammatico "Beorhtnoth".

vi's PoV: Amo Tolkien, amo la sua scrittura e visione. In questo piccolo saggio, di cui ho apprezzato in particolare la parte "On Fairy Stories", dove viene articolata una lucida e intelligente difesa al genere fantasy in senso lato, mi sono lasciata trasportare dalle parole dell'autore e fatta toccare nel profondo dal racconto "Leaf by Niggle", su cui poco mi espongo, ma che nella sua semplicità mi ha lasciato un sapore agrodolce in gola, emozionandomi. Siamo minuscoli in fondo nel mondo e ancor più nella storia. Lasciare il segno è difficile e non per forza essenziale.
Ho dato 4 stelle e non 5 perché ammetto di non essere riuscita ad apprezzare in toto Beorhtnoth, forse perché l'inglese leggermente troppo letterato mi è risultato difficile da masticare, ma per il resto questo è un piccolo grande libro da avere nei propri scaffali.
Bella anche la sempre attenta prefazione del figlio Christopher, a cui dobbiamo sempre esser grati.

به مقدمه و مأخره مترجم میشود پنج داد، ولی چون امتیاز این کتاب را میخواهم به خود تالکین بدهم و سه داستان این کتاب قطعا از بهترین کارهای این بزرگوار نیست، امتیاز سه بنظرم مناسبه.

A most excellent collection of texts, commencing with Tolkien's most famous essay "On Fairy-Stories". The poem "Mythopoeia" and the short story "Leaf by Niggle" have their own unique magic and beauty, however, it was the final section of the book which charmed me the most: three texts on the Old English poem "The Battle of Maldon", my highlight being the concluding text, "Ofermod", which discusses the chivalric characters and (fatal) decisions of kings, namely Arthur (in "The Green Knight"), Beowulf and Beorhthelm. Fun Fun Fun!

Interesting thoughts on the nature of fantasy literature and a poetic reflection by a master of the genre.

I bought this off of a recommendation from a friend, who told me that "Leaf by Niggle" (included in this) impacted her view of work quite a bit. This edition collects 4 works, and I've read 3 of them, and decided to not read "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth" until reading Tolkien's less-obscure fiction (Hobbit and LOTR).
Leaf by Niggle: I couldn't quite figure it out, and each time I thought I had figured out the "meaning" it went in a direction I didn't expect given my assumed allegorical interpretation. Upon finishing, I think I was still perplexed, and I am glad I did not write this review until after also finishing "On Fairy-Stories" and "Mythopoeia", so it had time to sink in a bit more. Now, though, I am not sure if this is the agreed upon scholarly interpretation, but I think of it fondly any time I am discouraged by work that seems too difficult, or even pointless, to put into it the work ethic required of the task. I think of Niggle and his determination that he is applauded for, his desire to do well what he does, no matter how small. Please, write me if this is not a good interpretation.
On Fairy-Stories: I am a huge essay fan and this did not disappoint. His argument for why fairy-stories are not juvenile and how they point to the transcendent was convincing and made me want to read and write fairy-stories. I now feel qualified to watch a fantasy movie and declare "that's very Tolkien-esk," and for that, I'm very greatful.
Mythopoeia: I am sure it is genius, the rhymes themselves were impressive, but I did not have the mental capacity while reading it to feel any poetic wisdom imparted to my soul.

Tolkien's exegesis on the fairy tale, the realm of Faerie, its inhabitants, their magic, the origin of fairy tales, and who the stories are intended for. A must-read for anyone who desires to write fantasy.

Tree and Leaf is an eclectic collection of work that highlights the strength and weaknesses of Tolkien's writing, particularly for the casual fan. There is a long essay on fairy tales, from a original lecture; two fairy tales written by Tolkien; and an epic poem revolving around the Battle of Maldon translated from the old English.

The essay is great; for a fan of fantasy and fairy tale and anyone who believes in their value or gets irritated by the assumption that fairy tales are solely for children it is a great ode to the form, its importance in our imaginative heritance and a good argument for its place in the realms of adult literature. Although it is academic in style, Tolkien makes his essay seem like an adventure into the realms of Faery at times and his fascination for the form in both a historical and imaginative sense really come across. The way he links Faery and the Arthurian form makes the creative juices whirl and swirl; its really possible to see the way his mind ticks and how he longed to make his own journey into fantasy realms while still maintaining that link to our fairy tale history.

Of the two tales, The Mayor of Little Walton is much more enjoyable, a story about a boy who swallows a fairy star in a festival cake and discovers that he can travel back and forth into magical realms. Like lots of fairy tales it is full of temptation, the desire to go that little bit further into that magic place. Its a little scattered and incomplete but a good ride, whereas Leaf by Niggle, despite a certain hazy mysticism, comes across a little flat and dull. The translated poem is Tolkien for the more intense fan - its interesting to read about the origins and feel his love for those old English verses but it is hard to really enjoy without any more academic context.

Overall this is an interesting collection, satisfyingly sporandic but sometimes a little dry. 5

The 3 page epilogue is worth the 5-star rating alone - love how he acknowledges how the beauty of the “happy ending”, or eucatastrophe, is bound in its reflection of the reality of the gospel itself. Every “turn of joy” in a fairy story is all the better if it is rooted in occurrence in the real world. For a man who preferred less allegory and direct spiritual application, it is particularly poignant.

I mostly wanted this one to finally read Leaf by Niggle. Poetry has never been a favorite, so I didn't get as much from the two offerings. But I also enjoyed his essay on Faerie Stories. A good addition to my collection, and the completion of a list of works I had been meaning to get to. :)

Mythopoeia

Blessed are the legend-makers with their
rhyme
of things not found within recorded time.
It is not they that have forgot the Night.
[...]
Such isles they saw afar, and ones more
fair,
and those that hear them yet may yet
beware.
They have seen Death and ultimate
defeat,
and yet they would not in despair retreat,
but oft to victory have turned the lyre
and kindled hearts with legendary fire,
illuminating Now and dark Hath-been
with light of suns as yet by no man seen.

Mythopoeia is amazing.
The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth is amazing.

This is a treasure.

If it was just an insight into Tolkien's alternative to Campbell's Jungian archetypes then it would be worth rereading for anyone interested in story construction. But not only does it have a whole section dealing with Myth and story through actual poetry, but is then followed by a lucid tale in Leaf By Niggle. And to top it off there's a translation of an ancient Anglo-Saxon poem.

It masterfully practices what it preaches. This could feel a bit like an anthological mess, but instead is a cohesive insight into a great storyteller.