Tree and Leaf: Includes Mythopoeia and The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth

by J.R.R. Tolkien

This volume is a provocative and entertaining collection of works which reveals the diversity of J.R.R. Tolkien's imagination and the breadth of his talent as a creator of fantastic fiction.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, Classics, Essays, Mythology

150 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Gypsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

وای وای وای وای! چی می‌تونم بگم؟!! :)))

حالا پس یه‌کم خاطره بگم دل‌تون بسوزه؛ من این کتابو با مطهره‌جان خریدم! بله بله همین مطهره گودریدزمون! یاح یاح یاح!*خنده‌ی-شیطانی* راه رفتیم حرف زدیم و حس کردم خدایا من چرا باید اینقد دیر باهاش آشنا بشم. رفتیم کتابفروشیا بعد رفتیم کافه نقاشی کردیم باقلوا خوردیم و حرفای بسیار بسیار شیطانی زدیم. *نیشخند-خبیثانه* و خلاصه تو یکی از کتابفروشیا درخت و برگ رو دیدم و گفتم چطوره؟ برام گفت و از وصفش خوشم اومد و الانم دارم از ذوق منفجر می‌شم. مشخصه. :))

درخت و برگ افزون بر سه داستان پریانش، یه مقدمه داره و یه مقاله تهش که اونا هم خیلی عالی بودن. درخت و برگ رو دوست دارم هی بخونم، خیلی از همه نظر برام کامل بود. طنز تالکین اینجا محشره، اینطوری نیست که حسابی بخندی ولی خیلی طنز لطیف و قشنگیه. داستان‌ها هم چیزهای جدیدی نیستن، فکر نکنین اوووف الان با یه چیز خیلی جدید و نو روبه‌رو می‌شین که به فکر فرو برین. نه، داستان‌ها خیلی روون و خیال‌انگیز و کودکانه‌ن. یه جور کودکانه‌ای که زمخت‌ترین آدمم می‌تونه ازشون لذت ببره. درخت و برگ شده جزو اون کتابایی که با حالتِ سنجابِ عصریخبندان، به خودم می‌فشرم. دلم می‌خواست بیشتر درباره داستانا بگم تا حسم. ولی اینقد خوشم اومده که باید یه دور دیگه بخونم تا بتونم نظر یا تحلیلی چیزی بنویسم، هرچند وقتی لذتِ آدم از یه حدی بیشتر می‌شه بهتره قید این چیزا رو بزنه به نظرم.

[Jo (The Book Geek) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Tolkien. I adore his mind, his craft and the pure genius that it took to create and build my most favourite places (apart from the Lake District) which is of course, Middle Earth. It is crystal clear, that Tolkien is masterful in the writing of adult fairytales, and although I didn't enjoy this collection as much as other works, I've still left feeling Tolkien-ized.

This is a rather small collection, which begins with an essay about fairy stories, and his defence as to why they are credible. This purely shows the reader just how dedicated he was to his art.

Mythopoeia, is a letter from an individual that writes fairytales, to a person that disbelieves in them. This was engaging for the most part, but it wasn't dazzling.

Leaf by Niggle is a an interesting little story, that I think one can appreciate better, by reading the first two parts of the book first. This is where you'll find the essence of Tolkien.

Lastly, we have The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth, which wasn't as good as the previous, primarily because it was a tad confusing, and lots of foreign names were used.

Overall, this book was insightful, and it really gives a person a taste of just how intelligent Tolkien really was.

[Justin Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great joy to re-read Tree and Life by J.R R. Tolkien. I remember purchasing this book on a cold December day in Oxford last year when I was with a friend at Blackwell's.

My favorite piece from the book is the "Mythopoeia" poem. The poem is a moving read about how although we are fallen human beings, we are still co-creators with God in our artistic endeavors, and that myth is something which reflects divine truth. Tolkien elaborates on this truth brilliantly in his his wonderful essay On Fairy Stories about the dying and rising god story coming true in the story of Christ.

The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth is fascinating, and Leaf by Niggle is a poignant story about the painter Niggle who experiences many trials, struggles, and calls for help while trying to finish his visual art project. In the end Niggle does finish despite interruptions and rejoices. The story is a beautiful allegory of Tolkien's life. He must have experienced that same joy as Niggle did when he finally finished The Lord of the Rings.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do you go after The Lord of the Rings? To the heart of the matter ... Tolkien's famous essay on fairy stories, Leaf by Niggle, and Mythopoeia (which was written as a response to C.S. Lewis saying that myths were lies).

As one would expect the essay on fairy stories is rich and deep. I would really like to hear it read aloud but I don't see an audio version anywhere of the entire thing ... so I may just have to record it for myself. When paired with this essay, Leaf by Niggle takes on similarly deep resonance, especially when considering that Tolkien dreamed it. For me as a Catholic, Leaf by Niggle has particularly meaningful spiritual observations which have influenced my actions since I read it about a year ago. Again, this is one I'd like to hear read aloud but it seems not to be available ... so this is another which I may have to record just for myself.

[Hon Lady Selene · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Amirsaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

مقدمه و مؤخره‌های کتاب به همراه نمونه‌های داستانی تالکین، مجموعه‌ای عالی برای درک ادبیات تخیلی مدرن می‌سازند. از نظر تالکین، «داستان‌های پریان به مثابه‌ی یک کل دارای سه چهره‌اند؛ چهره‌ی عرفانی که رو به امر مافوق طبیعی دارد، چهره‌ی جادویی که معطوف به طبیعت است و چهره‌ی آینه‌ای یا آینه‌ی سرزنش و دلسوزی که رو به انسان دارد.»
برگ اثر نیگل، مانیفستی است برای خود داستان پریان. جایی که ساحت خیالات شخصی است که مرزهای واقعیت را مشخص می‌کند. و چگونه می‌توان خیال را گسترش داد؟ با تماس با واقعیت: همراهی با چوپانِ راهنما برای کشفِ آن سوی کوهستان، مشورت با باغبان برای کامل کردن برگ‌ها و درخت‌ها، با طی کردن دوره‌ی برزخ‌مانندِ کار کردنِ بی‌معنا و معنادار کردنِ آن.
در داستان دوم، می‌بینیم که داستان پریان واقعا چیست. جایی که خود سحر و جادو جای شک ندارد - یعنی قانونِ پذیرفته‌شده‌ای است که نیازی به توجیه ندارد. اثرات جادوی پریان در زندگی انسان‌ها مشهود است، حتا بر آنان که به جادو اعتقادی ندارند. پریان خودِ طبیعت‌اند و این انسان است که فراطبیعی است.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've actually read everything except 'Mythopoeia' from this volume before: I needed it to do references to 'The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth'. 'Homecoming' is an interesting commentary on 'The Battle of Maldon'. I daren't comment more without plagiarising my essay, but it's definitely worth reading, and it's interesting to see so clearly how strongly his academic and creative work were bound together. 'Homecoming' is part-essay, part-drama, part-poetry.

'Mythopoeia' is lovely, too. 'Leaf by Niggle' is nice, but more allegorical than you might expect from the man who professed to hate allegory. And 'On Fairy-Stories' is important in understanding all his work, I'd say.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tolkien's essay, On Fairy-Stories, has long been my favourite piece of academic writing. I studied it for my language of sci-fi and fantasy course at university, and I fell so deeply in love. It's the best defense of fantasy literature, and the work itself is a piece of beautiful literature. That's the main reason I had to own this book. However, I found myself fully enjoying the other works featured in this book too.

I didn't love everything in here as much as other things, but that's just personal taste and not something that's any flaw of the book. Everything in here is valuable. It just means it's not able to get that 100% perfect rating because I didn't love 100% of it - but I definitely near did.

I love Tolkien, his prose, his poetry, his way with words. Nothing more can be said.

[Ryle]

Tolkien's writing is so beautiful and moving, and this collection of writings made me love the incredible gift that stories are all the more.

"The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe of Man's history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the story of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends in joy."

[Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started to read this book to understand what Michael D. O'Brien meant by "subcreation" in the prologue of his sequel to Fr. Elijah. And — which is stranger — why he used this concept to describe a work like Fr. Elijah, while Tolkien used it in a seemingly niche genre within the grander fantasy genre, that is, fairy tales. So, I discovered that Tolkien didn't intend to treat the matter exhaustively, nor explain or systematize it philosophically, but give us a philological analysis that only an erudite English professor like him could. Which also includes his unique experience as the "subcreator" of Middle Earth and a devout Catholic.

What he says about fairy tales isn't just about fairy tales. It goes for fiction as a whole.

"Subcreation" implies an order to Creation. In a sense, if a man can create another world in his head and share it with others, it's because of his nature and its properties of intellectual activity and imagination. God is at the beginning of everything, and if we can share truth through fiction, He wills us to do this. Our capacity to "subcreate" to communicate truth and good and beauty is far from a Promethean insurgency to create our idealized world purged from the flaws we see in the real one; on the contrary, God's still the First Cause of every work of fiction. It's interesting to think about this, for Tolkien seems to say that God's Grace, in redeeming men, seeks to redeem and elevate fiction as well.

This follows the fact that fiction ought to be a mirror of Creation, just as Creation is a mirror of God. St. Thomas said beauty is integral to being and truth and good, and requires harmony, integrity and luminosity. This is also the essence of fiction. But fairy tales and the fantasy genre as a whole are special, for they bring us back to our time of innocence, where hope shined brighter in our soul (Aristotle said the young are more vivacious for their hope and lack of experience) and we weren't yet hardened by the trials of adult life. Then, we see the benefits of consuming these works as adults: it helps us bridge the gaps between maturity and immaturity and integrate in our personality a part of the innocence we lost while tempering it with our acquired experiences. That's why Tolkien talks about Fantasy, Recovery, Escape and Consolation — it's a sort of journey that takes us to a deeper part of ourselves and the world around us and strengthens us to return to reality with a new perspective about things. It also propels us to desire to do good and flee sin.

The tale of "Leaf by Niggle" is a beautiful expression of everything I've just said. Niggle is a simple and good-hearted man, and the portrait of a good artist, since art is for the other, and it's just right to help people if you want to delight them with your art too — it's a matter of charity, not self-interest. He can't accomplish his goals and is misunderstood by his people, and is forced to travel and pass through trials and tribulations in a hospital, until freed by a tribunal. He learns to use his time and work at a consistent pace. He returns to his home and finds the Tree he was trying to paint — an idea come to life. He calls his neighbor Parish to polish the work and plant a garden and build a house, and then both part ways when a shepherd calls Niggle to the mountains. It's an allegory for going on after a work's end, to seek higher things, as every artist tries to surpass himself in every work. But we could interpret it as a metaphor for death after legacy, as the Shepherd, that is, Christ, calls Niggle to the Mountains of Paradise after his mission is done. And there's the fact that nobody recognizes him in his village, even after he finished the work of his life — for, as says Scripture, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

Being an artist is hard. Often, people can't recognize his worth or understand why he does what he does until the work is done. Then, they can see what he saw from the beginning and appreciate his journey, his hard work. Even so, there are artists the world will never know or recognize. And it's a solace to know that, even then, God will recognize them and, if they worked for Him, reward them in eternity.

[Raquel Lima · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Ben Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mythopoeia is amazing.
The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth is amazing.

[Timothy Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

"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!"

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful collection of four specific works to help us get to know Tolkien.

[Francesco · Rating 5 out of 5]

E niente, grazie Professore!
Ogni volta che rileggo Leaf by Niggle mi commuovo, in particolare nella scena delle Voci. Professore, si parla sempre del suo amico CS Lewis come di un grande apologeta del Cristianesimo ma Lei ha saputo creare (mi perdoni, Sub-Creare) una piccola perla in questo raccontino che è un'allegoria del purgatorio-paradiso.

Leaf by Niggle vale da solo la lettura di questo volume, ma una menzione va fatta anche per il saggio Mythopoeia, in cui Tolkien ci spiega che non occorre essere bambini per poter apprezzare le fairy tales.

Grazie, grazie di cuore!

[Paul H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally did a reread on this one, many years later . . . "On Fairy Stories" remains one of the best few essays in the English language.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tree & Leaf is a collection of Tolkien's writings - principally the excellent essay, On Fairy Stories and a fictional and partly allegorical tale, Leaf by Niggle. If you enjoy Tolkien's works, if you are a creative writer, or if you are just a fan of the fantasy genre, I highly recommend you read On Fairy Stories!

I had already read these two entries in another book I have in my Tolkien library, Tales from the Perilous Realm. However, Tree & Leaf is the only book where you can find Tolkien's poem Mythopoeia and his fictional tale The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth. I am trying to read all of Tolkien's published works, so this book was on my "must read" list!

Mythopoeia is a poem that Tolkien wrote to challenge C. S. Lewis' contention that myth was nothing more than worthless lies even if they are 'breathed through silver.' There are so many wonderful lines in this poem. Here is a great few verses to illustrate:

"Blessed are the legend-makers with their rhyme
of things not found within recorded time.
It is not they that have forgot the Night,
or bid us flee to organized delight,
in lotus-isles of economic bliss
forswearing souls to gain a Circe-kiss..."

I also simply love this passage:

"I will not walk with your progressive apes,
erect and sapient. Before them gapes
the dark abyss to which their progress tends -
if by God's mercy progress ever ends
and does not ceaselessly revolve the same
unfruitful course with changing of a name."

In The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Tolkien continues the tale of the Battle of Maldon that occurred in the year 991. It was a battle between Essex and invading Vikings. Only a fragment of the tale, in Old English, still survives. It is worth reading this fragment, which is available online or
in The Battle of Maldon, before reading Tolkien's short play.

I have two favorite lines from The Battle of Maldon poem. The first appears near the end of the fragment and likely is a saying that pre-dates the composition of this ancient poem:

"Will shall be the sterner, hear the bolder, spirit the greater as our strength lessens."

The other line is one that Tolkien highlighted as a key verse to the whole poem:

"...then the earl in his overmastering pride actually yielded ground to the enemy, as he should not have done."

The Old English term that is translated above as "overmastering pride" is ofermod. What the poem tells us is that the earl of Essex gave ground to the invading Vikings so he could in effect beat them fair-and-square. However, the result was a rout and his own soldiers were effectively wiped out. Tolkien provides more commentary on this after his short play.

The play itself tells the story of two men who search the gory battlefield in the aftermath to find their lord, Beorhtnoth (pronounced bee-YORT-noth). It is an interesting little tale.

I am sure I will come back to this book several times in the future. It is a small book and I can see it being handier to re-read On Fairy Stories in this format than pulling on the thick hardcover Tales from the Perilous Realm!

[Joshua Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

"On Fairy-Stories" is a tour de force. It's a masterful exposition of Tolkien's creative-philosophy and an impeccable analysis of fantastical, specifically literary, sub-creation.

Five insights:

1) Fantasy is expeditious. It invigorates the human desire to explore and adventure: to plumb the depths, scale the heights.

2) Fantasy whets the appetite, universally held, to commune with other living things in more advanced, transcendental (should I say pre-fallen?) ways.

3) Good fantasy doesn't require the "suspension of disbelief," for the world an author creates, into which the reader plunges, should be consistent enough to garner plausibility. If one must suspend their disbelief, the story is poor. It should smack of reality -- or, reality as longed for.

4) Those who derisively mock fantasy as escapist literature must love bleakness; although it is more likely that they fear the Light, the touch of Grass, the rush of Wind. For who dislikes escape save jailers and despots?

5) The inclusion of a eucatastrophe is the key to good, satisfying literature, for it points to the deepest desires of the unsullied human heart: restoration, reconciliation, and redemption.

I believe it is the inclusion of a classic "joyous turn" in the The Lord of the Rings, among other things, which makes literary critics turn their prim, singed little noses up at it. They should explore the Providence underlying the narrative. The eucatastrophe is quite sophisticated, for it is Gollum's avarice which destroys the ring. Alternatively, it is the ring which destroys the ring. Evil begets judgment, endings, and nothingness. Nonetheless, a sort of nihilism prevents them from appreciating satisfying endings -- unless, perhaps, good endings are unsatisfying to them, in which case they deserve pity above all else. One can accurately call a book good because it fills one with joy. It need not be avante-garde or literarilly profound. Sometimes, I wonder whether literary critics are rather like bakers, enamoured with all the delightful apparatuses involved in cake making, but caring little for the taste of the cakes. I have a degree in English; I know their sort. In general, I found it shocking how little English professors care for the "story" of the stories to which they've devoted their lives.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to try challenging my mind a little so I picked up Tree and Leaf, a collection by Tolkien! It made me miss my literature days because I felt like I missed a lot. This collection consists of;

- On Fairy-Stories: I’ve actually read this essay before but I found it so hard to read the first time round! Shows you how much my mind has rusted. It was much better the second time round and I managed to appreciate it.

This essay explores the definitions and origin of fairy tales in a fairly academic but lyrical style (as odd as that description is). Personally, I prefer Chesterton’s chapter (The Ethics of Elfland) in Orthodoxy even though it looks at fairy tales in a very different (and less academic) way.

- Mythopoeia: This was a lovely poem although I didn’t completely understand it.

- Leaf by Niggle: I really enjoyed this short story about a man named Niggle, who neglects preparing for his eventual journey to paint a leaf. But his painting is always interrupted by his neighbour and though Niggle doesn’t like it, he more often than not helps him out. Apparently Niggle might have been a stand-in for Tolkien himself, which is something interesting to consider!

- The Homecoming of Beorthnoth Beorthelm’s Son: this is apparently a play inspired by a myth and I would normally be into this sort of stuff but I:

a. Tend to be very inept at understanding plays
b. Didn’t really get the three part structure of this

So it was kinda wasted on me.

Like I said at the start, this book made me wish I was still actively studying literature because I think I would have understood it a lot better if I was still using those muscles. Still, it was a good change from what I’ve been reading.

This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime 💚 thanks
Enhanced by the ladybird larvae, spiders, ducks and swan all about, a bumbly bee too. A green dragon fly, Gawain's knight meets Beowulf's worm.
I remember acting out Beorhtholm to Mum years ago, ASNAC soc days. I will go to Ely tomorrow and see him for myself.
And of course by tongues-tied Old Man Willow.

[Abulkalam · Rating 5 out of 5]

سه داستانی که در این کتاب گنجانده شده جدا از اینکه داستان هایی ساده، کامل و در نوع خود جذاب هستند، هرکدوم رو میتوان یک ادای دین به بخش کوچکی از ادبیات فانتزی دانست. این بخش از دنیای ادبیات همان جاییست که گاها میتوان حداکثر زندگی را از آن آموخت و تجربه کرد. بعضی وقت ها در گذشته این سوال ذهن من رو درگیر میکرد که آیا خواندن آثار ادبی فایده ای دارد؟ لازم به ذکر هم نیست که طولی نکشید که پاسخی درخور پیدا کردم. این کتاب یادآور اون زمان بود و دوباره این حس و جادوی فراموش نشدنی داستان های فانتزی رو بهم القا کرد.
مقدمه و موخره شامل مصاحبات و همچنین مقاله ای که از تالکین در کتاب گنجانده شده جزو بهترین مقدمه ها و موخره هایی هستند که در عمرم مطالعه کردم. تمام مدت این احساس رو داشتم که دید و نگاه من رو به ادبیات فانتزی دارن گسترده تر میکنند و قطعا دید جالب وارزشمندی رو بهمون اضافه میکنن.

[Moira J · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Juliana Lira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read! Tolkien defends the fairy tales stories in the essay "On Fairy-Tales stories" but also argues that those stories aren't exactly for children. He also talks about what is a true fairy tale story and what it's not. It's a very theorical text which can be a little complex for a more casual reader but Tolkien writes so well that even though I needed to re-read some passages to understand the argument I thought it was a delight for me.

I loved also the little tale "Leaf by Niggle" that is a beautiful prose complementary to the main essay in this book. Clearly is an Tolkien's alter-ego we can see in the main character.

It's an amazing book if you are a Tolkien fan!

[Anisha Inkspill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tolkien’s got a knack for drawing me into his work. I liked this book for the variety. I’m not sure if his points of why fairy stories matter was always strong but his zest helped to give a little more context to some of his other works. I also liked how his arguments and commentary is frank with no apology for defending the rights for anyone to read and enjoy fairy tales and mythology. He believes reading them is a good thing because, by exercising our imagination, it gives us a break from the mundane to feed the soul.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection of stories and essays. I read these on my e-reader, as opposed to the other books that I own in print. These are more complete than the stories you find in the History of Middle-earth series. On Fairy Stories is a wonderful little essay and Leaf by Niggle was also a pleasant surprise. Recommended for Tolkien fans! I will need to find myself a hardcopy for my collection.

[Othy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contains "Leaf by Niggle" and "On Fairy Stories," two of the most important books I've ever read as a writer, a reader of novels, and an appreciator of humanity. These two writings of Tolkien really represent just why I deeply love this man.

[Becky Pliego · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic.

[Nikola Pavlovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zvezda nije Zvezda samo mrlja kosmicka koju sputava putanja matematicka.
Procitajte ovu knjigu i razumite malo bolje zasto je Tolkin najvazniji pisac fantastike ikada.

[Ștefania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will quote the benevolent Second Voice since its words reflect a mirthful way of perceiving this work: “As a holiday, and a refreshment (…) for many it is the best introduction to the Mountains.”

[Kyriakos Sorokkou]

χρόνος ανάγνωσης κριτικής: 53 δευτερόλεπτα

Ο Τόλκιν επειδή δεν έκδωσε πολλά βιβλία όσο ήταν εν ζωή (9 στο σύνολο σε
αντίθεση με τα 30 και βάλε που κυκλοφορούν σήμερα) και επειδή ο γιος του
ανέλαβε την επιμέλεια του έργου του πατέρα, συμβαίνει το εξής:
Πολλά γραπτά και έργα του τα συναντώ ξανά και ξανά.
Την πρωτοκαθεδρία έχει η ιστορία των παιδίων του Χούριν που την διάβασα
σε πολλές εκδοχές τουλάχιστον 6 φορές. 

Σε αυτό το μικρό βιβλίο των 150 σελίδων περιέχονται 4 έργα.
Το δοκίμιο / διάλεξη On Fairy Stories που ξαναδίαβασα μαζί με το διήγημα
Leaf by Niggle στον τόμο Tales from the Perilous Realm. 
Ένα σύντομο 6 σελίδων ποίημα / επιστολή Mythopoeia και το έμμετρο θεατρικό
The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth. 
Τα δύο τελευταία τα διαβάζω πρώτη φορά αλλά θα υπάρξει και δεύτερη διότι στην
περσινή φρέσκια έκδοση The Battle of Maldon περιέχεται
ξανά και το θεατρικό του Τόλκιν.

Το δοκίμιο On Fairy Stories θα το ξαναδιαβάσω ένα μήνα μετά (Δεκέμβριο του ‘23)
στην συλλογή δοκιμίων The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays. 

 Με άλλα λόγια αυτή η συσίφεια επανάληψη έργων του Τόλκιν με έφερε σε ένα κορεσμό. 
Τώρα που γράφω αυτή την κριτική (Μάρτης του ‘24) μόλις έχω τελείωσει με το
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo. 
Βλέπω φως στο τούνελ. Έχω ακόμη 6 βιβλία του Τόλκιν να διαβάσω και μετά τέλος. 

Αυτή ήταν μια άκρως ληξιαρχική κριτική αλλά μιλώ για τον Τόλκιν από το 2021
όταν πρωτοξεκίνησα αυτό το φυσικά όμορφο πρότζεκτ αλλά βαρέθηκα
 να λέω τα ίδια και τα ίδια.