Billed as "five classic tales by the author of The Hobbit," Tales from the Perilous Realm features:
- Roverandom: a dog who gets enchanted, lost, and has many adventures
- Farmer Giles of Ham: a common farmer is blessed with fortune and is perceived as a great hero in his village
- The Adventures of Tom Bombadil: a collection of poems about the character in The Lord of the Rings
- Smith of Wootton Major: a man has repeated journeys into the realm of Faerie after consuming a blessed object
- Leaf by Niggle: an artist's obsession with individual leaves, and his desire to paint a bigger picture out of them
The appendix features the long (but helpful) Tolkien essay "On Fairy Stories," where he discusses his perspective on their attributes and origins.
I'm frequently drawn to Tolkien, and Alan Lee's cover art helps. This collection was pretty good. Reading the [rather long] foreword is recommended, as it gives perspective to each story and enhances the enjoyment. These are not tales set in the LOTR universe, so don't expect that, but the tales are good. I especially appreciated Leaf by Niggle, as that was Tolkien's way of discussing his writings set in Middle-Earth. The essay in the appendix was also valuable and appreciated, though I didn't always follow what Tolkien was saying. (I have this problem with C.S. Lewis, Tolkien's friend. I feel like our brains just aren't on the same wavelength in places.)
Rating: B+
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