Farmer Giles of Ham

As to the story and its telling, other reviewers have done justice with fairness & thoroughness, so I will add little. I point up the sometimes raucous humor here, which is a pure delight though it may take readers by surprise who have read only The Lord of the Rings. A funny, compact, and finished book, which stands on its own rather than being another piece of minor Tolkieniana for devotees, or a patchwork of manuscript versions, as are some other posthumous titles.The presentation of this 50th Anniversary edition is both solid and elegant, without being grandiose. It should become a keepsake or even an heirloom. Fine green cloth binding with gold foil stampings, if an ordinary dust jacket. Paper, type, and printing are all outstanding and needless to say, archival. The original editions of Tolkien's 'minor' titles are not only expensive, as all his first/early editions, but are very difficult to find, and "Farmer Giles of Ham" especially so. I have a very fine copy (with near-fine DJ) of the 1967 first US edition of the similar "Smith of Wooten Major," and consider myself lucky (unlikely as it is I shall ever find a copy of the 1949 first edition of "Farmer Giles", less likely still at an affordable price), and this edition of "Farmer Giles" sits beside it on my shelves.This is a good place to start for readers unfamiliar with Tolkien's writings that are not related to Middle-earth or its history, and this edition a keeper at an appealing Amazon price.

Book came quickly and in perfect condition. I am a Tolkien fan and to find such a nice copy of this, in like new condition, was an awesome find! Would definitely buy from this seller again.

This is one of Tolkien's most charming stories -- perfect for reading to kids, or by adults! The story is simple, yet nuanced; the telling, exquisitely detailed without being bogged down by words. Charming doesn't seem to quite go far enough to describe this book; how about, "Wonderfully charming"?Yeah, let's go with that.

This is one of my favorite Tolkien stories. Usually it comes bundled with "Smith of Wootton Major" also a great story and it's a shame that it was not included with this volume. However, that being said, this book is worth your purchase. The story is set in Brittan as opposed to Middle Earth. The story telling is fun and colloquial, not epic. My kindergartener loves it (when I read it to him- he's not a genius, as far as I know). I love it too and actually read it first for myself.

One of Tolkien's early books, Farmer Giles is light-hearted and a nice read. It's straight-forward enough for young readers but sufficiently interesting to satisfy adults. I believe that it is the best Tolkien for children.

JRR Tolkien was such an amazing author. This book is one of our favorites, filled with humor and satire. We highly recommend it as good, wholesome fantasy and fun.

The Farmer of Giles is an interesting story, as most of Tolkien's writings, but I am not sure it qualifies as a children's book. There are too many Old English names such as the farmer's full name or the king's name. And allusions are certainly going to be missed, such as the name of the dragon; I don't expect too many children to understand Latin and therefore they will not understand the underlying meaning of the words. Having said that, the plot is interesting and works itself to a pleasant conclusion.With respect to this version, I am not such a bibliophile that I wanted to read an earlier version of the story as well as its final version or to read a short outline of a planned sequel. The footnotes were welcome to understand the meaning of various words, though strictly not necessary.Still, a delightful interplay between the farmer and the dragon as well as between the farmer and the giant, his neighbors, the king, or the king's knights. And the the dog plays an interesting role as well.

I love this book! I read it several years ago, and I wanted my own copy. This particular print of the book is lovely, and it's the perfect size.

so beautiful!

Such an outstanding look at one of Tolkien's classic works.

Lovers of Tolkien's books on Middle Earth could do well to take a break and relax with a story that he told to his children at bedtime. This story takes place in the "Middle Kingdom" of old England, when the Island was divided between various small kingdoms, dragons and giants ruled the north, and choices of a weapon ranged from enchanted swords to a blunderbuss. Oh yes -- and dogs could talk, though their vocabulary was generally restricted to the vernacular.Farmer Giles is a humble farmer who just wants to get on with business at hand, which is to bring in the crops, keep the larder well stocked and get a good sleep at night. His night time peace is broken when his dog, Garm, begins barking and babbling on about a giant that has stepped on his prize cow. So, Giles loads his blunderbuss and goes out to see what's going on...And what's a blunderbuss?"A blunderbuss is a kind of big fat gun with a mouth that opens wide like the end of a horn, and it goes off with a terrible bang, and sometimes it hits what you are aiming at." That's a quote from the second version, based on what Tolkien's daughter remembers of her bed time story. This edition contains both versions, as well as an unfinished sequel -- the first few paragraphs and some sketchy notes on how the story would have gone from there.Back to the giant. The farmer falls over backwards as soon as the giants head appears over the hill, the gun goes off, and a piece of scrap metal from the barrel hits the giant on the nose. Being near-sighted, and having no clue that there are people living in these parts, he thinks it's a stinging fly, so he turns around and goes back home. Garm, the farmer's dog, runs through town announcing that his master has single handedly driven away the giant, and Giles becomes the hero.That's just the beginning. Next is the story of the dragon, where Giles again becomes the unwilling hero. But hero he is, so he's a hero on his own terms, much to the chagrin of the king and the knights of the realm. Tolkien, a storyteller on his own terms, brings it to a delightfully satisfying "happily ever after".Among my favourite characters is the dog, Garm. He's exactly what I imagine a dog would be if dogs could talk. The old mare and the dragon are also well cast. In all, it's a great read.

The book itself is genius and always has been. This pocket edition feels great and has very good illustrations. Another young mind is being introduced to Tolkein - and I got a "Ooo I saw that at school. My teacher read it to us.'

Lewis Carroll played with his readers or audience in many ways, drawing on his own wide interests and intellectual background.Tolkien does the same, here, telling a would-be medieval story of an unlikely hero and the giant and dragon he deals with.Initially, amusing himself and his children with a spontaneously improvised tale, and later developing this further for an adult audience, and then polishing the results for eventual publication, this edition preserves the brilliant Pauline Baynes illustrations (that LOOK medieval) for the last-stage published book-version, while adding a light gloss of commentary, and providing the earlier drafts of this final version.This is the PERFECT way to enjoy "Farmer Giles of Ham". You are free to read the story, as is, or go further into the otherwise subtle and secret humour Tolkien created as he told, wrote, and revised.