Rating: 
Summary: Two delightful short stories. . .
Review: . . .from the pen of the Master.These two short stories by JRR Tolkien represent a branching out from the corpus of Middle-Earth writings for which he is most famous. "Farmer Giles of Ham" is a wonderful, lighthearted tale of a farmer's adventures with a stupid giant, a not overbold dragon, and a greedy king. The story is obstensibly set in Britain of 1300 years ago, but comes replete with delightful (and deliberate) anachronisims which only add humor to the story. "Smith of Wooten Major" is a story of a different sort entirely. It represents one of the last pieces of writing produced in final form by the Master, and unlike most of Tolkien's writing, has the feel of allegory to it. (Yes, I know that Tolkien despised allegory, preferring the term applicability. Perhaps analogy would be more appropriate here -- let the reader understand.) Regardless, the story represents the heart of the Master and his love for the world of Faerie. I fear to describe the story more deeply, lest its spell be broken. Anyhow, this little volume is a "must-read" for any true lover of Tolkien -- and for all travellers in the realm of Faerie.
Rating:
Summary: Two delightful short stories. . .
Review: . . .from the pen of the Master. These two short stories by JRR Tolkien represent a branching out from the corpus of Middle-Earth writings for which he is most famous. "Farmer Giles of Ham" is a wonderful, lighthearted tale of a farmer's adventures with a stupid giant, a not overbold dragon, and a greedy king. The story is obstensibly set in Britain of 1300 years ago, but comes replete with delightful (and deliberate) anachronisims which only add humor to the story. "Smith of Wooten Major" is a story of a different sort entirely. It represents one of the last pieces of writing produced in final form by the Master, and unlike most of Tolkien's writing, has the feel of allegory to it. (Yes, I know that Tolkien despised allegory, preferring the term applicability. Perhaps analogy would be more appropriate here -- let the reader understand.) Regardless, the story represents the heart of the Master and his love for the world of Faerie. I fear to describe the story more deeply, lest its spell be broken. Anyhow, this little volume is a "must-read" for any true lover of Tolkien -- and for all travellers in the realm of Faerie.
Rating:
Summary: From the perspective of this hobbit. . .
Review: . . .most hobbits would enjoy these two stories. "Farmer Giles" deals with the sort of "big people" we hobbits are familiar with in Bree, namely somewhat slow-witted and loud (and fond of lots of food and good beer). I think that Farmer Giles must be related to my good friend Barliaman Butterbur. Any one of the big people that can successfully tame a dragon is welcome for tea at my hole anytime. "Smith of Wooten Major" tells the sort of story that would bother some of the more stay-at-home Bolgers and Bracegirdles. But for Tooks and modern Bagginses, the story is great. It is the tale of one of the Big People who, by virtue of a very special gift, is permitted to enter and explore the realm of Farie. I also appreciated the fact that the story is centered around feasting -- a truly hobbitish activity.
Rating:
Summary: Better than "The Hobbit".
Review: Both stories are much briefer than The Hobbit, but both are also much deeper than The Hobbit. If I were to select three examples of the essential Tolkien for an English class, a discussion group, or reflective reading on a mountain-top, they would be - Smith of Wootton Major - Farmer Giles of Ham - Frodo & Sam's visit with Tom Bombadil (in "The Fellowship of the Ring") "The Hobbit" is fun, and I love it. "The Lord of the Rings" is vast and wonderful. But these three are vivid, focused tales that touch the heart, arouse wonder, and stay just beyond the mind's reach. And they stay with you for a lifetime. Two of the three can be found in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Cute novellas
Review: Even though "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" are what J.R.R. Tolkien was best known for writing, they were by no means his only works of fantasy. Two relatively little-known books he wrote are the novellas "Farmer Giles of Ham" and "Smith of Wootton Major," cute little fantasy stories now in one book. "Farmer Giles of Ham" (or, in the non-vulgar tongue, Agidius de Hammo) is a pleasant and unheroic farmer who unexpectedly becomes a legend when he shoots a giant with his blunderbuss (Tolkien provided the explanation for what a blunderbuss was). And when the rather non-threatening dragon Chrysophylax arrives and starts eating people and livestock, it's up to Farmer Giles to vanquish him. "Smith of Wootton Major" is more serious and ethereal than "Giles." In the town of Wootton Major, a cake is baked with a bunch of little charms inside -- including a little faery star, which a boy swallows, accidently exhales, and then slaps onto his forehead. It gives him the ability to wander into the Faery Realm, where he is known as Starbrow, and where he learns that the Faery King is missing. These two stories are very different. "Farmer Giles" is a more openly comedic tale, with young dragons saying that knights are just myths, language in-jokes (Tolkien archly telling us what various Latin names meant in "vulgar" translation), Chrysophylax the rather innoffensive dragon, the excitable dog Garm, and the likable Farmer Giles himself. (He's a bit like Tolkien's Barliman Butterbur, a likeable but somewhat thick "ordinary" person) This might be the first real comic fantasy story ever. "Smith," on the other hand, has a slightly melancholy tone to it, with its haunting prose and the theme of the little star, which bestows a beautiful voice and light to anyone who has it. The idea of it being passed to a child as the older grows up is exquisite. Fans of Tolkien's work will definitely want to get "Smith of Wootton Major" and "Farmer Giles of Ham." Though they're not as textured or complex as "Lord of the Rings," these stories are sweet, funny, and extremely well-written.
Rating:
Summary: Tolkien's portrait of the inexpressible wonder of grace.
Review: Farmer Giles of Hamm is a hilarious tale in the spirit of the lighter passages of The Hobbit. The Little Kingdom of this story has much in common with the Shire where Bilbo Baggins wandered. It should be read for the shear pleasure of the journey. Smith Of Wooten Major is something else entirely. Though once again we travel to an ancient England that has much in common with Middle Earth, here we find a tale for grown ups. Though most reviewers say that the tale is about what the gift of fantasy adds to the life of those who receive it, I believe that it really speaks of the rewards that come to those who choose to live life on a deeper level. What makes the book difficult to describe is that in story form Tolkien paints a picture or an illustration of the faith and the grace that were such an integral part of who he was as a person. Travelling with him you feel that you have encountered something more deep and wonderful than words can tell. The journey is not for everyone, but for those of you who take it and begin to glimps its meaning, like Smith's magic star, it will become an integral part of who you are.
Rating:
Summary: 2 very good, yet very different, short stories
Review: Here we have two stories. The first is a very symbolic and high-level tale of a bridge between a "fantasy" world and a "factual" (to the characters, at least) world. It is, perhaps, too surreal for the younger fans of Tolkien's "The Hobbit," yet it is certainly appealing to Tolkien's more mature audience. The second story, while still a sophisticated tale, is much more fathomable by a young crowd. It is a happy tale, with the requisite dragon, giant, king, and magic sword. I would call this combination of stories a classic for all fantasy lovers.
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: hey
i'm 16 and i just read this book. I LOVE IT. it is sooo great. i could go on and on.
Rating: 
Summary: Unique, but definetly not The Hobbit
Review: Smith of Wooten Major is a very simple, yet unique book. For those of you who are really into Tolkien, this book is very much his flavor. Perhaps I should point out, though, that this book is NOT the Hobbit and should not be compared to it. If you like Tolkien's style of writing, though, you will like this book. It may not be the deep, sophisticated book the Lord of the Rings is, but it is still a book good enough to be labeled a TOLKIEN CLASSIC.
Review by: Dacia Talbo
Rating:
Summary: Marvelous
Review: Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham is a marvelous read. It is made up of two stories from the fantasy genius J.R.R. Tolkien. The first story, Smith of Wootton Major, is very entertaining and has some depth. The main character is Smith, a blacksmith, who receives a magical gift. He is able to travel into the fairy's land. His life is enriched and enlightened by his experiences. This story speaks to Tolkien's own love of fantasy. He speaks of how his fantasy writings and readings have helped his life. People attacking the Harry Potter series should all read this story. The other story doesn't quite have the depth, but it has much more comedy. Farmer Giles of Ham is about a farmer who becomes a hero. A dragon enters the village and Giles is sent to conquer it. Unfortunately, the dragon doesn't want to fight. The story may sound familiar, but Tolkien was the first to do anything close to it, and it is somewhat different from other versions of the story. Tolkien also uses a lot of word play, and the names are hilarious. Children and adults alike should read these fabulous stories.
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