Rating: 
Summary: Great. Not like LOR or anything, but is fun.
Review: These two stories are both excellant. They are not like deserving of an oscar or something, but they are good. Farmer Giles of Ham is cute and funny. It is the fuuniest story I have read all year. (It's march) Smith of Wooten Major is more serious, but excellant. It had a deep wisdom not present in many other stories I highly suggest this book to all fans of Tolkien. You will live if you don't read it, but if you do, you will be happy you did.
Rating:
Summary: Amusement, Inspiration, and More
Review: This book contains two complete stories, each of which illustrate a fundamental aspect of all good fantasy: to inspire and entertain.'Farmer Giles of Ham' is a fanciful story of a farmer who, through no fault of his own, is embroiled in a series of Adventures. It is a story of wit, humor, and wry commentary that any lover of 'The Hobbit' will appreciate and enjoy. 'The Smith of Wootton Major' is about many things. It is about the love of Beauty, of those things both higher and deeper than ourselves. It is about humility, honor, and, in the end, courage, sacrifice, and loss. It is about loving something so much that you let it go. It is a simply told story -- an autobiography -- yet no less deep and moving for its simplicity. Some may wonder that two such different stories were bound together in the same spine, but each of these stories represents a necessary part of Fantasy and together they brilliantly illustrate why fantasy is a necessary and proper part of human existance.
Rating: 
Summary: confusing
Review: This book was confusing because first it was about a master cook. after i read it, it began to make sence. my faivorit part of the book was when he got a farry star inside of a cake. After the he got it he went for a jurny. The guys name was Smith. On his jurny he came upon dancing fairies. While walking home he met an old guy whom name i don't know. Gut was the master cook.They both walked home together.
Rating:
Summary: confusing
Review: This book was confusing because first it was about a master cook. after i read it, it began to make sence. my faivorit part of the book was when he got a farry star inside of a cake. After the he got it he went for a jurny. The guys name was Smith. On his jurny he came upon dancing fairies. While walking home he met an old guy whom name i don't know. Gut was the master cook.They both walked home together.
Rating:
Summary: For the true lover of Fairy Tale.
Review: This edition is for those who truly love Fairy Tale. It is amazing to witness first hand Tolkien's breathtaking ability to weave the tales of Faerie. Any reader who enjoyed The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, or The Silmarillion will be greatly pleased.
Rating:
Summary: Two Gems By My Favorite Author
Review: When I was a boy my mother and father were told I would never be able to learn how to read or write. The accidental discovery of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit may have been the moment which saved my life. After reading Tolkien I was seldom without a book. What a joy it was for me to discover, as an adult, two short stories I hadn't yet read by Tolkien. The book is aptly titled after the names of the two short stories, "Smith of Wootton Major" and "Farmer Giles of Ham." Both of the stories are delightful gems. Farmer Giles of Ham is my favorite of the two. Farmer Giles of Ham is a comedic tale about a clever farmer named Giles who out-wits both the king, and a dragon named Chrysophylax. Chrysophylax is that rarest of dragons, one who refuses to fight. Farmer Giles, having recently run a nearly blind giant off of his land, is roped into going after the dragon by the greedy king. The story also includes a talking dog. There are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader turning the pages. Tolkien's descriptive prose sparkles with wit and charm. You'll be delighted with this little known short story by Tolkien. Smith of Wotton Major is an altogether different tale. The story is set in a village named Wootton Major. Smith is, in the beginning of the story, a little boy who receives a fay-star during the Twenty Four Feast. The star has been placed in a cake made for the children attending the feast by the king of the fairies. The king of the fairies, known only to the villagers as Prentice, has disguised himself as the head cook's apprentice. Smith unknowingly swallows the fay-star. The next morning Smith coughs the star up. For the rest of Smith's life the fay-star brings him all manner of wonderment and joy. As all things must come to an end, a time comes when the star must be passed on to another child. Smith's decision as to whether he should give up the star freely, along with whom the star will go to next, makes Smith of Wootton Major a wonderful parable about the nature of fantasy and what it means to the man who is lucky enough to receive it. Tolkien was after all a bit of a Prentice himself. Smith of Wootton Major is a beautifully rendered tale...
Rating:
Summary: I wonder why they put these two into one book
Review: Yes, I really do wonder why, because the stories are as different as one can imagine. Basically, "Farmer Giles of Ham" is a rather simple, fun story filled with good sense of humor. It's a fine parody on great legends of kings, knights, dragons and generally ceatures of myths Tolkien was so fond of. The magic sword in the story is quite unique, and I should note the typical for Tolkien wonderful play with words. One would be hard pressed to find any deep meaning here, however; looks like Tolkien was just having fun. Still, the result is hilarious. As for the "Smith of Wootton Major", the whole thing is completely different. I value this relatively short novel very highly and place it on the pedestal together with "The Lord of the Rings" and "Silmarillion". It is highly symbolic and extremely beautiful; actually, it is filled with wisdom even deeper than the most of "The Lord of the Rings", for the latter is full of politics, wars, adventures, etc., which somewhat cloak the main message. It is fine that such elements are present there, but the deep meaning becomes apparent slowly, in no hurry, and the great in size no less than in content book such as LOTR can afford it. In the "Smith of Wootton Major", Tolkien compresses his ideas considerably without crushing them, so to speak, and the result is the masterpiece of enormous beauty, sadness and hope. It is way better than fun and nice, yet childish "Hobbit", of course, and if they looked carefully, readers would find in the text many a piece of ideas later fully developed in LOTR and "Silmarillion". What else can I say? Buy it, read it, cherish it.
Rating:
Summary: I wonder why they put these two into one book
Review: Yes, I really do wonder why, because the stories are as different as one can imagine. Basically, "Farmer Giles of Ham" is a rather simple, fun story filled with good sense of humor. It's a fine parody on great legends of kings, knights, dragons and generally ceatures of myths Tolkien was so fond of. The magic sword in the story is quite unique, and I should note the typical for Tolkien wonderful play with words. One would be hard pressed to find any deep meaning here, however; looks like Tolkien was just having fun. Still, the result is hilarious. As for the "Smith of Wootton Major", the whole thing is completely different. I value this relatively short novel very highly and place it on the pedestal together with "The Lord of the Rings" and "Silmarillion". It is highly symbolic and extremely beautiful; actually, it is filled with wisdom even deeper than the most of "The Lord of the Rings", for the latter is full of politics, wars, adventures, etc., which somewhat cloak the main message. It is fine that such elements are present there, but the deep meaning becomes apparent slowly, in no hurry, and the great in size no less than in content book such as LOTR can afford it. In the "Smith of Wootton Major", Tolkien compresses his ideas considerably without crushing them, so to speak, and the result is the masterpiece of enormous beauty, sadness and hope. It is way better than fun and nice, yet childish "Hobbit", of course, and if they looked carefully, readers would find in the text many a piece of ideas later fully developed in LOTR and "Silmarillion". What else can I say? Buy it, read it, cherish it.
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