Farmer Giles of Ham : The Rise and Wonderful Adventures of Farmer Giles, Lord of Tame, Count of Worminghall, and King of the Little Kingdom

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Summary: A "must read" for all Tolkien fans.
Review: New editions of J.R.R. Tolkien classics return these fine presentations to new generations of readers. Christina Scull and Wayne Hammond edit Farmer Giles Of Ham, an amusing tale of another England where giants and dragons live and a farmer proves an unlikely hero.

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Summary: A marvelous little jem.
Review: This can be appreciated by both children and adults. The story itself, children will delight in. JRRT's bilingual puns will delight the more educated adults. (When the Blacksmith says that the Feast of Sts. Hilarius and Felix was an 'unlucky' day, for example; for those who don't know Latin, 'hilarius' means 'funny' and 'felix' means 'happy.)

Through all the laughter, JRRT does make some serious points. In his definition of 'blunderbuss' (lifted from the OED, of which he was a compiler) it says that a blunderbuss has been 'superceded in civilized countries by more sophisticated firearms.' JRRT immediately points out that, as Farmer Giles' country had not yet been civilized, the blunderbuss was the only kind of gun around, and was fairly rare at that. This is a dig, of course, at those who would access how 'advanced' a society is by its technology, particularly weaponry. The fashion-conscious knights, the learned parson, and the young dragons who thought (and are now sure) that knights are 'mythical' also provide subtle commentary which children will not get, but adults will.

Another major theme is that of the ordinary man, living a quiet, comfortable life, who is forced into an extraordinary situation in which his eyes are opened to a larger world--some of it beautiful, some of it horrible--beyond the borders of his snug, smug little corner of it, and who finds out that he's a lot braver, and a lot cleverer than anyone (including himself!) thinks he is. This is the central theme of 'The Hobbit', and is told in a slighter form here.

One is tempted to speculate that JRRT's experience in WW I may have had something to do with his attraction to this theme, for in that conflict he was a junior infantry officer in the British Army, in which he found himself, and his fellow soldiers, ordinary young Englishmen--mill workers, farmers, schoolteachers, college students, etc.--found themselves doing things that they never would have thought they ever could or would do. Some of them very brave things, some of them very clever things, and many of them horrible things.

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Summary: Tolkien was a badass
Review: This is a great little book. I can just see that grand old man Mr. Tolkien throwing bottles at his hound & Edith telling him forthrightly to drown the poor thing on the morrow. I'm going to go off-path a bit:Lots of folks say not to read this, that it makes you some kind of mindless Tolkien junkie if you appreciate his non-Middle-Earth material; I simply read on. I haven't spent a fortune on Tolkien: I bought the Hobbit & the Rings Trilogy when I was in sixth grade for $7. Everything else of his, including this, I've gotten at the local library. Smith of Wooton Major, Leaf by Niggle & Roverandom are just neat books worth reading in and of themselves. I read the Silmarillion & enjoyed it. I won't wade through Unfinished or Lost Tales because I'm not a junkie, just an enthusiast. The movies haven't been the most faithful adaptions, but I think Tolkien would have gotten a kick out of them. I'm not a mindless automoton addicted to capitalistic Tolkienia. I just like him because he was a man of faith, a lover of good beer & old yarns, a friend of C.S. Lewis, a fan of Robert E. Howard, & a great writer; he wasn't the smartest, the quickest, or the most academically prolific man, but was expectionally kind, thoughtful and enjoyably creative. Just give his non-Hobbit works a chance; they're good stuff.

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Summary: Farmer Giles of Ham
Review: This is a readable, witty and amusing tale, but it cannot be compared to 'The Hobbit' or 'Lord of the Rings'. 'Farmer Giles of Ham' is a children's fairytale, wheras 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings' are entirely suitable for adults.

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Summary: delightful on all counts
Review: Those expecting something like The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings may be disappointed, for this is nothing like it - both short and wryly funny. (And if you don't catch the references and jokes at once, the editors provide a sizable glossary at the back). I could have done without the wordy introduction, but considering the attention garnered by the films lately, it's understandable. The text is presented in facsilmile, something I like very much - a good book benefits from a few nice pictures, and the ones here are simply and beautifully drawn, including two color plates. This also includes a first draft, and Tolkien's outline for a sequel, which make for interesting comparisons.

Rating:
Summary: Second only to The Hobbit!
Review: Unlikely heroes, excellent characters, and timeless energy are all contained within the covers of this book. Children and adults will adore it. This is recommended for the Tolkein fans and non fans alike. Not being a Tolkein fan (yes, there are those of us who consider ourselves avid science fiction/fantasy fans who do not like him) I found this one of his best. There was no wordy (and seemingly useless) chapters to wade through - just simple fun. I first read this book when I was sixteen and have read it time and time again.