Customer Reviews
Great read 
2008-09-21
Tolkien was a very prolific writer. Everyone knows about "The Hobbit", and especially "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. But those were not the only books that he wrote, and I was pleased to find these two relatively short stories (compared with the other stories that I mentioned earlier). Both of them are great; in Farmer Giles of Ham,Tolkien tells us about a simple farmer, content with his farm and his land, who ends up being an acclaimed hero because he rids the land of a dragon named Chrysophylax Dives. Just as with his greater stories, this one is full of imagination and Tolkien's peculiar humor and writing style. The other story, Smith of Wooton Major, is about a boy who receives a very special gift when he eats a slice of a cake that was only baked for good children every 24 years, and what happens with that gift. If you want to read some other stories about Tolkien, without having to spend days on end, then I recommend this book.
Tolkien's Shorter Works 2008-09-06
This book has two stories from Tolkien. I especially enjoyed the second story, Farmer Giles of Ham. I loved the characters from this story and Tolkien's masterful storytelling. Two Hobbit-thumbs up!
A most wonderful little book 2007-08-10
I have long been familiar with J.R.R. Tolkein's famous books - The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings - but, this cute little book shows that just about everything that he put his hand to he did beautifully! It contains two of Prof. Tolkein's novellas - Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham. The stories are sure to charm anyone who believes in beauty and wonder...and maybe hopes just a little that that land of Faery is a real place after all!
Smith of Wootton Major tells the story of a little town that has a wonderful tradition where a special cake is baked every twenty four years, and eaten by twenty four good children. But, when a magical Faery star is slipped into this year's cake, it is eaten by the local smith's son. And so the life of the younger smith is changed beyond anyone's imagination - he is marked by beauty of face and voice, and (unbeknownst to anyone) he can even visit the land of Faery whenever he likes. It is a life of magic and giving.
Farmer Giles of Ham tells the story of a farmer by the name of Aegidius Ahenobarbus Julius Agricola de Hammo - or in the vulgar form, Farmer Giles of Ham. A no-nonsense man was Farmer Giles, and when someone steps onto his property, he is there to meet him with his blunderbuss. However, when the next person to set foot on his property is a giant, Farmer Giles soon finds himself dealing with kings and knights and legendary swords and, worst of all, dragons!
This book, as the others of Tolkein, is fantastic 2005-05-14
J. R. R. Tolkien, known almost exclusively for the Middle-Earth tales, has a more humorous side. In his short story, "Farmer Giles of Ham", Tolkien displays a superb sense of irony, and a gentle wit. A satirical mock epic of almost Alexander Pope or Voltaire proportions, "Farmer Giles of Ham" is a lesser known, but intriguing part of Tolkien's body of work.
Farmer Giles (of the village known as Ham in the "vulgar tongue") lives a quiet life with his wife and dog, who possesses the power of speech. Alas! To unsettle his provençial habits, a giant stumbles upon the village of Ham, and it is Giles who reluctantly takes up his blunderbus to clumsily sting the giant in the eye. The irony is, when Giles (who came out of the trial almost as badly as the giant himself) is celebrated as a hero and reknowned in the village and beyond, the giant himself thinks that the hit of the primative gun was nought but the sting of a rather large insect.
And so, Giles, who was the last person in the land to become a hero (very much like other Tolkien heros the likes of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins) must take out a dangerous (but delightfully polite) dragon whose fire and claws have ravaged the country for some time. This he accomplishes in a suit of poorly made chainmail, and an ancient helmet.
As a climax, the farmer-turned-warrior must make battle with the high king of the land so that he may claim the dragon's hoard as his own, instead of trying to slake the king's thirst for wealth. With the help of this same dragon, Giles defeats the avaricious monarch and becomes a king in his own right.
Tolkien's knowledge of Medæval culture and lore make this story an enchanting and amusing tale of the best and worst of humankind. He spares no one in his satire, even condemning the chivalrous knights of the king. With a smile and a pen that stings, Tokien creates here a fantasy story of the deliciously unexpected. Charming and intelligent, "Farmer Giles of Ham" has a light sense of wit and humor that one rarely finds in modern literature.
For the true lover of Fairy Tale. 2004-10-19
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.
Cute novellas 2003-03-19
Two bewitching fantasies by J.R.R. Tolkien, beloved author of THE HOBBIT. In SMITH OF WOOTTON MAJOR, Tolkien explores the gift of fantasy, and what it means to the life and character of the man who receives it. And FARMER GILES OF HAM tells a delightfully ribald mock-heroic tale, where a dragon who invades a town refuses to fight, and a farmer is chosen to slay him.
Two Gems By My Favorite Author 2003-03-13
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...
confusing 
2003-01-14
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.
great book 2001-09-23
hey
i'm 16 and i just read this book. I LOVE IT. it is sooo great. i could go on and on.
From the perspective of this hobbit. . . 2001-06-15
. . .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.
