The Tolkien Reader

Book Details

64.3% complete

Author(s):

J R R Tolkien

First Pub:

1966

Genre(s):

Fantasy

First Read:

1983

Times Read:

1 time

Rating:

Chapters:

See 6

Tolkien's Magic Ring by Peter Beagle

The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth

Beorhthelm's Son

Tree and Leaf

Farmer Giles of Ham

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

Internal ID:

Series:

No series

Copyright:

First Sentence:

In August of the year 991, in the reign of Aethelred II, a battle was fought near Maldon in Essex.

Last Sentence:

May contain spoilers

Year still after year flows
   down the Seven Rivers;
cloud passes, sunlight glows,
   reed and willow quivers
at morn and eve, but never more
   westward ships have waded
in mortal waters as before,
   and their song has faded.

Comments:

Comments may contain spoilers

TOLKIEN'S MAGIC RING by Peter Beagle, first appeared in Holiday Magazine. Copyright © 1966 by Curtis Publishing Co.

THE HOMECOMING OF BEORHTNOTH BEORHTHELM'S SON, first appeared in Essays and Studies for 1953. Copyright © 1953 by the English Association.

TREE AND LEAF © 1964 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd.

FARMER GILES OF HAM © 1949 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd.

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM BOMBADIL 1962 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd.

Synopsis not on file
Extract not on file

Added: 22-Dec-2002

Last Updated: 05-Feb-2023

Publications

01-May-1975

Ballantine Books

Mass Market Paperback

Date Issued:

Cir 01-May-1975

Format:

Mass Market Paperback

Cover Price:

$1.75

Cover Link(s):

World Cat

amazon.com

Internal ID:

13045

Publisher:

Ballantine Books

ISBN:

0-345-24831-7

ISBN-13:

978-0-345-24831-2

Printing:

Country:

United States

Language:

English

Credits:

Pauline Baynes - Cover Artist

J. R. R. TOLKIEN'S
devoted following in America has
expanded into a multitude. Now, for all
hobbit fanciers and Tolkien collectors,
here is a rich treasury of his shorter
fiction, from the publishers of
"The Hobbit" and
"The Lord of the Rings."

Cover:

Notes and Comments:

First Edition: September, 1966
Twenty-third Printing: May, 1975
Twenty-third printing based on the number line

01-Feb-1981

Ballantine Books

Mass Market Paperback

Date Issued:

Cir 01-Feb-1981

Format:

Mass Market Paperback

Cover Price:

$2.50

Pages*:

251

Read:

Once

Cover Link(s):

Internet Speculative Fiction Database

World Cat

amazon.com

Internal ID:

Publisher:

Ballantine Books

ISBN:

0-345-29881-0

ISBN-13:

978-0-345-29881-2

Printing:

Country:

United States

Language:

English

Credits:

Pauline Baynes - Cover Artist
Peter S Beagle - Introduction

AN INVITATION TO TOLKIEN'S WORLD

This rich treasury includes Tolkien's most beloved short fiction plus his essay on fantasy.

FARMER GILES OF HAM
An imaginative history of the distant and marvelous past that introduces the rather unheroic Farmer Giles, whose efforts to capture a somewhat untrustworthy dragon will delight readers everywhere.

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM BOMBADIL
A collection of verse in praise of Tom Bombadil, that staunch friend of the Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings.

ON FAIRY-STORIES
professor Tolkien's now-famous essay on the form of the fairy story and the treatment of fantasy.

- And More -

BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED THROUGHOUT

Cover:

Notes and Comments:

First Ballentine Books Edition: September 1966
Thirty-first Printing: 1981

Author(s)

J R R Tolkien
Birth: 03 Jan 1892 Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa
Death: 02 Sep 1973 Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK

Awards

No awards found

I try to maintain page numbers for audiobooks even though obviously there aren't any. I do this to keep track of pages read and I try to use the Kindle version page numbers for this.
Synopses marked with an asterisk (*) were generated by an AI. There aren't a lot since this is an iffy way to do it - AI seems to make stuff up.
When specific publication dates are unknown (ie prefixed with a "Cir"), I try to get the publication date that is closest to the specific printing that I can.
When listing chapters, I only list chapters relevant to the story. I will usually leave off Author Notes, Indices, Acknowledgements, etc unless they are relevant to the story or the book is non-fiction.
Page numbers on this site are for the end of the main story. I normally do not include appendices, extra material, and other miscellaneous stuff at the end of the book in the page count.