Since they were first published, THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS have always been popular. Those two works combined guaranteed that Tolkien would always have a place at the top of fantasy fiction. Publishers and film studios know that if you just put Tolkien's name on something, you're guaranteed to have more success than without. Not long ago, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt became the prime American publisher of "new" Tolkien works. A couple years ago they published THE CHILDREN OF HURIN which was a very successful book and this summer they will be publishing a new edition of Tolkien's translation of THE LEGEND OF SIGURD AND GUDRUN. Last fall (2008), this volume TALES FROM THE PERILOUS REALM was released. The book is a collection of four short stories, a collection of poems, and an essay. Each of the works is available elsewhere, either as a stand alone volume or a part of larger collection. However, this is the first time that these pieces are together in one book. The stories share no characters or settings and are only connected because of theme: each one is a fantasy or "fairy story". TALES FROM THE PERILOUS REALM includes:

"Roverandom"--a story about a toy dog that comes to life, flies to moon, and travels to the depths of the oceans.

"Farmer Giles of Ham"--a tale about a simple early British farmer who using his wits and common sense defeats a giant and a dragon.

"The Adventures of Tom Bombadil"--this is a collection of poems and the only piece that has any association with Middle Earth. A few of the poems are about Tom Bombadil, but most are just poems that are a part of the culture that citizens of Earth probably would have been familiar. Included is the poem about the Oliphants that Samwise talks about in THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

"Smith of Wooton Major"--a true fairy tale about how deceiving appearances can be and the passing of gifts from one generation to the next.

"Leaf By Niggle"--an allegorical story about a painter who goes on a long journey.

"On Fairy-Stories"--Tolkien's essay about what is and isn't true fantasy.

The book also includes an introduction by Tom Shippey and the stories are accompanied by illustrations from Alan Lee.
TALES FROM THE PERILOUS REALM is a pretty decent collection of Tolkien's shorter works, especially that not connected to Middle Earth (except for "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil"). Those who consider themselves Tolkien scholars might not get as much from this book as a casual Tolkien fan or reader. The illustrations are nice, but Alan Lee is a different artist than Pauline Bayne and some readers might not like that. However, if you are just a basic fan of Tolkien, are interested in reading more of his work, or have never read any of these stories before, you might want to spend some time curled up under a blanket and reading TALES FROM THE PERILOUS REALM.

This short audiobook presents some wonderful stories from one of the greatest fantasy writers of all time. The first two stories, "Farmer Giles of Ham" and "Smith of Wooden Major" are fun, whimsical fairy tales. "Leaf by Niggle" is a captivating tale of what I take to be allegorical fantasy, and "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" retells one of the most memorable segments of the Lord of the Rings. The adaption for radio drama is excellent, and very well performed, making it a great listening experience.

"Tales From the Perilous Realm' is a collection of five (5) storeis by J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a great book for a lover of Middle Earth. For the more casual fan these stories may leave you wanting.

The five stories (four short stories and one book of poems) are enjoyable. For me, some more than others. I really liked the stories 'Leaf by Niggle' and 'Smith of Wotton Major'. The tales were well told and the characters were interesting. 'Farmer Giles of Ham' and 'The Adventures of Tom Bombadil' were nice, but not my favorites.

The only story I really did not enjoy was 'Roverandom'. I just thought the story was like the title. It just wandered around. The story was cute, and written more for children.

If you are looking for stories more in line with 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings' I would suggest that you read 'The Children of Hurin' and 'The Simarillion'. Great books that continue the theme and history of Middle Earth. 'Tales of the Perilous Realm is a great additio to your collection, but not my favorite in the Tolkien library.

This is an audiobook of some less well known Tolkien stories. The quality is good, but do to the pacing of the stories it can get a bit slow. Probably only appropriate for big Tolkien fans.

Again the BBC gives us wonderful production values and performances. Those looking to trod Middle Earth again may be in for a tiny let down but this collection of Tolkien's finest short stories will please new audiences as well as expanding the author's legacy with established fans.