Dec 29, 2009

Farmer Giles of Ham | Overview

Farmer Giles of Ham is the most finely- crafted and delightful of Tolkien's minor works. Thoroughly suffused with sly wit and word-play, it is also a well told mock-heroic tale. He revised it in July 1947, two-and-a-half years before completing the first draft of The Lord of the Rings. In Farmer Giles of Ham, Tolkien gently mocks the elements of heroic fairy tales—the plot; the fabulous creatures, such as giants, dragons, and talking dogs; the weapons; the people; and even the hero.

In its tone, themes, and characterization, Farmer Giles of Ham...