From the Bookshelf of J.R.R. Tolkien…

Smith of Wootton Major

J.R.R. Tolkien,

Verlyn Flieger (Editor)

Start date: September 1, 2012

Finish date: November 30, 2012

Discussion: Tales from the Perilous Realm

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Tales from the Perilous Realm

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By Christa VG · 5 posts · 94 views

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Tolkien Group Read September-November 2012: Smith of Wootton Major
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last updated Nov 26, 2012 07:36AM

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What Members Thought

Aug 03, 2012 Julie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Smith of Wootton Major:
It's a cute story, though I'm a little lost on the point.
I loved the opening line: "There was a village once, not very long ago for those with long memories, nor very far away for those with long legs." I find that Tolkien was a very clever writer, and expressed himself in was that please my readers aesthetic. Tolkien's fairy stories feel like a mixture of C.S. Lewis and George MacDonald, though still retaining his own voice.

Leaf by Niggle:
Really intriguing story. I thin Smith of Wootton Major:
It's a cute story, though I'm a little lost on the point.
I loved the opening line: "There was a village once, not very long ago for those with long memories, nor very far away for those with long legs." I find that Tolkien was a very clever writer, and expressed himself in was that please my readers aesthetic. Tolkien's fairy stories feel like a mixture of C.S. Lewis and George MacDonald, though still retaining his own voice.

Leaf by Niggle:
Really intriguing story. I think that there are many ways to interpret it, and I like that. Short but engaging read.

**SPOILERS**

Smith of Wootton Major:
I find that putting Tolkien in a world that's not Middle Earth is very strange. This is my first non-Middle Earth story by him that I've read (well, I've read Leaf by Niggle but I don't really remember it too well), and I like it. I liked how a journey into Faery made a person more joyful and beautiful. It suggests Tolkiens love for the natural world (in contrast to the more industrial setting of a town), and how we are benefited by our contact with it.
Another favorite part is the gift that Smith gets for his grandson, the lily bells. "It was like the smooth stem of a tiny lily from the top of which came three delicate flowers, bending down like shapely bells. And bells they were, for when he shook them gently each flower rang with a small clear note. At the sweet sound the candles flickered and then for a moment shone with a white light." I just love this, how despite the sadness and heaviness that comes to Smith after relinquishing the star, he still retains the beauty he found in Faery. The star wasn't something that enabled him to see Faery while he had it, it was like a gateway to access the country. Those beautiful things he experienced he retained, and all he brought back with him remained. I like this better than many representations of Faery I've read, where once the charm is lost, all that was previously shining from Faery fades. Those stories suggest that human eyes can't deal with an otherworldly beauty, while Tolkiens tale suggests that such beauty remains for all to see. This is also apparent in Smiths family being able to see the star on his forehead once he returns home - I think that that's also unusual in stories about Faery.
My ultimate impression is that it's a beautiful story, and full of gentle grace.

Leaf by Niggle:
One of my favorite passages: "'But it did not look like this then, not real,' said Parish. 'No, it was only a glimpse then,' said the man; 'but you might have caught the glimpse, if you had ever thought it worth while to try.'"
Love it. I think that this story is a story about death, about the value of things that we don't see until its gone, or "too late" as we like to say. I like that the painting was just a glimpse of the reality that came after Niggle died (my interpretation). It seems to be a comment on heaven, a Christian understanding of death, and the life after death. ...more

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