Smith of Wootton Major

(Paperback)

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A charming new paperback edition of one of J.R.R. Tolkiens major pieces of short fiction, and his only finished work dating from after the publication of The Lord of the Rings.

What began as a preface to The Golden Key by George MacDonald eventually grew into this charming short story, so named by Tolkien to suggest an early work by P.G. Wodehouse. Composed almost a decade after The Lord of the Rings, and when his lifelong occupation with the Silmarillion was winding down, Smith of Wootton Major was the product of ripened experience and reflection. It was published in 1967 as a small hardback, complete with charming black and white illustrations by Pauline Baynes, and would be the last work of fiction to be published in Tolkiens own lifetime.

Now, more than 50 years on, this enchanting tale of a wanderer who finds his way into the perilous realm of Faery is being published once again in paperback. Contained here are many intriguing links to the world of Middle-earth, as well as to Tolkiens other tales, and this new edition is enhanced with a facsimile of the illustrated first edition, a manuscript of Tolkiens early draft of the story, notes and an alternate ending, and a lengthy essay on the nature of Faery.

Reviews

The book has a haunting quality, characteristic of the best of the deeper folktales. It is a beautiful, memorable story. Times Educational Supplement

It may be compared to the most delicate miniature but it is one of a rare kind: the more closely it is examined the more it reveals the grandeur of its conception. Whoever reads it at eight will still be going back to it at eighty. New Statesman

A tremendously valuable volume with important new insights into Tolkiens way of working. Its also a beautiful hardcover edition of the story. Mythprint

Author Bio

J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 80 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.