TALES FROM THE PERILOUS REALM

This collection of four of Tolkien's short works, dramatized for BBC Radio, is narrated by Sir Michael Hordern, who played Gandalf in the BBC dramatization of THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The stories include "Farmer Giles of Ham," featuring Brian Blessed as an unlikely dragon hunter, and "Smith of Wootton Major," with Paul Copley as a young blacksmith who visits the faerie realm. "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" is a sequence from THE LORD OF THE RINGS not included in the BBC adaptation of that saga. The story will be familiar to Tolkien devotees, even though it’s not the cycle of poems from Tolkien's book, but it will likely confuse most listeners. The highlight of the set is "Leaf by Niggle," a beautiful allegory about art, life, and meaning, featuring Alfred Molina as a beleaguered artist and John Fleming as his neighbor. S.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2009 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]