Jack 💜 reviewed Farmer Giles of Ham by J. R. R. Tolkien
Review of 'Farmer Giles of Ham' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
Coming from the perspective of enjoying "Roverandom", I expected a bit more. One thing that I really enjoyed about Tolkien's other more child-oriented work was its surreal qualities. It might have been written simply, but it had a creative spark that kept the reader relatively surprised throughout.
This book, while written in the same innocent tone, was much less engaging than I wanted it to be. It's an ordinary Hero's Journey with little to no deviation. It may be written well and with some charm, but that gentle Tolkien style can't save the story.
I always try to come at my ratings for these kinds of books with the perspective of the intended age group, but I honestly think that any young person familiar with this type of story would find "Farmer Giles" rather dull.
