Tales from the Perilous Realm

A real mixed bag. Clearly, Tolkien is one of the best writers who ever lived but this is a collection of his very early work, written long before he had mastered his art. Some clear glimpses of genius but not enough to make it noteworthy. The best bit for me was the essay about fairy tales – the last part of the book which, to be honest I almost skipped. This did give a real insight into Tolkien's way of thinking and of approaching his own masterworks, which made me want to delve into them again and re-capture the sense of awe that Tolkien so lovingly wove into them.