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Smith of Wootton Major
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 Tolkien’s own lifetime.
Now, almost 40 years on, this enchanting tale of a wanderer who finds his way into the perilous realm of Faery is being republished, but in addition to a facsimile of the illustrated first edition this new version includes a manuscript of Tolkien's early draft of the story, notes on the genesis, chronology and alternate ending of the story, and a lengthy essay on the nature of Faery, all of which is previously unpublished.
Contained within Smith of Wooton Major are many intriguing links to the world of Middle-earth, as well as to Tolkien’s other tales, and this 'extended edition' the reader will finally discover the full story behind this major piece of short fiction.
Now, almost 40 years on, this enchanting tale of a wanderer who finds his way into the perilous realm of Faery is being republished, but in addition to a facsimile of the illustrated first edition this new version includes a manuscript of Tolkien's early draft of the story, notes on the genesis, chronology and alternate ending of the story, and a lengthy essay on the nature of Faery, all of which is previously unpublished.
Contained within Smith of Wooton Major are many intriguing links to the world of Middle-earth, as well as to Tolkien’s other tales, and this 'extended edition' the reader will finally discover the full story behind this major piece of short fiction.
149 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1967
200 people are currently reading
4633 people want to read
About the author
J.R.R. Tolkien
786 books77.3k followersJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien: writer, artist, scholar, linguist. Known to millions around the world as the author of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien spent most of his life teaching at the University of Oxford where he was a distinguished academic in the fields of Old and Middle English and Old Norse. His creativity, confined to his spare time, found its outlet in fantasy works, stories for children, poetry, illustration and invented languages and alphabets.
Tolkien’s most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium’ that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children’s stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
Tolkien’s most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium’ that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children’s stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 526 reviews
May 11, 2017
This tale is magical and enchanting but for me it seemed incomplete. Well, a little unresolved. A young boy gets to enter the wonderful world of Fay; he is chosen especially for it, but when he gets there he doesn’t do a great deal. I mean, talk about a wasted opportunity! I would have done so much more over there.
Every twenty-four years Wootton Major has a massive celebration feast. As per tradition, a giant cake is baked. In it is placed a star by an anonymous trickster. The star allows the person to enter the realm of Fay, a boon by all accounts. On entering the realm, and experiencing the power of it, the lucky person must then return home with the star for another child to be given the gift in another twenty-four years. To me it sounds like a fantastic opportunity. Imagine living in a dull boring world, not that hard to imagine really, and then you are given a little ticket to somewhere much better.
It’s a very simple story, one that avoids all dark themes. There are no cunning dragons or evil dark lords; instead we have the world of Fay. Sure there are some dangers involved in crossing the border, but I think all those that have the opportunity to cross it would overlook such peril in the face of such a chance. The story is written in Tolkien’s usual mastery of tone, but for me it needed something else. It needed a stronger sense of purpose and perhaps a greater point to it. This is far from Tolkien at his best. It's still worth a read though for enthusiasts of his writing.
For that he was grateful, for he soon became wise and understood that the marvels of Faery cannot be approached without danger, and that many of the Evils cannot be challenged without weapons of power too great for any mortal to wield. He remained a learner and explorer, not a warrior; and though in time he could have forged weapons that in his own world would have had power enough to become the matter of great tales and be worth a king's ransom, he knew that in Faery they would have been of small account. So among all the things that he made it is not remembered that he ever forged a sword or a spear or an arrow-head."
Every twenty-four years Wootton Major has a massive celebration feast. As per tradition, a giant cake is baked. In it is placed a star by an anonymous trickster. The star allows the person to enter the realm of Fay, a boon by all accounts. On entering the realm, and experiencing the power of it, the lucky person must then return home with the star for another child to be given the gift in another twenty-four years. To me it sounds like a fantastic opportunity. Imagine living in a dull boring world, not that hard to imagine really, and then you are given a little ticket to somewhere much better.
It’s a very simple story, one that avoids all dark themes. There are no cunning dragons or evil dark lords; instead we have the world of Fay. Sure there are some dangers involved in crossing the border, but I think all those that have the opportunity to cross it would overlook such peril in the face of such a chance. The story is written in Tolkien’s usual mastery of tone, but for me it needed something else. It needed a stronger sense of purpose and perhaps a greater point to it. This is far from Tolkien at his best. It's still worth a read though for enthusiasts of his writing.
For that he was grateful, for he soon became wise and understood that the marvels of Faery cannot be approached without danger, and that many of the Evils cannot be challenged without weapons of power too great for any mortal to wield. He remained a learner and explorer, not a warrior; and though in time he could have forged weapons that in his own world would have had power enough to become the matter of great tales and be worth a king's ransom, he knew that in Faery they would have been of small account. So among all the things that he made it is not remembered that he ever forged a sword or a spear or an arrow-head."
July 17, 2021
Reread via Audible on a car ride today. Amazing! And Derek Jacobi could read the back of a soup can and leave me enthralled.
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I want to have kids just so I can read them stories like this. I wanted to eat the Twenty-Fourth Year Cake; I wanted to hear Smith Smithson sing while he smithied; and just when my eyes were bugging out of my head because of the beautiful descriptions of Faerie, I remembered it all started with a Master Baker. The story changed hands at least three times, but it was seamless. Each one of the hands could have been a story of Their Own.
I'd rate this a G. Read this to your chilluns! They need more magic. So do you!
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I want to have kids just so I can read them stories like this. I wanted to eat the Twenty-Fourth Year Cake; I wanted to hear Smith Smithson sing while he smithied; and just when my eyes were bugging out of my head because of the beautiful descriptions of Faerie, I remembered it all started with a Master Baker. The story changed hands at least three times, but it was seamless. Each one of the hands could have been a story of Their Own.
I'd rate this a G. Read this to your chilluns! They need more magic. So do you!
December 30, 2020
“He had returned sooner than was expected, but none too soon for those that awaited him. ‘Daddy!’ she cried. ‘Where have you been? Your star is shining bright!’”
A visit to Faery.* Beware. It may touch your soul.
“Tolkien himself called it “an old man’s book, already weighted with the presage of bereavement”, and taking their cue from him, many have read Smith’s surrender of the star as Tolkien’s farewell to his art.”
Unlike The Lord of the Rings, which Tolkien labored over for decades, Smith came to him in a flash, and he dashed it off whole. It has a rough quality which betrays both that inspiration and that lack of refining. Nonetheless, it should entertain and enrich any reader who appreciates "Farmer Giles of Ham" or "Leaf by Niggle".
“He stood before her, and he did not kneel in courtesy, for he was dismayed and felt that for one so lowly all gestures were in vain.”
This expanded edition includes the original illustrations by Pauline Baynes as well as notes concerning the writing and revisions of the original. An excellent companion for "On Fairy Stories"* from The Tolkien Reader, since Smith of Wootton Major is just such a fairy story.
‘Yet you have given up the star. I hope it may go to someone as worthy. The child should be grateful.’ ‘The child won’t know,’ said the smith. ‘That’s the way with such gifts.’
BTW, it is only on the second or third reading that the wonder grew upon me. The first time through, I read it like any story--and of that it was quick and crude. Subsequent readings, the Faery grows upon you.
“Roger Lancelyn Green, who noted in the Sunday Telegraph for 3 December 1967 that, “To seek for the meaning is to cut open the ball in search of its bounce.” Tolkien treasured the comment, and wrote Green to thank him.”
After my sixth reading, it still grabs me as (usually) only real fairy tales do. Most modern fantasy seems so contrived. Tolkien had a grasp for what really works.
“When wisdom comes the mind though enriched by imagination, having learned or seen distantly truths only perceptible in this way, must prepare to leave the world of Men and of Fayery.”* JRRT
*Tolkien was notorious for his various spellings of this word.
A visit to Faery.* Beware. It may touch your soul.
“Tolkien himself called it “an old man’s book, already weighted with the presage of bereavement”, and taking their cue from him, many have read Smith’s surrender of the star as Tolkien’s farewell to his art.”
Unlike The Lord of the Rings, which Tolkien labored over for decades, Smith came to him in a flash, and he dashed it off whole. It has a rough quality which betrays both that inspiration and that lack of refining. Nonetheless, it should entertain and enrich any reader who appreciates "Farmer Giles of Ham" or "Leaf by Niggle".
“He stood before her, and he did not kneel in courtesy, for he was dismayed and felt that for one so lowly all gestures were in vain.”
This expanded edition includes the original illustrations by Pauline Baynes as well as notes concerning the writing and revisions of the original. An excellent companion for "On Fairy Stories"* from The Tolkien Reader, since Smith of Wootton Major is just such a fairy story.
‘Yet you have given up the star. I hope it may go to someone as worthy. The child should be grateful.’ ‘The child won’t know,’ said the smith. ‘That’s the way with such gifts.’
BTW, it is only on the second or third reading that the wonder grew upon me. The first time through, I read it like any story--and of that it was quick and crude. Subsequent readings, the Faery grows upon you.
“Roger Lancelyn Green, who noted in the Sunday Telegraph for 3 December 1967 that, “To seek for the meaning is to cut open the ball in search of its bounce.” Tolkien treasured the comment, and wrote Green to thank him.”
After my sixth reading, it still grabs me as (usually) only real fairy tales do. Most modern fantasy seems so contrived. Tolkien had a grasp for what really works.
“When wisdom comes the mind though enriched by imagination, having learned or seen distantly truths only perceptible in this way, must prepare to leave the world of Men and of Fayery.”* JRRT
*Tolkien was notorious for his various spellings of this word.
May 18, 2023
"Smith Of Wootton Major" is the last of Tolkien’s literary work, published during his lifetime (1967). It emerged by mere chance, when he was asked to write the foreword for George MacDonald's The Golden Key reissue. Working on that chore, he became aware that within those lines, a new story was developing and decided to grow its individuality. Its nascence lasted for two years and was written on typewriter which was rather peculiar for Tolkien, for he seldom separated from his pen, declaring that without his pen he resembles a hen without a beak. The manuscript was, later, amended by hand, of course, and conjoined with the entire genealogy and history of the village. Yet at length, he forsook all that and shaped the story as we know it today. And the story corroborates the facts he enclosed in the essay “On Fairy Stories”, firmly advocating the fairy-land (or the Faëry) and vindicating that the Faëry isn’t merely a sugar-icing cake, but a sheer perilous realm. The term “perilous” he deliberately employed several times in the essay. Apart of his declaration that the story is all but allegory, we may deem the smith’s handing of the fairy-key at the end of the story, as a symbol of Tolkien’s farewell to the literary work, for he was septuagenarian, and his gastrointestinal problems became frequent, thus he spent more time in Bournemouth than at home. The story is an homage to all he was fond of and preached in his work and which was firmly grounded in Celtic mythology – thus the fairy-land in the story i.e. Otherworld, is not severed from the Our World, but incorporated in, and could easily be reached through the forest on the westward the village. The voyager (smith), provided with specific passport (the fay-star which he engulfed with a piece of cake during The Feast Of Good Children – a winter festival of the village) may reach the Faëry easily and linger there as much as he wants, but cannot indwell, for that is not a safe place for the non-fairy people (which will be demonstrated to Smith when he heedlessly enters the lake with the fiery creatures, causing the great storm to be raised as admonishment). As a petite pledge for his further good manners, fairy-queen bestowed him the everlasting flower, as a heirloom to the further generations to be stored in a casket. The very ending is quite elegiac, and, as I mentioned, sheer reflection of Tolkien’s farewell to his creative work, considering this story as an unplanned and haphazard at the very pinnacle of his writing career. Even though is not in a relation with the Middle-Earth opus, much of the matter from that legendarium one may recognise in it (for instance, a scene with fairy-warriors which encountered the Smith and which are the spitted image of Noldor from the First Age), thus is cordial recommendation to all who indulge the beautiful archetypal fantasy novels.
September 26, 2020
I love the art in this one.
The story itself is pretty good, too, as flavourful and immersive and well-written as we've come to expect from Tolkien, but the plot is not one of his best: it leans more towards the Silmarillion side of things, being more about just a retelling of things happening than trying to weave a great narrative about things, only in this case it's just the history of a fairly small and overall insignificant town rather than an entire world, the course of perhaps fifty years rather than many millennia. So I didn't quite like it as much for that.
I also think that it could have used to introduce the smith much earlier - rather than the chef's apprentice, whom you might have consequently thought to be the main character at first.
The story itself is pretty good, too, as flavourful and immersive and well-written as we've come to expect from Tolkien, but the plot is not one of his best: it leans more towards the Silmarillion side of things, being more about just a retelling of things happening than trying to weave a great narrative about things, only in this case it's just the history of a fairly small and overall insignificant town rather than an entire world, the course of perhaps fifty years rather than many millennia. So I didn't quite like it as much for that.
I also think that it could have used to introduce the smith much earlier - rather than the chef's apprentice, whom you might have consequently thought to be the main character at first.
September 19, 2021
'Smith of Wotton Major' originally began life as a preface to The Golden Key before taking on an existence of its own. Tolkien delivered a story involving a fairy world and one lucky child who was granted access to it for twenty-four set years.
The stunning edition I read from included the tale in the first quarter and then numerous illustrations, texts, essays, and notes relating to it in the latter three.
I found the story a charming and sweet one. It was very much concerned with describing the events that occurred, with only little embellishments and few scenes of actions. Regardless, I had a fun time with it and can imagine it similarly delivered for the younger age range it was aimed towards.
The stunning edition I read from included the tale in the first quarter and then numerous illustrations, texts, essays, and notes relating to it in the latter three.
I found the story a charming and sweet one. It was very much concerned with describing the events that occurred, with only little embellishments and few scenes of actions. Regardless, I had a fun time with it and can imagine it similarly delivered for the younger age range it was aimed towards.
November 18, 2011
Smith of Wootton Major is a fairytale, by Tolkien's own definition. The fairies are not small and precious, but real and potentially dangerous, and so is their land. It's a rather quiet story, I think -- there are no great dangers, no dragons to be fought or Dark Lords to be overthrown, though you might see echoes of that story here. The precious star was, in earlier drafts, a ring, after all.
In any case, it's a thoughtful little story. I almost said sweet, but I think that would be reducing it to something like the decoration on the cake which insults the fairy queen.
This extended edition casts light on Tolkien's thought process, during all stages of his creative process with it. It includes much of the backstory and explanations which support the story, which he had to know whether the readers did or not. It also contains some early drafts, both reproduced and transcribed. It's interesting, particularly if you're interested in Tolkien's creative process.
In any case, it's a thoughtful little story. I almost said sweet, but I think that would be reducing it to something like the decoration on the cake which insults the fairy queen.
This extended edition casts light on Tolkien's thought process, during all stages of his creative process with it. It includes much of the backstory and explanations which support the story, which he had to know whether the readers did or not. It also contains some early drafts, both reproduced and transcribed. It's interesting, particularly if you're interested in Tolkien's creative process.
February 21, 2021
Koliko reci umeju da budu lepe.
July 17, 2025
From the very first breath of Pauline Baynes’s enchanting illustrations to the poignant conclusion marked by the fading Faëry star, Smith of Wootton Major utterly captivated me. Picture a humble village feast—the Great Cake baked once every twenty-four years—elevated to a gateway of transcendence, a realm of unexpected marvels and quiet wisdom. When young Smith swallows that shimmering star and wears it upon his forehead, he embarks on a journey not just into Faërie, but into the delicate art of balancing two worlds seamlessly.
What resonated with me most was Tolkien's exquisite balance of light and depth. This isn’t a grim narrative of obsession; rather, it unfolds as a warm, introspective dance between the comfort of home and the exhilarating allure of the extraordinary. Smith never abandons his family or his craft; instead, he embraces his gift and weaves it into the fabric of everyday love and toil. This tale nestles beautifully alongside Tolkien’s grand epics while maintaining its own distinct charm.
Although brief, this story opens wide the lush landscapes of myth—and it is within this brevity that its true allure lies. Overflowing with open-ended beauty and a deeply atmospheric presence, I found myself swept away by its whimsical spirit, all the while marvelling at the profound weight of metaphor hidden in each quiet moment.
The story invites us to rekindle our sense of wonder, encouraging us to discover magic not merely as an escape but as an invitation to savour the extraordinary within the ordinary. Much like Alf the cook, who traverses realms as a guide, Tolkien presents not definitive answers but tantalizing possibilities. This is a book that leaves you feeling enriched—wiser, teary-eyed, and quietly hopeful.
While some may perceive it as lacking a clear point, I would argue that the essence of Smith of Wootton Major lies in the very fabric of life itself—the intricate weaving of family, myth, creativity, and the gentle acceptance of fleeting enchantments. This enchanting tale stands as a restorative tonic for dreamers and wonder-seekers of all ages.
What resonated with me most was Tolkien's exquisite balance of light and depth. This isn’t a grim narrative of obsession; rather, it unfolds as a warm, introspective dance between the comfort of home and the exhilarating allure of the extraordinary. Smith never abandons his family or his craft; instead, he embraces his gift and weaves it into the fabric of everyday love and toil. This tale nestles beautifully alongside Tolkien’s grand epics while maintaining its own distinct charm.
Although brief, this story opens wide the lush landscapes of myth—and it is within this brevity that its true allure lies. Overflowing with open-ended beauty and a deeply atmospheric presence, I found myself swept away by its whimsical spirit, all the while marvelling at the profound weight of metaphor hidden in each quiet moment.
The story invites us to rekindle our sense of wonder, encouraging us to discover magic not merely as an escape but as an invitation to savour the extraordinary within the ordinary. Much like Alf the cook, who traverses realms as a guide, Tolkien presents not definitive answers but tantalizing possibilities. This is a book that leaves you feeling enriched—wiser, teary-eyed, and quietly hopeful.
While some may perceive it as lacking a clear point, I would argue that the essence of Smith of Wootton Major lies in the very fabric of life itself—the intricate weaving of family, myth, creativity, and the gentle acceptance of fleeting enchantments. This enchanting tale stands as a restorative tonic for dreamers and wonder-seekers of all ages.
October 21, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐, 25
Questa è la quinta opera di Tolkien che leggo in vita mia; è sempre affascinante entrare nel mondo di storie del Professore, e ancor più interessante è stato scoprire la genesi del racconto e tutto ciò che c'è dietro: cronologie, alberi genealogici, bozze, finali scartati, accenni filologici... È incredibile quanto materiale ci sia dietro un racconto così semplice all'apparenza. Un plauso va di nuovo (avevo già apprezzato in "Il Cacciatore di Draghi") a Pauline Baynes per le sue illustrazioni medievaleggianti, sempre affascinanti.
Questa è la quinta opera di Tolkien che leggo in vita mia; è sempre affascinante entrare nel mondo di storie del Professore, e ancor più interessante è stato scoprire la genesi del racconto e tutto ciò che c'è dietro: cronologie, alberi genealogici, bozze, finali scartati, accenni filologici... È incredibile quanto materiale ci sia dietro un racconto così semplice all'apparenza. Un plauso va di nuovo (avevo già apprezzato in "Il Cacciatore di Draghi") a Pauline Baynes per le sue illustrazioni medievaleggianti, sempre affascinanti.
August 1, 2015
Bought with the same Christmas book voucher as The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Farmer Giles of Ham. It is an extremely shabby, battered and worn piece of bookage now.
:O)
:O)
February 7, 2022
قطعا تنها دلیلم برای خوندن این کتاب اسم نویسنده بود. جالب بود ولی راضی کننده نه
July 18, 2023
This was such a whimsical and sweet little tale, I found myself captivated by Tolkien's writing, as I always am.
March 7, 2024
Delightful.
July 5, 2022
An example of the perfect fairy tale? Deceptively simple story that warrants thought and consideration to plumb the depth of meaning given to characters, objects, places and events. Brilliant!
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November 4, 2025“You said something in ‘Smith’ which I hope I grasped, and there was a feeling almost of recognition. An odd feeling of grief overcame me when I read it. I cannot explain my feelings any clearer. It was like hearing a piece of music from way back, except that it was nearer poetry by Graves’ definition. Thank you very much for writing it.”
- Terry Pratchett, in a letter to J. R. R. Tolkien, 22 November 1967
“Thank you very much for your letter. The first one that I have received with regard to Smith of Wootton Major. You evidently feel about the story very much as I do myself. I can hardly say more.”
- J. R. R. Tolkien, in reply to Pratchett’s letter, 24 November 1967
Smith of Wootton Major is a slender yet evocative fairy tale. There are no hobbits or orcs but there is a lot of heart.
The illustrations by Pauline Baynes are truly stunning examples of medieval revival that deserve far more recognition. They cut to the heart of what makes manuscript marginalia so charming.
- Terry Pratchett, in a letter to J. R. R. Tolkien, 22 November 1967
“Thank you very much for your letter. The first one that I have received with regard to Smith of Wootton Major. You evidently feel about the story very much as I do myself. I can hardly say more.”
- J. R. R. Tolkien, in reply to Pratchett’s letter, 24 November 1967
Smith of Wootton Major is a slender yet evocative fairy tale. There are no hobbits or orcs but there is a lot of heart.
The illustrations by Pauline Baynes are truly stunning examples of medieval revival that deserve far more recognition. They cut to the heart of what makes manuscript marginalia so charming.
August 28, 2013
Il fabbro di Wootton Major è un racconto di J.R.R. Tolkien pubblicato nel 1967, l'ultima opera mentre l'autore era ancora in vita. Romanticamente potremmo considerarla una sorta di commiato dell'autore al mondo di Faerie, una fiaba per bambini ben ponderata (come dimostrano le diverse stesure e gli appunti dell'autore a riguardo) ed equilibrata piuttosto che uno spontaneo volo d'immaginazione. La novella avrebbe dovuto essere parte della prefazione di Tolkien a The Golden Key, storia di fate di George MacDonald, ma si sviluppò come racconto a sé.
La trama è semplice, e pur non essendo collegata in nessun modo alla Terra di Mezzo, riecheggia il leif motiv di molte opere dell'autore, soprattutto l'attacco dei Racconti ritrovati: nel paese di Wootton Major, immaginario ma indubbiamente anglosassone, ogni ventiquattro anni si tiene una festa a cui partecipano ventiquattro bravi bambini. Per l'occasione, il Maestro Cuoco serve una torta, ma in quella preparata da Nokes e dal suo apprendista Alf c'è una sorpresa: una pietra scintillante nascosta nella torta insieme ad altri ninnoli, che viene inconsapevolmente ingoiata dal figlio del Fabbro. La pietra si incastona nella fronte del bambino, e si rivela un vero e proprio lasciapassare (nonché protezione) per i reami di Faerie, che Fabbro esplora in lungo e in largo.
Il tema principale della fiaba, forse più alla portata degli adulti che dei bambini, è quello della rinuncia: ampio spazio viene dato, oltre naturalmente alle peregrinazioni di Fabbro nelle terre fatate, alle modalità di cessione della pietra a un successore, perché, come raccomanda Alf (che forse è molto più di chi dice di essere) al protagonista, ci sono cose che "non possono appartenere a un uomo per sempre, né si possono conservare come cimeli di famiglia. Sono solo prestate": l'accesso a Faerie, concesso a Fabbro finché è giovane e pieno di immaginazione, diventa impossibile nel momento in cui all'immaginazione subentra la saggezza della maturità. Impossibile non lasciarsi tentare da un paragone con l'Unico Anello, oggetto colmo di potere maligno la cui cessione è quasi sempre accompagnata dal sangue.
Fabbro, come dicevamo, rappresenta forse lo stesso Tolkien nell'atto di ritirarsi da Faerie, cioè dai reami della sua immaginazione, e di lasciare la sua pietra scintillante perché qualcun altro possa riceverla.
Un commento all'edizione: Il fabbro di Wootton Major è inserito anche nella raccolta Albero e foglia, ed è di quella che consiglio l'acquisto. Le pagine di quest'edizione in particolare - dal costo spropositato giustificato solo in parte dalla bellezza delle edizioni deluxe Bompiani - sono quasi interamente dedicate ad appunti di Tolkien, correzioni, apparati critici, tanto che la fiaba in sé occupa solo quaranta delle sue centoquaranta pagine, illustrazioni (di Pauline Baynes, le stesse dell'edizione originale) comprese.
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La trama è semplice, e pur non essendo collegata in nessun modo alla Terra di Mezzo, riecheggia il leif motiv di molte opere dell'autore, soprattutto l'attacco dei Racconti ritrovati: nel paese di Wootton Major, immaginario ma indubbiamente anglosassone, ogni ventiquattro anni si tiene una festa a cui partecipano ventiquattro bravi bambini. Per l'occasione, il Maestro Cuoco serve una torta, ma in quella preparata da Nokes e dal suo apprendista Alf c'è una sorpresa: una pietra scintillante nascosta nella torta insieme ad altri ninnoli, che viene inconsapevolmente ingoiata dal figlio del Fabbro. La pietra si incastona nella fronte del bambino, e si rivela un vero e proprio lasciapassare (nonché protezione) per i reami di Faerie, che Fabbro esplora in lungo e in largo.
Il tema principale della fiaba, forse più alla portata degli adulti che dei bambini, è quello della rinuncia: ampio spazio viene dato, oltre naturalmente alle peregrinazioni di Fabbro nelle terre fatate, alle modalità di cessione della pietra a un successore, perché, come raccomanda Alf (che forse è molto più di chi dice di essere) al protagonista, ci sono cose che "non possono appartenere a un uomo per sempre, né si possono conservare come cimeli di famiglia. Sono solo prestate": l'accesso a Faerie, concesso a Fabbro finché è giovane e pieno di immaginazione, diventa impossibile nel momento in cui all'immaginazione subentra la saggezza della maturità. Impossibile non lasciarsi tentare da un paragone con l'Unico Anello, oggetto colmo di potere maligno la cui cessione è quasi sempre accompagnata dal sangue.
Fabbro, come dicevamo, rappresenta forse lo stesso Tolkien nell'atto di ritirarsi da Faerie, cioè dai reami della sua immaginazione, e di lasciare la sua pietra scintillante perché qualcun altro possa riceverla.
Un commento all'edizione: Il fabbro di Wootton Major è inserito anche nella raccolta Albero e foglia, ed è di quella che consiglio l'acquisto. Le pagine di quest'edizione in particolare - dal costo spropositato giustificato solo in parte dalla bellezza delle edizioni deluxe Bompiani - sono quasi interamente dedicate ad appunti di Tolkien, correzioni, apparati critici, tanto che la fiaba in sé occupa solo quaranta delle sue centoquaranta pagine, illustrazioni (di Pauline Baynes, le stesse dell'edizione originale) comprese.
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September 19, 2020
He estado leyendo este encantador cuento de hadas a mi mujer y mi hijita cada noche, antes de dormir. Mañana escribiré la reseña en sí, mas adelanto que es un libro maravilloso.
Y ya. Tolkien escribe un hermoso cuento de hadas que es una celebración del género, con todo lo que uno le puede pedir a un cuento de hadas salvo una cosa: grandes peligros.
Este es un cuento tranquilo, extraño quizá por la falta de un dragón, una bruja, o alguna clase de monstruo o enemigo. En este cuento el protagonista simplemente tiene la posibilidad de encontrar una entrada a Fantasía, y explorarla. Y aunque se alude a peligros en ese lugar, lo cierto es que el protagonista nunca los encuentra.
El cuento se centra en cómo Fantasía te cambia, te llena y te hace feliz. Y como, en su momento, uno debe ceder el testigo a alguien más joven y permitir que otros conozcan este lugar.
Por algo más de 80 páginas, un cuento delicioso que os merecéis leer.
Y ya. Tolkien escribe un hermoso cuento de hadas que es una celebración del género, con todo lo que uno le puede pedir a un cuento de hadas salvo una cosa: grandes peligros.
Este es un cuento tranquilo, extraño quizá por la falta de un dragón, una bruja, o alguna clase de monstruo o enemigo. En este cuento el protagonista simplemente tiene la posibilidad de encontrar una entrada a Fantasía, y explorarla. Y aunque se alude a peligros en ese lugar, lo cierto es que el protagonista nunca los encuentra.
El cuento se centra en cómo Fantasía te cambia, te llena y te hace feliz. Y como, en su momento, uno debe ceder el testigo a alguien más joven y permitir que otros conozcan este lugar.
Por algo más de 80 páginas, un cuento delicioso que os merecéis leer.
September 9, 2022
Also read for research, also super super formative. I think this was the first short story I read and liked, and hence realized I could like the form (The Gift of the Magi wasn’t just a weird little exception). Tolkien is one of the few authors I’ve read (and was definitely the first) who takes the sublimely wonderful route with his depictions of fae/fairies/elves and it works. Is, in fact, sublime and wonderful rather than cloying.
This story never loses its power for me. It’s a perfect companion to “On Fairy-Stories,” showing in his own fiction what he means by all that about the fairies and the Perilous Realm and the power of fantasy and sub-creation in Secondary Worlds.
This story never loses its power for me. It’s a perfect companion to “On Fairy-Stories,” showing in his own fiction what he means by all that about the fairies and the Perilous Realm and the power of fantasy and sub-creation in Secondary Worlds.
July 12, 2021
I found this little gem of a fairytale written by JRR Tolkien among my books and as it was not such a big read I read it in one setting. To be absolutely honest I do not have a clue about the morale but the story is about A baker who does a party every 24 years and then kids of a certain age are invited. In the case something fairy was hidden and one of the kids ate it by accident and it certainly touched his life in a force of good, the boy grows up to become a smith and he travels until it is time to pass on his gift and he finds out who the most recent baker really is.
A lovely and gentle tale told by Tolkien and it did not fail to thrill me, it is certainly no LOTR or Hobbit but in a class of itself, like many of Tolkien different output.
Well worth your time.
A lovely and gentle tale told by Tolkien and it did not fail to thrill me, it is certainly no LOTR or Hobbit but in a class of itself, like many of Tolkien different output.
Well worth your time.
August 13, 2024
Er ekt að kafa mjög djúpt í backgroundið og glósurnar sem fylgja sögunni í minni útgáfu en sagan sjálf var nice, ég tengi við það sem hann var að pæla þegar hann var að skrifa hana
(INFP listsköpunar twins ig)
(INFP listsköpunar twins ig)
February 10, 2020
It was fun to re-experience this story in audiobook form. Derek Jacobi does a magnificent job in his reading performance.
I'd forgotten some of the similarities Smith of Wootton Major holds with LOTR. The process of giving up the star in order to bestow it on a new person reminded me a bit of Bilbo's giving up the ring (though love for the star is certainly a sweet and innocent love, unlike passion for the ring). The characters are simply drawn for the most part, and the whole tale feels rather like a parable. But it is suffused with desire for goodness and beauty. One certainly touches faerie when reading this tale.
I'd forgotten some of the similarities Smith of Wootton Major holds with LOTR. The process of giving up the star in order to bestow it on a new person reminded me a bit of Bilbo's giving up the ring (though love for the star is certainly a sweet and innocent love, unlike passion for the ring). The characters are simply drawn for the most part, and the whole tale feels rather like a parable. But it is suffused with desire for goodness and beauty. One certainly touches faerie when reading this tale.
August 16, 2011
This story is grouped in with "The Light Princess" by George MacDonald for me as one of the books that makes me feel exactly the way I want to feel about magic. This story has things that you want. This story has cake.
December 23, 2021
Last Read
2014 (5 November)
2015 (29-30 December)
2014 (5 November)
2015 (29-30 December)
February 17, 2023
3/5
Tolkien’dan yine çok severek okuduğum bir çocuk kitabıydı diyemeyeceğim bu kez çünkü çok sıkıldım. Hem de hikayenin çok kısa olmasına rağmen🙄 evet sıkıcı ve fantastik ögeleri diğer öykülerine göre daha az ve daha sıradandı. Klasik bir masal tadında okudum bitirdim kitabı. Bu da nazarlık olsun artık ne diyim🥲
Tolkien’dan yine çok severek okuduğum bir çocuk kitabıydı diyemeyeceğim bu kez çünkü çok sıkıldım. Hem de hikayenin çok kısa olmasına rağmen🙄 evet sıkıcı ve fantastik ögeleri diğer öykülerine göre daha az ve daha sıradandı. Klasik bir masal tadında okudum bitirdim kitabı. Bu da nazarlık olsun artık ne diyim🥲
July 7, 2024
Та казка, котра і для дорослих, і для дітей, а особливо в ілюстраціях С. Острова вона набуває неймовірної чарівності
September 18, 2018
Written in the twilight of Tolkien's remarkable legacy, Smith is a story seeped in knowing and a far calmer story compared to the Rings books. This is Tolkien 'winding down' yet imbued with all the wisdom and knowledge accrued over the decades. It is, as Tolkien himself states, a challenge to the sickly-sweet fairy stories that were doing the rounds in his time and presents them instead as mysterious and powerful creatures - the sweet and sickly cake which the children eat in the story verus the true world of the fay that Smith spends so long in. An excellent afterward by Verlyn Flieger makes a reference to Tolkien's love of Roger Lancelyn Green's review (1967) saying that 'to seek for the meaning is to cut open the ball in search of its bounce'. I'll take that.
December 5, 2022
Já tinha lido esse conto antes, na coletânea 'Tales from the Perilous Realms'; tinha sido o meu favorito da coleção e não resisti a essa nova edição da HarperCollins. Tamanho de bolso, capa dura, toda ilustrada com o belo traço de Pauline Bayes, é um daqueles volumes que é pura delicadeza na forma e no conteúdo, uma edição de colecionador.
É um conto de fadas sobre Faërie, sobre arte, no que ela tem de belo e de terrível. Sobre o que acontece quando a meros mortais é permitido um vislumbre para além do véu: do deslumbre, mas também dos perigos. De encontrar o extraordinário, e do risco de perder de vista o caminho para casa. É um tema comum nos contos de fadas, que aqui é executado com a maestria poética do mestre Tolkien.
É um conto de fadas sobre Faërie, sobre arte, no que ela tem de belo e de terrível. Sobre o que acontece quando a meros mortais é permitido um vislumbre para além do véu: do deslumbre, mas também dos perigos. De encontrar o extraordinário, e do risco de perder de vista o caminho para casa. É um tema comum nos contos de fadas, que aqui é executado com a maestria poética do mestre Tolkien.
January 8, 2018
Smith of Wootton Major narra a aventura de um simples mortal no rico e estranho reino das fadas criado por Tolkien.
Não querendo ser injusta para com o livro e o seu autor, Smith of Wootton Major é um trabalho menos enérgico, sem a força e o ímpeto das aventuras literárias que lhe conhecemos - menos “mágico”. Gostei do livro e estou obviamente contente pela adição à minha colecção de Tolkien, mas não posso dizer que tenha ficado particularmente impressionada.
Não querendo ser injusta para com o livro e o seu autor, Smith of Wootton Major é um trabalho menos enérgico, sem a força e o ímpeto das aventuras literárias que lhe conhecemos - menos “mágico”. Gostei do livro e estou obviamente contente pela adição à minha colecção de Tolkien, mas não posso dizer que tenha ficado particularmente impressionada.
December 29, 2016
É uma história bem simples e direta, mas que dá para tirar umas reflexões muito interessantes por trás. Tolkien não foi quem foi por acaso.
A edição da Martins Fontes é sensacional. Os extras desse livro valem quase outro livro.
A edição da Martins Fontes é sensacional. Os extras desse livro valem quase outro livro.
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