Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Il cacciatore di draghi by J.R.R. Tolkien

4 reviews

ceallaighsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

“‘So knights are mythical!’ said the younger and less experienced dragons. ‘We always thought so.’     ‘At least they may be getting rare,’ thought the older and wiser worms; ‘far and few and no longer to be feared.’”

author: JRR Tolkien
published: 1937
publisher: George Allen & Unwin

genre: comic medieval fable
setting: the Middle Kingdom
main themes/subjects: children’s fantasy / mock charter myth / a local legend featuring a brave farmer & his cowardly dog & his determined mare, a comic & light-hearted narrative voice, mock etymologies of actual place-names, a silly giant, an inconvenienced dragon, a selfish king, a vindictive miller, a morose blacksmith, & a bunch of useless knights, also puns

summary/blurbs/premise: a plucky farmer finds himself the hero of an unlooked for confrontation with a trespassing giant & before he knows it, he’s sent off by his village & the king to fight a dragon!

my thoughts:
This charming little fable is such a beautiful example of Tolkien’s light-hearted, whimsical, & indescribably clever way with words. Combining influences from medieval fables, children’s stories, fairy tales, heroic legends, charter myths, & place folklore, Tolkien weaves a story that is equal parts humor, adventure, & moral to such subtle & well-crafted effect that you will wish he’d spent ten times as much ink on the antics of Giles, his mare, & his little dog.

i would recommend this book to readers who enjoy lighthearted, wholesome, hilarious adventure stories. this book is best read aloud, & with all the proper voices. Or you could just listen to Derek Jacobi’s audiobook narration as it is *brilliant.*

final note: In our bookclub discussion for this book one of the readers pointed out that Saint Giles is traditionally the patron saint of the poor & Giles is certainly the everyman hero, standing up for justice in the face of a selfish & inept king, supplanting him, & ensuring that the rewards from his adventures benefit the whole community. Tolkien’s class consciousness is always on point. 💅🏻

“The song and tales of his deeds were many, and if forgotten at court, were still remembered in the villages.”

CW // some stressful situations with the dog
season: Spring
music pairing: medieval English folk music

further reading:
Tolkien’s bookshelf—

Check out my review on StopAndSmellTheBooks.com for a list of my favorite quotes & illustrations from the book.
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diana_raquel's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

"Farmer Giles went home feeling very uncomfortable. He was finding that a local reputation may require keeping up, and that may prove awkward."

Just like The Hobbit and Roverandom, this book was created by Tolkien to entertain his children, then it became a more elaborate and complete story. This is a short story about a misunderstanding and how those can grow, that, what seems like something inconspicuous and beneficial at first, becomes a curse.

Overall, I really liked this story. It's a short story with a beginning, middle, and end, funny and entertaining! And I think that this can be a really good entry story to start Tolkien since we can find some characteristics of Tolkien's writing, but since it's a simple story, it can be easier to understand than The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. 

Totally recommend!
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erynlasbelin's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
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meganmagicmusings's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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