The Adventures of Tom Bombadil PDF Download is an asset to all fans of the lord of the rings series. If you are a big fan of Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium, then you have a free ticket to download this wonderful book together with all the books on the LOTR book series for free. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is a 1962 collection of poetry by J. R. R. Tolkien. The book contains 16 poems, two of which feature Tom Bombadil, a character encountered by Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings. The rest of the poems are an assortment of bestiary verse and fairy tale rhyme. Three of the poems appear in The Lord of the Rings as well. The book is part of Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium.
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The Adventures of Tom Bombadil First Edition PDF Details
- Book Title: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil PDF
- Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
- Published: November 22nd 1962
- Goodreads Link: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book
- ISBN: 9780007557271
- Formats: [PDF] [Epub]
- No. of pages: 296
- Size: 3 MB
- Genre: Fantasy, Poetry, Fiction, Classics
- Language: English
- File Status: Available
- Price: $0
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil Book Summary
‘Here is something that no devotee of the Hobbit epic can afford to miss while awaiting a further instalment of the history of these fascinating people.’ So declared the jacket of this book when it was first published some fifty years ago.
One of the most intriguing characters in The Lord of the Rings, the amusing and enigmatic Tom Bombadil, also appears in verses said to have been written by Hobbits and preserved in the ‘Red Book’ with stories of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and their friends. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil collects these and other poems, mainly concerned with legends and jests of the Shire at the end of the Third Age.
This special edition has been expanded for the first time to include earlier versions of some of Tolkien’s poems, a fragment of a prose story with Tom Bombadil, and comprehensive notes by acclaimed Tolkien scholars Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond.
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book Review
Whether you’ve just finished the J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings for the first time and are itching for more, you’re coming back to the world of Middle-earth after a while apart, or even if you’ve read these poems before, the 2014 edition of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book is a worthwhile collection to read. It is an especially good fit if you are looking to expand your understanding of the mythology of Middle-earth or looking to learn more about Tolkien’s revision process.
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is a collection of poetry “written” by Bilbo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, along with other hobbit poems that have been passed down through oral tradition.
This collection is Tolkien’s first published book after the final part of The Lord of the Rings and a great place to dip your toes into learning about Tolkien’s larger mythology. I mention and recommend specifically the 2014 edition as it includes commentary on each poem by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. Their commentary clarifies any context you might have forgotten and sets each poem into the larger mythos of Middle-earth, which I found invaluable throughout my reading.
The first two poems focus on Tom Bombadil, whom fans of The Fellowship of the Ring will remember as the whimsical and mysteriously powerful character who twice saved Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin while they were travelling to Bree. Unfortunately, if you’re interested in this book solely to try and nail down exactly who Tom Bombadil is or represents, you won’t receive a further explanation in these poems. The introduction and commentary sections contain some external references Tolkien had made on Bombadil along with information about the creation of his character and poem, but no definitive explanation of Bombadil.
However, you will get an expansion of the song Bombadil sings in The Fellowship with more narrative context, along with an additional poem that further characterizes Bombadil through his interactions with those he encounters. Neither defines “what” Bombadil is, instead of focusing on “who” he is: himself.
The other fourteen poems vary in their subject matter. These include bestiary poems such as the familiar “Oliphaunt” and new poems such as “Fastitocalon” and “Cat,” which describe a murderous gigantic sea turtle and murderous cats. The tragic heroic poem, and my personal favourite, “The Hoard,” follows the disease of greed that has passed from Dwarf to Dragon and onward as each creature takes possession of a treasure for themselves.
Some poems seem to come straight out of a hobbit’s tavern while some detail the dark and dangerous creatures known as the Mewlips. While the subject matter and the formal meter change with each poem, the overarching tone of the collection remains intact. These are poems that initially appear lighthearted but often have more serious implications than their appearance shows, much in the same way that many fairy-tales have darker interiors than Disney would lead you to believe.
I found this collection of poems a worthy addition to the mythology because of the additions and expansions. We learn more about Frodo’s dreams after returning from his quest in “The Sea-Bell,” and “The Hoard” is a rendition of “the Numenorean tale of Turin and Mim the Dwarf”. While some of the poems like “The Sea-Bell” or “The Hoard” might be found enjoyable to be read without the context of The Lord of the Rings, as the poems are supposedly written by inhabitants of Middle-earth, you’ll need context to enjoy this collection in its entirety.
This is not, however, to say that you need to be fresh from The Lord of the Rings to enjoy this work. The commentary by Scull and Hammond is present to remind the reader of any details they have forgotten about the poems in connection to The Lord of the Rings.
As someone new to The Lord of the Rings, I was looking for a good place to begin expanding the vast world Tolkien created without feeling overwhelmed. I found his collection of poems as the ideal introduction to his further works set in Middle-earth. Each poem contained a full narrative within the few pages whether it was adding to what I knew already, such is the case with Tom Bombadil’s poems, or it was a new narrative featuring creatures such as the Mewlips. These short and complete stories broke down each new piece of information into easy to digest chunks, creating expanding mythology that was easily understandable and accessible.
The commentary clarified where each poem fit within the mythos of Middle-earth and provided context or further information for details that I missed during my first read. This book is a perfect beginning for those who want to learn more about the stories from Middle-earth but might not desire to read, or are intimidated by, a larger or more complex book like The Silmarillion. Not only is this book helpful for the mythology, but it is also a great place to start reading more Tolkien as any confusion about the references or connections in the material is cleared up by the thorough commentary.
I also recommend this book for those who are interested in his revision process or his inspiration. Nearly every poem has an earlier draft included with it which can be compared to the finalized version. The commentary also includes references to poetry when it is likely Tolkien used it as inspiration for his poetry or makes reference to it, such as the case for “Errantry” and “Oliphaunt.” I must admit though, that to me these commentary sections began to get long and tedious to read back-to-back.
I believe the commentary functions best as a reference tool for those who want more information about the text of Tolkien’s writing process. If you aren’t interested in the differences between drafts or editions, some of this commentary can be skipped or skimmed to reach the information that matters the most to you.
Overall, I think this is an enjoyable addition to the work of The Lord of the Rings and is a great place to start if you want to learn more about this world. The poems are enjoyable and easy to get hooked into and the analysis section broadens and strengthens the entire world. I highly recommend this collection of poetry for any person who wants to read more Tolkien at their own pace.
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