
Tales from the Perilous Realm
Four BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisations
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About this listen
Four BBC radio dramatisations starring Michael Hordern as Tolkien - plus a special archive compilation exploring Tolkien's life and work.
The tales in this collection all reflect an aspect of what Tolkien himself called 'the perilous realm of Faerie'. Adapted for radio by Brian Sibley, co-writer of the acclaimed BBC radio production of The Lord of the Rings, they are rich in myth, magic and adventure. Among the supporting cast are Brian Blessed, Nigel Planer, Sorcha Cusack, Paul Copley and James Grout.
In 'Farmer Giles of Ham', having accidentally shot a giant, Farmer Giles' brave reputation is tested by Chrysophylax the dragon. In 'Smith of Wootton Major', a young boy eats a piece of cake containing a silver star, and is granted access to the magical land of Fäerie. 'Leaf by Niggle' is a thought-provoking allegory of the creative process, and 'The Adventures of Tom Bombadil' features Tom and the Hobbits in scenes from The Lord of the Rings which were not included in the BBC Radio 4 dramatisation.
Also included is 'J R R Tolkien: An Audio Portrait', in which Brian Sibley draws together interviews from radio and television programmes featuring the author himself, his original publisher Rayner Unwin, his biographer Humphrey Carpenter and many others, to relate the story of both Tolkien the man and the worlds he created.
©2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2017 BBC Studios Distribution LtdListeners also enjoyed...
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TIPS when reading this book:
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Tolkien's acclaimed modern classic 'fairie' tale, read by Derek Jacobi. Smith of Wootton Major journeys to the Land of Faery thanks to the magical ingredients of the Great Cake of the Feast of Good Children.
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Leaf by Niggle
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'Leaf by Niggle' recounts the strange adventures of the painter Niggle, who sets out to paint the perfect tree. But he senses that he will be snatched away from his work long before it is finished - if indeed it could ever be finished in this world. For it is in another and brighter place that Niggle finds his tree is finished and learns that it is indeed a real tree, a true part of creation.
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Performance
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J. R. R. Tolkien was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor best known as the author of fantasy works like "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings." Listen as Tolkien reads "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil," "The Hoard," "Perry-The-Winkle," and "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon." Also included is a reading of "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" in Elvish and "The Road Goes Ever on," sung by William Elvin with music by Donald Swann.
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Overall
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Performance
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Farmer to King
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The Return of the King (Dramatized)
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
War rages in the west, a titanic battle of will and strategy between the great wizard Gandalf and Sauron, the dark lord. Meanwhile, eastward in Mordor, Frodo and Sam approach the end of their improbable quest, bearing the One Ring ever closer to the Cracks of Doom, and to a final confrontation with the very essence of evil.
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An excellent rendition!
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Mr Bliss
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Performance
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Story
Mr Bliss, a man notable for his immensely tall hats and for the girabbit in his garden, takes the whimsical decision to buy a motor car. But his first drive to visit friends quickly becomes a catalogue of disasters. Some of these could be blamed on Mr Bliss’s style of driving, but even he could not anticipate being hijacked by three bears.
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Bonkers in the best way
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
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Part One, The Fellowship of the Ring, introduces us to Frodo Baggins. With his uncle Bilbo having mysteriously disappeared, Frodo finds himself in possession of a simple gold ring that has great and evil power. It is the Ruling Ring, taken long ago from the Dark Lord, Sauron, who now seeks to possess it again. Frodo must do everything he can to prevent this, and with the help of Gandalf the wizard and a band of loyal companions he begins a perilous journey across Middle-earth.
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Great dramatization, but read the book first!
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Featured Article: When Does
The Rings of Power Take Place? Tolkien's Second Age, Explained
The Prime Video streaming series The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Rooted in J.R.R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth, the series is expected to cover all of the major events of the fictional world's Second Age. But what is the Second Age, and how does this period of time factor into the rest of Tolkien's world? Read on to find out.

Continue Your Journey
Through Middle-earth
Through Middle-earth
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- Unabridged
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Can you imagine writing to Father Christmas and actually getting a reply? Every year, the children of J.R.R. Tolkien would write to Father Christmas, and the letters they received told wonderful stories of his adventures at the North Pole. These humorous tales are brought to life by Derek Jacobi as Father Christmas, John Moffatt as Polar Bear, and Christian Rodska as Ilbereth the Elf, complete with specially composed music.
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A fun little read.
- By James on 06-30-14
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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The Children of Hurin
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Christopher Lee
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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There are tales of Middle-earth from times long before The Lord of the Rings. The story told in this book is set in the great country that lay beyond the Grey Havens in the West: lands where Treebeard once walked, but which were drowned in the great cataclysm that ended the First Age of the World.
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Powerful and Disturbing
- By Catherine Dalzell on 12-19-09
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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A Rare Recording of J. R. R. Tolkien
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Length: 42 mins
- Original Recording
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J. R. R. Tolkien was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor best known as the author of fantasy works like "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings." Listen as Tolkien reads "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil," "The Hoard," "Perry-The-Winkle," and "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon." Also included is a reading of "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" in Elvish and "The Road Goes Ever on," sung by William Elvin with music by Donald Swann.
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Not all Tolkien - wish I'd noticed that
- By Tracet on 04-21-15
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Sir Derek Jacobi
- Length: 1 hr and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is a collection of poetry written by J. R. R. Tolkien and was first published in 1962. The audio is read by Sir Derek Jacobi and is a collection of 16 poems that contain an assortment of bestiary verse and fairy tale rhyme. It is a stunning recording that captures all the characters in their own charming and mysterious ways.
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Almost disappointing
- By Christopher on 11-19-19
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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The Hobbit: Jackanory
- The BBC TV Soundtrack of the Jackanory Multi-Voice Reading
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Bernard Cribbins, Maurice Denham, Jan Francis, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
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The BBC TV soundtrack of the acclaimed Jackanory multi-voice reading of The Hobbit. Broadcast to mark the 3000th programme of the much-loved children's series Jackanory, The Hobbit was transmitted over two weeks and 10 episodes in 1979. It told the gripping story of Bilbo Baggins and his band of dwarves, who are on a quest for the treasure guarded by the fearsome dragon Smaug. As he leaves his cosy hobbit-hole and travels into the wild, Bilbo's adventures begin.
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Radio abridgement
- By Keith C. on 12-01-15
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Roverandom
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
- Length: 2 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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While on holiday in 1925, four-year-old Michael Tolkien lost his beloved toy dog on the beach at Filey in Yorkshire. To console him, his father, J.R.R. Tolkien, improvised a story about Rover, a real dog who is magically transformed into a toy and is forced to seek out the wizard who wronged him in order to be returned to normal. This charming tale, peopled by a sand-sorcerer and a terrible dragon, by the king of the sea and the Man-in-the-Moon, went through several drafts over the years.
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An Entertaining Canine Fairy Tale
- By Jefferson on 09-05-10
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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The Return of the King (Dramatized)
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Original Recording
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War rages in the west, a titanic battle of will and strategy between the great wizard Gandalf and Sauron, the dark lord. Meanwhile, eastward in Mordor, Frodo and Sam approach the end of their improbable quest, bearing the One Ring ever closer to the Cracks of Doom, and to a final confrontation with the very essence of evil.
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An excellent rendition!
- By R. Compton on 08-25-13
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Beren and Lúthien
- By: Christopher Tolkien, J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Timothy West, Samuel West
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, was deeply opposed to Beren, and imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. Undaunted by Lord Thingol’s challenge, Beren and Lúthien embark on the supremely heroic attempt to rob Morgoth, the greatest of all evil beings, of a Silmaril, one of the hallowed jewels that adorn the Black Enemy’s crown.
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very disappointing
- By Ms. Rhiannon on 07-02-20
By: Christopher Tolkien, and others
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The Two Towers (Dramatized)
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: An Ensemble Cast
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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The Fellowship is broken; the quest to destroy the Ring seems already shrouded in disaster. But as the evil lord Sauron readies his armies for war, Frodo and Sam continue their lonely journey toward Mordor, guided only by Gollum, a deceitful and tortured creature, helplessly in thrall to the Ring's dark power.
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An excellent rendition!
- By R. Compton on 08-25-13
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Unfinished Tales
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien - editor
- Narrated by: Timothy West, Samuel West
- Length: 21 hrs and 53 mins
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Unfinished Tales is a collection of narratives ranging in time from the Elder Days of Middle-earth to the end of the War of the Ring and provides those who have read The Lord of the Rings with a whole collection of background and new stories from the 20th century’s most acclaimed popular author.
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Great, but read all the reviews.
- By Ross on 07-09-21
By: J. R. R. Tolkien, and others
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The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Christopher Tolkien
- Length: 56 mins
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The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son was originally published in the 1953 edition of Essays and Studies. In December of that year, J.R.R. Tolkien took possession of a reel-to-reel tape recorder and, some time during the first few months of 1954, decided to record ‘the whole thing on tape’ as a way of ‘testing’ the performative quality of the dramatic dialogue between Tídwald and Torhthelm.
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Short sweet and to the point
- By Anthony Baker on 04-04-23
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Farmer Giles of Ham
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Farmer Giles of Ham did not look like a hero. He was fat and red-bearded and enjoyed a slow, comfortable life. Then one day a rather deaf and short-sighted giant blundered on to his land. More by luck than skill, Farmer Giles managed to scare him away. The people of the village cheered: Farmer Giles was a hero. His reputation spread far and wide across the kingdom. So it was natural that when the dragon Chrysophylax visited the area it was Farmer Giles who was expected to do battle with it!
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Farmer to King
- By James on 06-30-14
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Smith of Wootton Major
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
- Length: 1 hr and 6 mins
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Tolkien's acclaimed modern classic 'fairie' tale, read by Derek Jacobi. Smith of Wootton Major journeys to the Land of Faery thanks to the magical ingredients of the Great Cake of the Feast of Good Children.
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Charming
- By Babbi on 01-18-17
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
What listeners say about Tales from the Perilous Realm
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jeremiah
- 01-17-20
Cool LOTR extras, but not all stories
I am a pretty big nerd, so this was nerdy enough for me, but I wouldn't start here for any newer fan.
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- Mark A. Desjardins
- 01-23-21
SO MUCH MORE THAN THE STORIES!
First, you should READ these wonderful stories. These dramatizations are all very well done, I particularly enjoyed Brian Blessed's stentorian performance in Farmer Giles of Ham. However,the documentary that makes up the last two hours is simply wonderful! Listen to Tolkien scholars, excerpts from the fantastic BBC dramatization from the 1980's and to Professor Tolkien himself!!
This is a MUST for Tolkien fans!!
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-03-18
an interesting little book. If you are a Tolkien
Tolkien fans will enjoy this little book. Give it a chance, and take an unexpected journey.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Yas
- 04-16-19
The Lord Of the Middle Earth
The BBC adaptations of J R R Tolkien's classic The Lord Of the Ring is simply brilliant. Middle Earth came alive as did the tale of the man himself.
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- David M. Wallace
- 04-26-20
Good?
Tales from the Perilous Realm is a good book, but this dramatization doesn’t really do it justice.
My chief complaint is the voice of Garm. Every “R” is turned into an “Rrruff”.
Bottom line———————————————-
If you want to listen to this story collection, don’t waste your money/credits; get the full one narrated by Sir Derek Jacobi.
That one is worth it.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Maggie
- 02-27-20
I love Tolkien !
The stories were imaginative and performed really well! The portrait of Tolkien was so interesting and I loved the author's view of his stories and himself. This book also makes me want to read The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings again! And, maybe, try the Sylmarilian again!
I enjoyed this so much!
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- Nati Yakobovich
- 11-22-23
This book is perfect except for chapter 5 and 6
The recording quality of chapter 5 and 6 is lacking, there's a huge hiss noise coming from the recording mic that made these chapters unlistenable, I personally skipped them, the rest of the book 10/10
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- Tempting Reviews
- 03-08-19
Needs work
Narrator has a strange warbling effect. It's not the recording because all other voices are fine and clear.
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- Patrick
- 06-15-19
Terrible narrative
Sorry, but these voices are terribly annoying. Made it 20 minutes in and gave up. Disservice to Tolkien
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jonathan Burns
- 11-09-20
No original cast for ‘The Adventures of Tom Bombadill’
Was disappointed that the Brian Sibley dramatization of the Adventures of Tom Bombadill, did not have the original cast from his Lord of the Rings audio adaptation, but that’s my only real complaint, there’s still plenty here for a Tolkien lover to enjoy.
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