Farmer Giles of Ham - J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien, justifiably famous for his fantasy novels "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit," also wrote a novella entitled "Farmer Giles of Ham." It is a medieval tale written in what could be called an 'oral' style, meaning that it is like reading a story that is being told to you like your Grandpa might tell, if he were a great storyteller. Tolkien's lighthearted tale about a more than reluctant hero who is thrust into hero work while always trying to get out of it and continually succeeding without any merit is a treat to read.

Tolkien's ability to communicate a lot with a few words and a striking image are in full force throughout the story and I, for one, love stories of dragons and swords and giants (as long as the dragon doesn't turn out to just be misunderstood). This is the kind of story that forms the souls of youngsters in the proper direction. 5 Stars

The 13 Clocks, by James Thurber

The 13 Clocks by James Thurber

I have to say that I have never read a children's story quite like this before. Reading it gave me the palatable sense that reading it has forever and unalterably changed something. It reminds me of the first time I heard Gerard Manly Hopkins. That distinct "no going back" feeling keeps sneaking up on me and staying just behind corners that I have just turned.
The 13 Clocks is an old fashioned fairy tale in the tradition of Andrew Lang. It leans heavily and unabashedly on the traditional fairy tale and it does it well and inventively. But that is not what makes it stand out. What makes it stand out is the prose. The prose is like boisterous Russian Dancing Men. It is as playful and joyful as a two day old foal chasing a butterfly just emerged from its cocoon. At times it takes on the rhythm and feel of a great epic poem, and in other places it yanks a smile onto your face quite unexpectedly. Even if you are just reading this one to yourself, make sure that you read it out loud  This one not only gets five stars. This whole blog gets its name, and yea its very purpose, from Thurber's masterpiece.