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Leaf by Niggle
- Author
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- Narrator
- Derek Jacobi
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 23 June 2016
- Run Time
- 49 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Tolkien’s acclaimed modern classic ‘fairie’ tale, read by Derek Jacobi.
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.
Written in the early 1940s at the same time as The Lord of the Rings was taking shape, ‘Leaf by Niggle’ is a passionate adult fairy tale about a man who has ‘a long journey to make’, thought to be an allegory of Tolkien’s own life.
Critics Review
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‘As with all good short stories, this one expands in the imagination. Mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow, indeed.’ The Times
‘Brings a wistful charm to complex issues of truth, beauty, duty and creative aspiration.’ The Herald
‘A haunting and successful demonstration of the qualities of faerie’ New York Times
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- Narrator
- Derek Jacobi
- Duration
- 49 minutes
- Release Date
- 23 June 2016
- ISBN
- 9780008205065
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Epic fantasy / high fantasy, Narrative theme: interior life / psychological fiction, Classic fiction: literary and general, Traditional or cultural fiction and true stories, tales and retellings, Historical fantasy
Synopsis
Tolkien’s acclaimed modern classic ‘fairie’ tale, read by Derek Jacobi. 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. Written in the early 1940s at the same time as The Lord of the Rings was taking shape, ‘Leaf by Niggle’ is a passionate adult fairy tale about a man who has ‘a long journey to make’, thought to be an allegory of Tolkien’s own life.
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