SMITH OF WOOTTON MAJOR
26 journalers for this copy...
Reviews
"The book has a haunting quality, characteristic of the best of the 'deeper' folktales. It is a beautiful, memorable story."
Times Educational Supplement
"It may be compared to the most delicate miniature but it is one of a rare kind: the more closely it is examined the more it reveals the grandeur of its conception. Whoever reads it at eight will still be going back to it at eighty."
New Statesman
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This book made me smile
I just finished to read this small book from Mister Tolkien (yes, there are books beyond The Lord of the Rings; -). It's pretty old and (too) short- only 62 pages. With many really beautiful drawings.
It entchanted me *sigh*, so I'll expand the current German Bookring to a European one.
Please treat it with respect - and I hope you'll pass it on after 4 weeks :-)
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Ich habe gerade dieses Buch fertig gelesen. Besser als oben stehende Rezensionen könnte ich es auch nicht schreiben.
Es ist auf Englisch und schon ziemlich alt (1967, scheint die Erstauflage zu sein), dafür (viel zu) kurz - nur 62 Seiten. Mit vielen schönen Zeichnungen.
Da es mich ganz verzaubert hat, biete ich es als Ring an. Bitte per PM oder hier melden:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/14/6650902/1
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This book travels to:
1. auweia (Friedberg, Hessen, Germany)
2. Mentasoler (Bad Grönenbach, Bayern, Germany)
3. Qantaqa (Planegg, Bayern, Germany)
4. Charly83 (Nordhorn, Niedersachsen, Germany)
5. Komma (Würzburg, Bayern, Germany)
6. kittybrombeere (Aschaffenburg, Bayern, Germany)
7. DA-Cameron (Ditzingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
8. quak (München, Bayern, Germany) CURRENTLY
Then this Bookring expands to a European Bookring ... and continues with:
9. Tsjara (Heiloo, Noord-Holland, Netherlands)
10. sha-re (Best, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands)
11. hakkalina (Budapest, Budapest (Capital City), Hungary
12. Moriquen (Borgerhout, Antwerpen / Anvers, Belgium)
13. abigailann (Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom - to UK only
14. flambard (Horsham, West Sussex, United Kingdom)
15. bookowl1000 (Chepstow, Monmouthshire, United Kingdom)
16. chich (Perpignan, Languedoc-Roussillon, France)
17. wildwolverine (Oslo, Oslo fylke, Norway)
18. Corinne2010 (Utrecht, Netherlands)
19. miertje (Houten, Utrecht Netherlands)
20. Totje2 (Leeuwarden, Fryslân Friesland Netherlands)
21. souram (Genève, Switzerland)
22. greenbadger, (United Kingdom) ?
23. disneyfreaksam (Warminster, Wiltshire United Kingdom)
24. zabriina (Wien Austria)
25. ivosousa ( Lisboa Portugal)
26. you?
http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/15/424360/
http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/20/423990/
Dieses Buch möchte die weite Welt und viele andere Bücher und Bücherverrückte kennen lernen.
Hello! Bookcrossing is a online community of book lovers dedicated to sharing books with each other and the world at large. We are curious to see how far and wide it will travel and how its readers like it. Kindly make a journal entry to let us know it's found a new reader.
If you journal this book as a member, then you will hear from the book as it travels around. Happy reading!
Die nächste Adresse hatte ich schon Anfang der Woche angefragt, so kann das Buch seine Reise bedauerlicherweise morgen fortsetzen.
and now the very special translation for the european ring :
such a nice piece of jewellery! The story had been a nice amusement for this afternoon accompanied by tea and chocolate. I felt like been relegate to my childhood, so to speak "enchant" :-)
I regret that this book can´t stay longer, because I´m oblige sending it to the next adress.
Released 14 yrs ago (2/20/2010 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
viel Spaß beim Lesen :-)
enjoy reading :-)
Ging heute in die Post. War ein sehr schönes Buch und relativ einfach zu lesen.
Sorry!
Thanks a lot for sharing, olagorie! And sorry again for the delay! I already sent Charly83 a PM asking for her address, so the book will hopefully continue its journey tomorrow.
It travels on as soon as I have the next reader's adress.
Ich hatte es vor Jahren auf deutsch gelesen; das Wiedersehen hat mir viel Freude gemacht. Tolkien hatte die perfekte Illustratorin für seine Kinderbücher, oder?
2010-08-31:
A charming little book! :-) I enjoyed every single word of it.
Thanks quak for sending it on and olagorie for organizing the bookring!
I have sha-re's address now and will mail this out tomorrow.
Released 13 yrs ago (11/2/2010 UTC) at Assendelft, Noord-Holland Netherlands
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Happy reading!
I intend to read it soon......
it was a nice, nice story to read.
thank you for sending this little book around.
Released 13 yrs ago (1/4/2011 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Thanks for sending this to me, will send on asap after I've read it
A charming short(er) story of the fairy-tale ilk, this is an interesting read for Tolkien fans. Its not what I was expecting- nothing deep or complex- but I liked it all the same.
Released 13 yrs ago (1/29/2011 UTC) at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada
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Popped in the post yesterdat
Released 13 yrs ago (2/8/2011 UTC) at By Mail, Book Ring -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
I will finish the book I'm reading right now and will get right on to this one:)
I already have wildwolverine's address and will be sending her the book today.
Released 13 yrs ago (3/9/2011 UTC) at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
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Quote chich: One thing I find quite strange is that Tolkien chose the title to suggest an early work by Wodehouse. Why Wodehouse?
Well, that bit wasn't easy to find out about ... most Tolkien pages seem to simply copy the wikipedia text.
So here's what I found out:
"(3) Since Tolkien stated that the title of SMITH OF WOOTTON MAJOR was "intended to suggest an early Woodhouse" [LETTERS p. 370], it seems likely that he read at least some P. G. Wodehouse."
Source: http://sacnoths.blogspot.com/2010/06/did-tolkien-read-steinbeck.html
But why? And did he really mean P. G. Wodehouse and not some other author named Woodhouse? Perhaps William John Woodhouse? But since I didn't find any evidence Tolkien had any relation to an author called Woodhouse (and different spellings are quite common), I stuck with the P. G. Wodehouse connection.
So... my guesses:
He wrote the famous Jeeves / Bertie Wooster series. It's quite reasonable to believe that Tolkien knew the series. So that might explain the "Wootton" part of the title.
Rupert Psmith is one of Wodehouse's best-loved characters. That might account for the "Smith" ?
Any more guesses from you?
I'll PM the next on the list and send it of as soon as i get the address.
Released 12 yrs ago (4/18/2011 UTC) at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Thanks wildwolverine for sending it to me!
I wish Smith didn't have to travel on. But he will - soon - to miertje.
It will soon travel on to Totje2. Thanks for ringing the book olagorie!
Enjoy this little book Totje2!
Thanks, olagorie for sharing it as a ring and miertje for sending it to me.
When I was a small child, I loved fairy tales, legends, sagas. After reading a lot of them and growing up, I do not like fairy tales as much as I used to. But this one was new to me. A very original little story that I read with great pleasure.
As soon as I get to the post office, this book will continue its journey to the next in line. Thank you so much for sharing!
Released 12 yrs ago (7/25/2011 UTC) at Leeuwarden, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands
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Happy reading!
This is a delightful tale of faery from Tolkein. A bit different from his stories set in Middle Earth and aimed at children but still an enjoyable read.
Released 12 yrs ago (9/1/2011 UTC) at Kings Langley, Hertfordshire United Kingdom
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I have got the address for the next person so I will send this off next week.
Released 12 yrs ago (9/26/2011 UTC) at -- Per Post geschickt/ Persönlich weitergegeben --, Wien Austria
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
The book has finished its journey around Europe plus Thailand after 1 year and nine month and is safely back.
It has visited 12 countries :-) Thank you all for joining this ring.