What do you think?
Rate this book
A Rare Recording of J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
7 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
J.R.R. Tolkien
496 books71.8k followersJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien: writer, artist, scholar, linguist. Known to millions around the world as the author of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien spent most of his life teaching at the University of Oxford where he was a distinguished academic in the fields of Old and Middle English and Old Norse. His creativity, confined to his spare time, found its outlet in fantasy works, stories for children, poetry, illustration and invented languages and alphabets.
Tolkien’s most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium’ that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children’s stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
Tolkien’s most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium’ that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children’s stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 9, 2022
This kept popping up for me every time I would finish something on audible, and as it’s 42 minutes long, and includes him reading some of his own work, I decided to spend the credit on it. It’s definitely awesome. This has actually been released multiple times apparently so ‘rare’ doesn’t really work. Also, despite the audible picture used, this definitely sounds like him as an older man.
Description:
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.
This is definitely worth checking out if you have the time. You can really hear the lyrical and poetic prowess Tolkien had. And how cool to hear him read it himself? I wish there was more, but of course it’s not an actual audiobook.
Description:
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.
This is definitely worth checking out if you have the time. You can really hear the lyrical and poetic prowess Tolkien had. And how cool to hear him read it himself? I wish there was more, but of course it’s not an actual audiobook.
May 29, 2019
How can I give any less than five stars to The Professor himself reading his own poetry? Whimsical and sad and beautiful on the page - transcendent to hear it in his voice. And the songs at the end were absolutely delightful!!
December 12, 2019
A short audiobook that is worth listening to again and again! Listen to Tolkien as he reads his own poetry and sings his own songs. This is now a favorite of mine. The experience of listening to his voice is magical.
January 1, 2023
Some good and interesting recordings of Tolkien reading snippets of his poetry. The songs at the end were interesting but not great.
January 6, 2024
For fans of Tolkien, hearing him read aloud the familiar poems from Middle-earth was a treat :) I wish the titles would have been announced between each so they didn't run together.
January 2, 2024
Did not know going into it that it would be a near copy of the last book of his I read but it worked out really well and was lovely to hear it in his own voice.
March 28, 2020
What a treat to hear about Tom Bombadil and Goldenberry in their creator's own voice! This one is a keeper
June 5, 2013
A fantastic recording of one of the world's favorite authors. This audiobook allows you to experience Tolkien's poetry and songs in a completely new light. To hear songs the way they were meant to be heard and to experience stories the way they ere meant to be experienced. Also, Tolkien's voice is like the classic, epic, grandfather bedtime story voice.
April 30, 2023
What a delightful treat to listen to J.R.R. Tolkien read his own poetry.... and I am not the kind of person to even use the word "delightful", lol. Honestly, though, I can't think of a better word for it. I will definitely listen to this again and again. I would suggest it to everyone, but especially lovers of his work or fans of his. I can't say enough good things about it. I love this.
February 9, 2024
In this collection, J.R.R. Tolkien reads some of his own poetry and works. Also included are some of the Donald Swann musical arrangements. It’s quite lovely to hear the author read his own works, and the musical renditions are very well done, performed by William Elvin. It’s quite a treat for fans of Tolkien.
September 19, 2021
J.R.R. Tolkien is just plain awesome. Can you imagine if we had an audio version of both the Hobbit and LoTR?!!!! I smiled though his his entire reading.
Now the song, while interesting, is just not how I would have imagined it should have sounded.
Now the song, while interesting, is just not how I would have imagined it should have sounded.
May 15, 2023
Beautiful. Wasn't expecting how enchanting it would be to have the story teller read the story. Instantly took me to another world. The songs at the end made me cry. This is free on Scribd but I will be buying the audible version so I can always have it. Cannot recommend enough 100/10
January 27, 2019
I loved hearing the Old Bard himself read his poems and sing his songs.
April 5, 2019
Absolutely amazing to listen to Tolkien himself read his own works. ❤️
October 18, 2019
Priceless. Truly a gift to all the fans.
February 10, 2020
Really nice!
June 25, 2021
How can you not love Tolkien reading Tom Bombadil poetry?
June 23, 2022
Highly recommend!!
October 17, 2022
tää oli viba ku puolet oli lauluu, osa haltiakieltä ja loput senverran vanhaa englntii et en oikeen pysyny mukana
May 17, 2023
I stopped listening, actually, but I did enjoy hearing Tolkien speak in Elvish.
August 20, 2023
Wow! Amazing to hear his own voice reading some of his works. The singing style lost me a bit (and wasn’t Tolkien).
April 21, 2015
So NOW I notice "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" ... William Elvin is an operatic baritone, which for me is the polar opposite of the characters whose songs he sings. (Also, whoever accompanied him on the piano hit some terribly painful notes.) Hobbits are - for me - neither operatic nor baritone; Elves are - for me - possibly operatic, but not baritone. And I disliked the arrangements.
Long, long ago I had found an audiotape of the Professor reading - as I recall, side A was "Riddles in the Dark" from The Hobbit, and side B included some of what was here, did not include some of what was here (I don't recall Perry-the-Winkle, or this version of Tom Bombadil), and also included poems that are not here. That tape meant a lot to me - Tolkien reciting "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" was the first time I ever heard Elvish, and the only time until the movies. That was what I, not reading the description and just assuming, thought I was getting with this. Now I need to go find the tape wherever it's lurking in the house.
Long, long ago I had found an audiotape of the Professor reading - as I recall, side A was "Riddles in the Dark" from The Hobbit, and side B included some of what was here, did not include some of what was here (I don't recall Perry-the-Winkle, or this version of Tom Bombadil), and also included poems that are not here. That tape meant a lot to me - Tolkien reciting "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" was the first time I ever heard Elvish, and the only time until the movies. That was what I, not reading the description and just assuming, thought I was getting with this. Now I need to go find the tape wherever it's lurking in the house.
January 24, 2014
It is a delight to here Tolkein read with a restrained joy The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, The Hoard, Perry-The-Winkle, and The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon. A Elbereth Gilthoniel in Elvish is another special treat, but bulking out the spoken word performance with and "The Road Goes Ever on" sung by William Elvin with music by Donald Swann is unnecessary, incongruent and even a little confusing.
January 31, 2013
I now legit want to read (finish) LotR. Tolkien reading passages from the books himself just makes it seems even more cooler than before. So glad I picked this up. Also note the songs at the end seems a little weird at first but then you realize you're getting more pronunciations and elvish, an added bonus if I may say. Good times.
December 30, 2013
Incredible to hear Tolkien read parts of his own stories and even better to not only hear him sing but speak in elvish as well! Really enjoyed him read the part about Tom Bombadil as he is one of my favourite characters.
August 3, 2020
So. Cool! Totally worth listening to.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews