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Farmer Giles of Ham  By  cover art

Farmer Giles of Ham

By: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
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Publisher's summary

Farmer Giles of Ham is one of Tolkien's most popular stories, full of wit and humour, set in the days when giants and dragons walked the earth. He 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!
©1949 The J.R.R. Tolkien Copyright Trust (P)1999 HarperCollins UK

Featured Article: The Lord of the Rings—The Essential Guide to the Peoples, Places, and History of Tolkien's Middle-earth


Welcome to Middle-earth, the main continent of Arda and the setting for J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and a host of other in-universe stories. Middle-earth is a fantastical realm rooted in detailed world-building and mythos that have since gone on to inspire many other fantasy works. Read on for everything you need to know.

Continue Your Journey Through Middle earth

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What listeners say about Farmer Giles of Ham

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Farmer to King

Would you consider the audio edition of Farmer Giles of Ham to be better than the print version?

It is an enjoyable listen that goes well with the print version.

Have you listened to any of Derek Jacobi’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Derek Jacobi is excellent once again. Children will be able to follow along easily and perhaps even take more of the story in as a result of his narration.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did listen to it in one sitting as the book is full of Tolkien 's humour and is well narrated and easy to listen to.

Any additional comments?

Children and adults alike, should enjoy this Tolkien adventure with a deadly dragon, a dog who keeps crying help and a farmer who becomes a king.

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6 people found this helpful

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An exquisite story wonderfully narrated

When Tolkien writes stories, he writes them good! Let an excellent narrator, like Derek Jacobi, read it, and you have an exquisite tale. I'm sure you'll want to listen to this story again and again!

Farmer Ham of Giles, the hero of the story, knows how to fight giants and dragons... a definite must, before you're stamped by a giant and warmed by a dragon.

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6 people found this helpful

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great narrator

Super fun little story and Darek Jacobi kept me entertained the entire way through. I truly enjoyed this short story but for I had to use one of my valuable tokens on it... I know it's terrible to think this way but for a token I could have gotten a much longer story.

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5 people found this helpful

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Worth a listen!

This is an excellent production. The narrator made the story come alive. I personally recommend it.

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4 people found this helpful

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Quite the Blunderbuss...

I don't typically associate Tolkien with comedy, but this little known short story got me smiling. Derrick Jacobi's performance is a bit over the top at times, but overall it adds to the silly tone of the story. I had a ton of fun with this, so I have no qualms about recommending it to other Tolkien fans. Go for it!

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3 people found this helpful

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Great short story!

This is a great short story to get you into the realm of fantasies and childhood imaginings. The author has written this exceptionally well and it hasn't aged with the passing of time. Great for adults as well as children to read and enjoy either apart or together.

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2 people found this helpful

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Fun

A very fun and enjoyable story with the wit and the witicism of J.R.R. Tolkien.

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2 people found this helpful

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Humorous tale of an unlikely hero.

A slow-paced, delightful fantasy story about The Olden Times - Back in the days when dogs talked, giants walked the earth, and dragons flew over it. Farmer Giles, a (very) common man, who is not at all clever, or fond of trouble, discomfort, and adventure, overcomes impossible odds, thanks to his unorthodox common sense. Beautifully written and performed.

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2 people found this helpful

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Excellent narration

Fun little fairy story from Tolkein. A nice bedtime tale. Brilliant narration, well-suited to the story.

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Abridged Version of Tolkien’s Lovely Story

Farmer Giles is among my favorite of Tolkien’s works, told with warmth and humor in a medieval voice that well suits it. This is an abridged version, and should say so, though it doesn’t. It also shouldn’t have been abridged, it’s not a long story to begin with; this abridgment edits out some of the story’s charm and leaves the development of the Hero of Ham feeling rushed. Derek Jacobi was an excellent choice and narrates it beautifully. Of course.

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1 person found this helpful