Roverandom

By: J. R. R. Tolkien

Narrated by: Derek Jacobi

Length: 2 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Tolkien’s acclaimed modern classic ‘fairie’ tale, read by Derek Jacobi.

While on holiday in 1925, four-year-old Michael Tolkien lost his beloved toy dog on the beach at Filey in Yorkshire. To console him, his father, J.R.R.Tolkien, improvised a story about Rover, a real dog who is magically transformed into a toy and is forced to seek out the wizard who wronged him in order to be returned to normal.

This charming tale, peopled by a sand-sorcerer and a terrible dragon, by the king of the sea and the Man-in-the-Moon, went through several drafts over the years. Now, many years on, the adventures of Rover – or, for reasons that become clear in the story, ‘Roverandom’ – are performed by Sir Derek Jacobi.

©1998 The J.R.R. Tolkien Copyright Trust (P)1998 HarperCollins UK

Critic reviews

‘This is an old-fashioned story, yet it still speaks freshly today… would leap to life when read aloud to a child’ Independent

‘Lord of the Rings buffs will enjoy picking out bits of Nordic mythology and will relish Tolkien’s fabulous sense of landscape’ The Times

A Classic, Well Read Story

I’ve probably listened to this story hundreds of times by now after having it on audiocassette as a child, and this port to Audible does keep all of the charm and makes it easier than ever to listen to again and again.

Roverandom is a wonderfully whimsical tale of adventure, highly enjoyable throughout the entire story.

jocobi

jocobi has quite a soothing voice yet not monotone at all, which is a very good thing for me as bought around 7 stories at least read by him from Tolkien collection

Magical Children's story

The narration by Derek Jacobi brings this story to life in the most wonderful way. I love the fact that Tolkien wrote this story for his son as a form of comfort. It reminds me of his Father Christmas stories with all the warmth and charm a father processes. wonderful for children. and the child at hart that has never grown up.

So fun!

This was just so cute, sweet, and adorable! The story was very simple seeing how it was written for children, but I love a simple, enjoyable read now and then that I don't have to think too hard about, and this fit the bill perfectly. I recommend it to anyone who thinks a story about a dog who gets turned into a toy after biting a wizard's pants, and then goes on adventures everywhere from the moon to the ocean, sounds fun.

Cute!

This is a fun, short listen. It is obviously meant for children and it is a nice reminder of how stories used to be told. The narrator does a wonderful job of making me feel like being told a fantastical story.

A wonderful tale

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this audio book to anyone with young children who would like an excellent tale for a bedtime story. Let's face it most children's stories out there are pathetic. This is a brilliant story and is well written by Tolkien (originally for his own children). The narration is also well done.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Roverandom?

When the September's tail is bitten.

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

I have listened to his narration of Tolkien 's Father Christmas Letters and that was great as well, but can be a little slow. Derek Jacobi is an excellent narrator.

The Father Tolkien and His Love for His Children

First, I think it's important to state that I think this is a good children's fantasy story--period. There's no need to summarize since the publisher's description does that for you. And while I generally write analytical reviews of fiction, this time I want to offer something a little different--something of which listeners may be unaware.

This small story reveals the love and heart Tolkien had for his children. While most of his stories were conceived in the midst of his family, Roverandom has particular interest because they had just lost their dog, Rover. He had run away from home, and (I imagine) in the midst of the tears that his children shed, Tolkien sat them down and said, "Now let me tell you about Rover, and where he's gone off to, and what he's been doing all these days." And thus commences a fantastical adventure in Tolkien-fashion with small tidbits of mythological explanation that bring our own world to life. It is clever and comforting.

A note on the narration: well done. Occasionally when the voices of particular persons/creatures come into my ears I cringe because of the pitch or the extenuated 's' sounds, but I have sensitive ears. I recognize that these voices bring the characters to life in a way I imagine Tolkien himself did around the fireside.

Audible 20 Review Sweepstakes Entry

A lovely tale

A pleasure to listen to and will be read to all children as bedtime stories.

A beautiful not-well-known children’s story

There is no finer narrator than David Jacobi.
He brings this JRR Tolkien story to life with a strong confident flawless performance.
A little dog, a magician, dragons, mermaids and the man on the moon... Ingredients for a beautifully written story.

Wonderful almost beyond belief

A wise, playful, intensely imaginative tale from Professor Tolkien, not oversimplified (as many stories for younger people are) but full of personalities and incidents, read by the *best possible* reader of such a full tale. Mr Jacobi's expressive vocal richness and wealth of sincerity make the story *leap* into life.

Outstanding. Absolutely outstanding.