Farmer Giles of Ham

By: J. R. R. Tolkien

Narrated by: Derek Jacobi

Length: 1 hr and 47 mins

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

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.

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.

Worth a listen!

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

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!

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.

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.

Fun

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

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.

Wondeful

Certainly a pleasure to hear. Well written By J.R.R. Tolkien and bautifully performed by Derek Jacobi.

A fantastic little story

This was a fantastically fun little story to listen to, quite entertaining. The narration was very good and I quite lost myself in the tale.

Great little book

sort sweet under two hours great for a short flight or train plus it has a dragon and a farmer

Yes

I loved it. It was engaging and vibrant right to the end. I may listen to it again.

My favourite book!

Loved this audio book ever since I was little, and still get much enjoyment from it even into my twenties, I think this book is incredibly overlooked. It is a fantastic piece of Tolkien; if not his best short story. The narrator portrays the books very well, with a relaxing but engrossing tone.

A cracking tale, beautifully read.

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

This is entertaining: amusing and enthralling; a well crafted and well written tale with a perceived depth to it that JRR had a way of producing. Derek Jacobi reads it so very well: his voices and the pace of his reading are spot on, a real joy that I have listened to many times on long car journeys. I only wish that it were longer.

What about Derek Jacobi’s performance did you like?

DJ's acting skills are well known, but this combination of voice acting and narration is a wonderful performance and a joy to listen to. I can at one time lose myself in the story a dn just go along with it and at another time listen to his reading of it and enjoy it on that level alone. Really very good indeed.

Entertaining story presumably for children

... good enough to entertain adults.
the well-rounded characters so Tolkien has made are very believable and very lifelike.
Whilst I had the audible books subscription going for 2 years I gained a number of credits and was not sure what books to use all of the tokens on. I am glad that I got this story.
A tale about a man with both good luck and the wits about him to make sure he gets the best out of situations.
Throughout the story you grow to like this character.
By the end you are half believing that it may be based on some truth. Tolkien has made reality from fiction.

Super cute

It’s one of those stories people should read to their kids if they like dragons and trolls and adventure xx it’s very sweet and also this narration is adorable x

Famer Giles & The Dragon

Great story from Tolkien, Chrysophylax is a memorable dragon to be sure. Discovering these faerie tales has been brilliant.