Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkein


This one is tricky to review

Originally submitted for publication in 1937 (but rejected). Finally published in 1998.

When reviewing a piece of children's literature, especially a piece by a world-famous author and one that was originally created, not for the general public but to console his young son on the loss of a beloved toy, how can you be fair? Do you let the reputation of the author boost the score? Do you judge this book by the standard of his other books?
Since I have two small children, I decided to judge Roverandom by comparing it to the other children books that I have been reading lately. By that standard, Roverandom comes off as a solid 3 star book. There is little character development - the emphasis is on a fast-moving plot and plenty of inside family references that are covered in the introduction.

This is not a prequel to The Hobbit, but it is a quick, fun read with lots of emphasis on fantasy.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: Roverandom

 I rate this one 3 stars out of 5.

 Reviewed on November 27, 2010.

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