{"product_id":"smith-of-wootton-major","title":"Smith of Wootton Major","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSmith of Wootton Major \u003c\/i\u003eis one of J.R.R. Tolkien's major pieces of short fiction and his only finished work dating from after the publication of \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat began as a preface to \u003cem\u003eThe Golden Key\u003c\/em\u003e by George MacDonald eventually grew into this charming novella, so named by Tolkien to suggest an early work by P. G. Wodehouse. Composed almost a decade after \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings, \u003c\/i\u003e and when his lifelong occupation with \u003ci\u003eThe Silmarillion\u003c\/i\u003e was winding down, \u003ci\u003eSmith of Wootton Major \u003c\/i\u003ewas the product of ripened experience and reflection. It was published in 1967 as a small hardcover, complete with charming black and white illustrations by Pauline Baynes, and would be the last work of fiction to be published in Tolkien's own lifetime.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis enchanting tale of a wanderer who finds his way into the perilous realm of Faery is being published once again in paperback. Contained here are many intriguing links to the world of Middle-earth, as well as to Tolkien's other tales, and this new edition is enhanced with a facsimile of the illustrated first edition, a manuscript of Tolkien's early draft of the story, notes and an alternate ending, and a lengthy essay on the nature of Faery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJ.R.R. Tolkien\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Lord of the Rings, \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Silmarillion\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over sixty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Morrow \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67661288079670,"sku":"9780063580138","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/2301\/7526\/files\/imageloader_07da9adf-f78d-457b-8d32-a9b959b4dc39.jpg?v=1791489641","url":"https:\/\/www.summerbeambooks.com\/products\/smith-of-wootton-major","provider":"Summer Beam Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}