Leaf by Niggle

A charming short story by J.R.R. Tolkien which surprised me in how quickly I grew to like the character who, at first, seemed to portray some of the less desirable aspects of kindness that I see in myself. He is a character who is “kind-hearted” but finds himself at times frustrated by “interruptions” of people asking favours of him, especially considering the fact that he is always, maybe a little *too* willing to help people at his own expense. The conclusion of this book brought some tears to my eyes and I am reminded why Tolkien is one of my favourite authors.

A simply-written and poignant story about an artist who can never finish his work due to distractions, but after a "long journey" (to what I assume represents the afterlife), he is able to work on his art in a place where it has come to life. It's nice to read a short story by Tolkien unrelated to Lord of the Rings.
Note: I wonder if the part in the hospital/prison, before he reaches his final destination (the "next stage"), is supposed to be symbolic of Purgatory. Just a thought.

I read Leaf by Niggle in preparation for teaching a course on J.R.R. Tolkien. Originally written in 1938-39 and 1st published in 1945, this short story speaks to our own time, particularly to the devaluation of the arts and humanities in our society. In the story, Niggle spends all his time painting a huge canvas of trees and their leaves, neglecting his house and interrupted only by the need to help his neighbors. Perhaps a bit like Tolkien himself in his creation of an elaborate new mythology, the picture just keeps growing, and Niggle is not sure when it will be done. In Kafka-esque manner, various administrators pass judgement on him, much like university administrators and politicians judge the humanities today: the town councillor show more says Niggle is "a silly little man...no use to Society at all...No practical or economic use," and dismisses his art as "private day-dreaming." Yet Niggle creates a marvelous world, full of the beauty of nature, a world that in the end gives him and his neighbors great pleasure. This story speaks to us in the voice of one of the great creative minds of the 20th century, reminding us that there is more to life than business and economic production. The arts and humanities enhance our world, free us to see things from different perspectives, and give us hope. show less

Although Tolkien famously disliked allegory, this short story obviously is one. Niggle is an artist who starts his Opus Magnus by painting one leaf, but then the picture starts growing bigger and bigger. There are more and more leaves, it becomes a marvelous tree, the tree is part of a great forest, there are beautiful landscapes behind the forest and so on... Niggle loses himself in the details and cannot come to an end. This is complicated further because there are endless disturbances by things that are unimportant to Niggle. Especially his neighbor is ever pestering him with tasks where he needs support, and one day Niggle goes to town in the pouring rain to fetch something for his neighbor. Niggle becomes ill afterwards, and that show more changes everything.

This is a strange and curious story that borrows strongly from the Christian faith and topics of purgatory and paradise. It is fun and interesting to read, but you need an open mind because a lot of it is unexpected. Sometimes I would have liked to have a bit more of an explanation of what is happening. I love, however, how the story enables us to understand a bit more of Tolkien's writing process and of how he felt about his works. His love for trees and nature also clearly shines through it.

This edition includes an afterword by renowned Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey (it is an extract from a commentary on one of the collections). This afterword greatly enhances the understanding of the story. show less

Lovely allegory of the artist's journey. Moral of the story: get on with it!

"As with all short stories, this one expands in the imagination. Might oaks from tiny acorns, indeed."

This was the blurb to my Leaf by Niggle by The Times, and I don't think there is a better review written or can I conjure myself of this great little tale. Words fail to capture a shard of the love I have for this story. I simply adore it to death.

Read it without fear. You will not be disappointed.

breve e delizioso