2017 On Fairy-stories (Commando Solo)

Release Date: 2017.05.13 (tbc)
Readers: Commando Solo
Language: English
Organisation: n/a
ISBN: n/a
Duration: 1 hours 6 minutes
Unabridged: No
Country: USA
Licenced: No
Formats: Digital

Released on YouTube, this is an a fan project and a widely cited and popular audio version of this seminal scholarly work. According to the video description, the essay was edited to remove certain references that the narrator deemed “now-obscure.” Listeners have noted that several long passages from the original text were removed. Specifically, these excised fragments often include Tolkien’s detailed material on mythical lore and his extensive critical observations on Andrew Lang’s fairy books (found in the “Children” section of the essay), as well as many of the original footnotes and endnotes.

Because the Commando Solo version is abridged, it is often compared to the unabridged version provided by Catholic Culture Audiobooks, which runs significantly longer (over 2 hours) and includes the footnotes and analyses that Commando Solo removed. However, for a more streamlined “listenable” version of Tolkien’s core arguments on sub-creation and the “Secondary World,” the Commando Solo reading remains a favourite due to the narrator’s clear and steady delivery.