Utopirama!: The Wisdom of the Shire….

Evening all! It’s time once again for the soothing sounds of Utopirama, my semi-regular feature celebrating  contributions to literature that promote a vision of utopia in you, the reader.  This feature focuses on comfort reads – the kind of books with no nasty surprises, that you can confidently pick up when you’re feeling a bit dissatisfied with the state of the world, or have had your fill of zombification/totalitarianism/natural disaster etc etc…

Today’s offering, selected once again by the Marquis de Chuckleworthy (aka Larry), is The Wisdom of the Shire: A Short Guide to a Long and Happy Life from an author by the simultaneously grandiose and hoi polloi-ish name of Noble Smith.  Here is a picture of Mad Martha, snapped very recently reading the aforementioned tome while relaxing in the utopian location of Rainbow Beach, Queensland.

Quick Overview:

For those quick of both eye and wit it will come as no surprise that this book proposes methods for attaining satisfaction from living based on the lifestyle and outlook of those hairy-footed gurus, the Hobbits (found, of course, in the work of J. R. R. Tolkien).  Smith suggests applying careful scrutiny to, and adopting aspects of Hobbity living, such as their enjoyment of good, healthy, homegrown food and alcohol, their penchant for bursting into song and their commitment to friends and countryfolk, as a means to create a peaceful slice of Hobbiton in one’s own hectic, Mordorish world.

Utopian Themes

Eating, Drinking and Being Merry (or Meriadoc, as the case may be)

Cosy Hobbit holes

Communing with nature

The ultimate triumph of good over evil

Protective Bubble-o-meter

5 out of 5 bubbles for the generic cosiness of Hobbit holes

This is a perfect pick-up, put-down, read-a-chapter-every-now-and-again-when-you-need-a-motivational-prod-towards-happiness utopian read.

Until next time,

Bruce

my read shelf: