The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien
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Book Reviews of The Hobbit
Book Review: In the shadow of 'Rings'
Summary: 5 Stars
It's difficult to decide where J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit ranks among the all-time greatest works of fantasy literature. In a manner of speaking, guilt by association is to blame (or thank). A major factor in the success of The Hobbit is its connection with Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The tale of the burglar Bilbo and his Dwarven compatriots' journey to find and slay the dragon Smaug acts as a prelude to Rings, and as such has developed a very unique stigma - it can almost be labeled the black sheep of Tolkien's fantasy universe, relying on The Lord of the Rings for its fame. The original edition of The Hobbit, released in 1937, was even altered to better match the storylines developed in the more recognized Rings series. However, despite these changes (which may or may not have been necessary), The Hobbit is a top-notch fantasy epic through and through. From Gandalf's battle with the mighty cave trolls for Elvish treasure, to Bilbo's battle of wits with the creature Golum, all the way to the Battle of Five Armies, the story is consistently energetic and the characters remain warm and welcoming throughout. What makes The Hobbit truly unique to this day is Tolkien's ability to use the setting of Middle Earth as a tool to weave a story that is unique in its intentions, but parallel to the fantasy epics it sets up.
Many aspects of The Hobbit evolved out of the beliefs and knowledge of its author. J.R.R. Tolkien was an extremely educated man. He was the professor of Anglo-Saxon language and English language and literature at Oxford University for thirty-four years. All of his works of literature reflect his love of language - modern and historical, real and invented (including the beloved Elvish tongue). Tolkien's works were influenced by English and Celtic lore, and Norse and Finnish mythology, but above all he was influenced by a devout belief in Roman Catholicism, as evident by the Christian theology sprinkled throughout his works. This is evident at the close of The Hobbit when Bilbo renounces the treasure offered him at the end of his quest because he has no practical use for too much gold. In other words, he already had everything he needs at The Shire in his warm hobbit hole.
One of the many timeless aspects of The Hobbit is its approachability. People of all ages have read and fallen in love with Tolkien's prelude. This speaks volumes as to the narrative voice with which Tolkien tells the story of a hobbit, a wizard, and thirteen grumbling dwarves. The language used to convey the story is very simple and yet paints a perfect picture in the reader's mind. For example, the riddles Bilbo uses to trick Golem out of his `precious' ring are complex enough to dupe the readers (along with Golem), and yet simple enough to warrant thoughts of "oh man, I should have known that!" In a genre as imagination-driven as fantasy, being able to clearly visualize a world as vivid and complex as Middle Earth is essential to both the plot and the characters, and it is one of the strongest aspects of The Hobbit.
Tolkien's method of storytelling is very similar to the way he employs simple language. Like an inverted funnel, everything starts off simple enough in Bilbo's hobbit hole in The Shire, but it doesn't take long for the characters to find their way into situations that compound upon one another as the story moves along. Without the reader even noticing it, Tolkien takes Bilbo and the dwarves from smoking tobacco in the large region of Eriador to the horrific events at the Battle of Five Armies - that is, from a nothing to an epic. This pacing is best represented towards the book's conclusion when all manners of Goblins and Wargs are closing in on the dwarves, humans, and elves that have taken refuge in the halls of the Misty Mountain. Just as all the energy of the war seems primed to take the book beyond its typical `micro-epic' feel, Bilbo is knocked unconscious, and wakes only after the battle has been concluded. This type of transition is so smooth that, like the book itself, the scope of the War might not be comprehensible to readers until they have completely finished reading the aftermath.
It's a very hard task to find fault in one of the greatest works of fantasy fiction ever written. In fact, the only way to find shortcomings of any kind is by comparing it to the few books in the genre that may have had better reception from the public - including The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter just to name a couple. In this way, once again, it's guilt by association for Tolkien's The Hobbit. The three volume Rings series is the quintessential fantasy epic - well-written characters from all different backgrounds and races traverse alien lands and face unimaginable foes so that they can save the world and their way of life. While some of those elements are present in The Hobbit, they certainly aren't to the same extent that they are explored in Rings. For example, the reader doesn't find out that any piece of land in Middle Earth is in peril until all but the end of Hobbit, whereas Rings is totally devoted to saving the world by destroying the One Ring. Up until the war in The Hobbit, Bilbo, Thorin and his dwarves want nothing more than to find and reclaim a long lost material wealth.
In the end, a reader should never have to choose between any of Tolkien's works - they are all special, all brilliant, and, especially in the case of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, they all complement each other. And while The Hobbit may not have the truly epic feel of Rings, it does achieve a level personal interaction with the reader that the sprawling, conquering epic cannot match.
Book Review: Reader's Choice
Summary: 5 Stars
Looking for a good book to read? If boredom comes knocking at the door, reading The Hobbit is a great excuse for staying put! In 1937, J. R. R. Tolkien wrote this classic book as a prelude to his vision for the upcoming Lord of the Rings series. Originally, The Hobbit was not a well-liked book, but when The Fellowship of the Ring was released, it became exceptionally popular because readers realized that The Hobbit filled a gap. This book recaps in detail events, which the trilogy only brushed upon. Questions are answered. Definitely, The Hobbit will be cherished by new and experienced readers alike.
The story begins. One day, Bilbo's doorbell rang with mysterious, unexpected visitor. Bilbo was a hobbit, which is a creature that looks like a very short human. Living in a forest called the Shire with a large colony of other hobbits, Bilbo lived in a house carved into a small knoll. Hobbits are known for their love of simplicity and dislike of change; however, Bilbo was about to be thrust into an adventure whether he wanted to or not. When he opened the door, he found that his visitor was a wizard named Gandalf. Unquestionably, Gandalf was a good man because he protected the innocent and foiled malicious schemes. After a particularly long discussion, he finally persuaded Bilbo to go questing across the land with him and thirteen dwarfs to rightfully recover an ancient dwarf treasure of gold and silver. Years ago, the treasure had been stolen and hidden in a mountain fortress where it was now guarded by an evil, fire-breathing dragon. Although Bilbo was reluctant to go with Gandalf, the excitement was as exhilarating as the moment when a child learns he or she is going to Disneyland. He was going questing.
Shortly after leaving the Shire, Bilbo and the rest of the travelers encountered the first major obstacle of the time-consuming, tedious trip. To leave the Shire, a traveler would have to travel over a secluded, dangerous mountain, which only had one small, curving road. The travelers were in peril. This road was known to be inhabited by goblins, but no one knew for sure since no one had ever returned; however, the traveler's fears were confirmed. They were separated and ensnared by goblins. While trying to escape, Bilbo stumbled upon an underground lake and found the Ring of Power. For those not familiar with the history of the Ring, the others books go into more detail because the Ring is more important, but the main idea is it makes its wearer invisible. Using the Ring, Bilbo was able to save his friends and allow them all to escape. After traversing and barely surviving an enchanted forest, the travelers were finally at their destination. However, there was still one more challenge ahead of them: the evil, fire-breathing dragon Smaug, who was the guardian of the treasure.
Normally, if a treasure hunter endeavored to enter the ancient mountain stronghold, he would have to survive a passage through a giant wood gate, because it was the only entrance to the city. However, the dwarfs knew of another entrance, which had only been used for a secret escape route. Using this underground entrance and the Ring, the dwarfs, Bilbo, and Gandalf were able to enter without Smaug knowing, or so they thought. When they tried to remove the treasure, the battle began. However, Smaug was not the only one who was fighting the dwarfs. When the Elves and Men who lived in the area heard about the treasure, and that the dwarfs were trying to take it all, they wanted their share. In reality, the treasure belonged to the dwarfs as it had been stolen from them, but the Elves and Men were covetous and wanted more wealth. It would seem that the thirteen Dwarfs, a hobbit, and a lone wizard would be wiped out by the massive armies, but Gandalf's timely intervention saved the party. Because he was up high in the mountain, he could see for miles in a panoramic view. Another army was coming, an army of goblins and dark wolves! Realizing that in order to survive they would have to settle past differences, the Men, Elves, Dwarfs, Gandalf, and Bilbo made up past differences and proceeded to ride to battle. Will Bilbo survive the battle? Will differences be settled? Will good triumph? Reading the book is the only way to find out whether Bilbo and the Ring survive.
Reading The Hobbit is a great activity, which people of all ages will enjoy. After people try to comprehend the original books, they often complain, "The Lord of the Rings trilogy is grueling to read as it is difficult to follow the plotline." The Hobbit is different. Apparently, Tolkien tried hard to make The Hobbit more appealing to a broader audience. The plot is easy to follow and the characters are well explained. Personally, the only thing that this book needs is a movie because the others become great movies, and The Hobbit would probably be even better. When this charismatic fantasy novel has been completely read, any reader will agree that The Hobbit is a great book.
Book Review: Something Neccesary for Language Arts
Summary: 4 Stars
After seeing the epic motion picture trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings" saga can be difficult to picture individually for readers. This happens all to often when the adaption between a book to a movie or play takes place. Luckily for readers of "The Hobbit," the story of Bilbo and his adventures haven't yet had that transformation, and leave us to create a new picture of our own within Middle Earth.
"The Hobbit" is the prelude to the widely known "The Lord of the Rings" series. It is one of few preludes, in my mind, that is actually effective. In the book the reader finds out much about J.R.R. Tolkien's "Middle Earth," and has insight into its following books. This story faintly foreshadows many things that are to take place in the upcoming trilogy. However, for those of you who have read the book amd trilogy, you will have noticed the difference in Tolkiens voice and personality in "The Hobbit."
In my opinion "The Hobbit" is much lighter and not as dramatic as "The Lord of the RIngs." It has serious parts no doubt, but the prelude seems to be more of a pleasing and joyful story, where as the trilogy focuses more on a moral and getting a message across to the reader. I enjoy both reads, but when you are in need of something that will brighten you up and excite your imagination as well, "The Hobbit" is definetely the better way to go
I guess you could also say that's why i enjoyed "The Hobbit" more than most books out at the moment. Lately all authors have been focused on is creating something," brutally honest!" or ,"heart-wrenching!" and ,"so sad i wanted to cry!" Sure, those things are good in some parts of a book, but if all the book your reading does is make you even more sad than you already were... what's the point in reading it? And as for it being "brutally honest,"... well lets just say somethings are better left unsaid,and definetely better left unknown.
As I said earlier, that's what is different about this book though. It seems that Tolkien was simply recording his fantasies about the most appealing and envied life-style we can imagine, then creating a story based around that dream. Then he took it further and created this entrancing tale into a epic saga getting an important and major point across to the readers of the book. The whole collection of stories is simply amazing, and it's hard to believe that one man can come up with all these details and individual tales of fiction.
Enough about the series though, I'd like to talk more about the book at hand. "The Hobbit" starts with an explanation of our good friend Bilbo Baggins and his dwelling within the earth. It takes a moment to explain to us just a little bit about the life-style of a hobbit, and the Shire that they dwell in. The first chapter waists no time introducing the true story however, and after the brief explanation of a hobbit it jumps into the tale. In the next two chapters we have already left the Shire, and surprisingly Bilbo has been accompinied by 13 dwarves and an old wise wizard name Gandalf. In no time at all the reader has entered the Misty Mountains to the West and read as the company of travelers encounter orcs within the mountains.
In the mountains, perhaps the most major part of the book takes place; Bilbo discovers the Ring. With the discovery of the ring, he also comes across an odd creature that later turns out to be known by the name of Gollum. Both of these discoveries are key points with in the entire prelude and trilogy.Once out of the mountains, the company meets a giant of a man named Beorn, and with his warnings proceeds into the Mirkwood Forrest.
The story then goes on to tell of the expeditions capture by the elves of Mirkwood, and their encounter with Dragon, Orc, Goblins, Wolves, and more. To end the book the group of hobbit, wizard, and dwarf ends up with a vast amount of jewls and riches(which was their original goal to start out with) and has Bilbo return to his home in the shire safe, yet not untouched.
Altogether i think the story of Bilbo was successful in being a book new and different for its time. It proved to be a happier and more enjoyable read than almost anything i can think of at this point in the world. And it surely opened up a new world to readers and introduced the magical world of Middle Earth.
Book Review: Something Neccesary for Language Arts
Summary: 4 Stars
After seeing the epic motion picture trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings" saga can be difficult to picture individually for readers. This happens all to often when the adaption between a book to a movie or play takes place. Luckily for readers of "The Hobbit," the story of Bilbo and his adventures haven't yet had that transformation, and leave us to create a new picture of our own within Middle Earth.
"The Hobbit" is the prelude to the widely known "The Lord of the Rings" series. It is one of few preludes, in my mind, that is actually effective. In the book the reader finds out much about J.R.R. Tolkien's "Middle Earth," and has insight into its following books. This story faintly foreshadows many things that are to take place in the upcoming trilogy. However, for those of you who have read the book amd trilogy, you will have noticed the difference in Tolkiens voice and personality in "The Hobbit."
In my opinion "The Hobbit" is much lighter and not as dramatic as "The Lord of the RIngs." It has serious parts no doubt, but the prelude seems to be more of a pleasing and joyful story, where as the trilogy focuses more on a moral and getting a message across to the reader. I enjoy both reads, but when you are in need of something that will brighten you up and excite your imagination as well, "The Hobbit" is definetely the better way to go
I guess you could also say that's why i enjoyed "The Hobbit" more than most books out at the moment. Lately all authors have been focused on is creating something," brutally honest!" or ,"heart-wrenching!" and ,"so sad i wanted to cry!" Sure, those things are good in some parts of a book, but if all the book your reading does is make you even more sad than you already were... what's the point in reading it? And as for it being "brutally honest,"... well lets just say somethings are better left unsaid,and definetely better left unknown.
As I said earlier, that's what is different about this book though. It seems that Tolkien was simply recording his fantasies about the most appealing and envied life-style we can imagine, then creating a story based around that dream. Then he took it further and created this entrancing tale into a epic saga getting an important and major point across to the readers of the book. The whole collection of stories is simply amazing, and it's hard to believe that one man can come up with all these details and individual tales of fiction.
Enough about the series though, I'd like to talk more about the book at hand. "The Hobbit" starts with an explanation of our good friend Bilbo Baggins and his dwelling within the earth. It takes a moment to explain to us just a little bit about the life-style of a hobbit, and the Shire that they dwell in. The first chapter waists no time introducing the true story however, and after the brief explanation of a hobbit it jumps into the tale. In the next two chapters we have already left the Shire, and surprisingly Bilbo has been accompinied by 13 dwarves and an old wise wizard name Gandalf. In no time at all the reader has entered the Misty Mountains to the West and read as the company of travelers encounter orcs within the mountains.
In the mountains, perhaps the most major part of the book takes place; Bilbo discovers the Ring. With the discovery of the ring, he also comes across an odd creature that later turns out to be known by the name of Gollum. Both of these discoveries are key points with in the entire prelude and trilogy.Once out of the mountains, the company meets a giant of a man named Beorn, and with his warnings proceeds into the Mirkwood Forrest.
The story then goes on to tell of the expeditions capture by the elves of Mirkwood, and their encounter with Dragon, Orc, Goblins, Wolves, and more. To end the book the group of hobbit, wizard, and dwarf ends up with a vast amount of jewls and riches(which was their original goal to start out with) and has Bilbo return to his home in the shire safe, yet not untouched.
Altogether i think the story of Bilbo was successful in being a book new and different for its time. It proved to be a happier and more enjoyable read than almost anything i can think of at this point in the world. And it surely opened up a new world to readers and introduced the magical world of Middle Earth.
Book Review: Something Neccesary for Language Arts
Summary: 4 Stars
After seeing the epic motion picture trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings" saga can be difficult to picture individually for readers. This happens all to often when the adaption between a book to a movie or play takes place. Luckily for readers of "The Hobbit," the story of Bilbo and his adventures haven't yet had that transformation, and leave us to create a new picture of our own within Middle Earth.
"The Hobbit" is the prelude to the widely known "The Lord of the Rings" series. It is one of few preludes, in my mind, that is actually effective. In the book the reader finds out much about J.R.R. Tolkien's "Middle Earth," and has insight into its following books. This story faintly foreshadows many things that are to take place in the upcoming trilogy. However, for those of you who have read the book amd trilogy, you will have noticed the difference in Tolkiens voice and personality in "The Hobbit."
In my opinion "The Hobbit" is much lighter and not as dramatic as "The Lord of the RIngs." It has serious parts no doubt, but the prelude seems to be more of a pleasing and joyful story, where as the trilogy focuses more on a moral and getting a message across to the reader. I enjoy both reads, but when you are in need of something that will brighten you up and excite your imagination as well, "The Hobbit" is definetely the better way to go
I guess you could also say that's why i enjoyed "The Hobbit" more than most books out at the moment. Lately all authors have been focused on is creating something," brutally honest!" or ,"heart-wrenching!" and ,"so sad i wanted to cry!" Sure, those things are good in some parts of a book, but if all the book your reading does is make you even more sad than you already were... what's the point in reading it? And as for it being "brutally honest,"... well lets just say somethings are better left unsaid,and definetely better left unknown.
As I said earlier, that's what is different about this book though. It seems that Tolkien was simply recording his fantasies about the most appealing and envied life-style we can imagine, then creating a story based around that dream. Then he took it further and created this entrancing tale into a epic saga getting an important and major point across to the readers of the book. The whole collection of stories is simply amazing, and it's hard to believe that one man can come up with all these details and individual tales of fiction.
Enough about the series though, I'd like to talk more about the book at hand. "The Hobbit" starts with an explanation of our good friend Bilbo Baggins and his dwelling within the earth. It takes a moment to explain to us just a little bit about the life-style of a hobbit, and the Shire that they dwell in. The first chapter waists no time introducing the true story however, and after the brief explanation of a hobbit it jumps into the tale. In the next two chapters we have already left the Shire, and surprisingly Bilbo has been accompinied by 13 dwarves and an old wise wizard name Gandalf. In no time at all the reader has entered the Misty Mountains to the West and read as the company of travelers encounter orcs within the mountains.
In the mountains, perhaps the most major part of the book takes place; Bilbo discovers the Ring. With the discovery of the ring, he also comes across an odd creature that later turns out to be known by the name of Gollum. Both of these discoveries are key points with in the entire prelude and trilogy.Once out of the mountains, the company meets a giant of a man named Beorn, and with his warnings proceeds into the Mirkwood Forrest.
The story then goes on to tell of the expeditions capture by the elves of Mirkwood, and their encounter with Dragon, Orc, Goblins, Wolves, and more. To end the book the group of hobbit, wizard, and dwarf ends up with a vast amount of jewls and riches(which was their original goal to start out with) and has Bilbo return to his home in the shire safe, yet not untouched.
Altogether i think the story of Bilbo was successful in being a book new and different for its time. It proved to be a happier and more enjoyable read than almost anything i can think of at this point in the world. And it surely opened up a new world to readers and introduced the magical world of Middle Earth.