The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien
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Book Reviews of The Hobbit
Book Review: Great Intro to Tolkien's Work
Summary: 5 Stars
An enthralling tale of Bilbo and his epic adventure, "The Hobbit" lets the reader explore the wonders of Tolkien's mythological Middle Earth. A prequel to "Lord of the Rings" (which I have already read), "The Hobbit" provides a much lighter tone than his more famous epic trilogy, but also provides the same wonder and excitement. "The Hobbit" may be more of a children's novel, but it sets the stage for his more ambitious Middle Earth trilogy, and is anything but childish in its storytelling.
"The Hobbit" is a great introduction to Tolkien's Middle Earth and the rich tapestry of legends and songs that imbue a sense of aura to his world. Tolkien knows how to pique the imagination, and his vivid descriptions of dragons, elves, goblins, and the like let the reader's imagination run wild. Yes, this may be geared toward children, but any adult will thoroughly enjoy this reading as well.
Perhaps Tolkien's most important lesson is that it does not take a strong, valiant warrior to become a hero. Indeed, Bilbo is the antitheses of a typical hero, being small of stature, pudgy, and reluctant to explore the world. Yet, when all the chips are down, it is this brave little hobbit who turns the epic quest of ancient treasure from mere certain death to an opportunity for success. Sure, he didn't single-handedly deliver the goods or slay the dragon, but he provided an instrumental part to their success, a success that seemed nearly impossible at the onset.
Tolkien also warns about the effect of money and greed. As the dwarves (with Bilbo's aforementioned help) are ready to claim the spoils of their victory, their intense longing for treasure turns into unabashed greed. Indeed, if not for an outside event, this greed would have caused them to war against their allies. Even Bilbo is tempted by the treasures and outright steals a priceless jewel. It seems that no one is immune to the allure of treasure and gold.
Overall, this is a great introduction to Tolkien's work. And, unlike myself, I would recommend reading this novel first before delving into the "Lord of the Rings."
Book Review: Mind Numbing
Summary: 1 Stars
Bilbo Baggins is a Hobbit, a creature unlike anything in our world. He is small and furry but acts quite human. He lives in a little house in the side of a hill and he treasures his home, his quiet, his regular meals, and his boring life. Then one day an ancient magician, Gandalf, appears at his door. He starts Bilbo on a fantastic adventure.
This adventure mainly has to do with a group of dwarves who used to live in a fantastic kingdom underneath a huge mountain far away, where they would mine for gold and precious gems and turn them into lovely works of art. At the height of their power, a dragon swooped in, killed the dwarves inside of the mountain, scattered the rest, and took up residence inside the mountain, hoarding all of the gold and gems for itself.
One of the dwarves who shows up on Bilbo's doorstep after Gandalf's visit is the grandson of the king under the mountain. He is determined to get his rightful kingdom back, by journeying to the mountain and getting rid of the dragon.
Gandalf tells the dwarves that Bilbo is a brilliant burglar and will make an excellent addition to their traveling company, and the dwarves bring the timid creature along with some reluctance. Over the course of their long journey, though, as the mountain gets closer and the dangers get worse, the company learns to respect Bilbo more, and he learns what he is truly capable of achieving.
This story contains lots of plot twists and dangerous situations. I can also appreciate that much of today's fantasy has built off of what Tolkien wrote. However, I hated the story. I found it mind-numbingly dull. There was little character development, especially in the dwarves. They had no individual personalities, which made me unconcerned for their well-being. I thought Bilbo was one of the most irritatingly weak and whiny characters in all of literature, which made me even less concerned about this story having a happy ending.
Book Review: MY REVIEW OF "THE HOBBIT"
Summary: 4 Stars
REVIEW ON "THE HOBBIT" by J.R.R. Tolkien
As reviewed by Ross Richard
Within the first minutes reading this book, I knew it was going to be one of the best books I have ever read! I think this was a great story. I had to share how I felt about it with all of you. I feel that people who like to read fantasy, or about adventures, would enjoy this book (I recommend reading the back cover before buying the book). My personal reason I enjoyed this book is because it was about an adventure, I love to read about adventures. The story takes place in Middle Earth, in an area called "The Shire." The main characters are Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and Thorin Oakenshield. The main idea of this story is about Thorin Oakenshield, a group of dwarves, Bilbo (a hobbit), and Gandalf (a wizard) achieving a quest. The quest is about the group trying to slay a dragon that took Thorin's treasure, and the dangers they encountered.
One of the most exciting parts (my opinion) is when Bilbo has a dream about getting kidnapped by goblins and when he wakes up it happens! My favorite part about this book is when Bilbo and the dwarves get kidnapped by goblins and they lose Gandalf! (Gandalf, the wizard, has been protecting and guiding the troop to the destination point, you have to read it to find out). The reason I like this part is because it is very exciting and suspenseful, I couldn't wait to find out what happened.
This book was written by J.R.R Tolkien. He also wrote many other books. The best known were the "Lord of the Rings series." There are the sequels of what Bilbo's nephew and a group with him accomplish in Middle Earth. I think if you don't like stories that are fiction, to not buy this book, unless your teacher makes you read during the summer!
Book Review: Adventures of Bilbo Bagins with Thorin and Co.
Summary: 4 Stars
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is a great book "you read before bed". I would recommend this for ages 10+. You could also say that there are three different climaxes, in the beginning, middle, and end, so this is a long, detailed book. The plot is detailed and is a classic example of fantasy literature. The book starts at the house of Bilbo Bagins, which is in a place where houses are built in hills and the people are very short or hobbits. His peaceful life is shattered by a party of dwarves and a wizard who takes Bilbo on a adventure through the Misty Mountains: with cold winters and hordes of evil goblins, Mirkwood: a forest where giant spiders and bloodthirsty elves live, and last, the Lonely Mountain, where a great treasure is guarded by the dangerous dragon, Smaug. Soon a series of events lead to the ultimate treasure hunt for an unsuspecting Bilbo Bagins. But as interesting as the settings are, it is the characters that bring the reader inside the story.
One of the main characters is Bilbo Bagins. Bilbo is short so he is shy and wants to look big at times, yet he is shy in most other scenes. Gandalf is the wizard of the party and is the wisest. He saves the party many times and is a great negotiator. Thorin and the many other dwarves are the others in the party. They are seen as a bit short, fat, but strong warriors. Thorin and the other dwarves love the adventure and each one has unique traits that give the story a variety. Many of these characters bring the reader inside the story, and combined with the setting makes The Hobbit a classic fantasy.
All in the fun, classic fantasy book "you read before bed" The Hobbit.
Book Review: The worst piece of writing ever!
Summary: 1 Stars
I almost worshipped JRR before I read The Hobbit! I am a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings not only because of the intricate plot and the plethora of characters but also the stylized writing and the "invention" of a "language" with its relevant syntax and the fantastic, garagantuan history of all the characters.
Where LOTR has all this and more to offer, The Hobbit comes across as a badly written tale with no sense of pace or plot. It is the most abyssmal plodding reading possible! I can't imagine the audience for whom the book was written-is it children? ... because it is terribly juvenile and silly [but definitely not in an enjoyable way-mostly annoying and idiosyncratic]...but if the target audience IS children, the stylized writing and archaic use of English completely upsets that purpose! And it can most definitely not be for an adult audience for it has nothing to offer to the current generation of fantasy readers.
If you haven't read it and are thinking of buying it-my suggestion would be that you don't!
And btw the foreword and backpage comments from famous authors mention that it is an exercise in "escapism" which is what the fantasy genre was called back when the book was written...please spare yourself. If you have children, please buy them Artemis Fowl or Pendragon or any of the Issac Assimov books. If you read fasntasy for your own pleasure-ditto. But then again LOTR is an undisputed masterpiece. I apologize for this trenchant review...but I was horribly disappointed that someone of the stature of JRR can write something so unpalatable!