The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien
fantasy, children
copyright 1937
re-read in October 2015
rated 8/10: really quite good
Did I forget to review The Hobbit ?! Tsk tsk :-( I first read The Hobbit many, many years ago. Read it again. And again... Three or four times, perhaps. Not nearly as many re-readings as for Lord of the Rings ! It's a different book... a different style of book.
The Hobbit introduces, well, hobbits. It served as an introduction -- a back-story -- to Lord of the Rings. I understand that The Hobbit was written and published first, then revised to match the "following" book. No matter...
The Hobbit is a standalone children's fairy story. The story and the style are for children. The world (Middle Earth), the races of people, the geography, mythology and history -- are solid Tolkien. This book adds depth to the Rings world, though it is not essential reading.
It is a children's fantasy but it may be enjoyed by adult readers. It is not written "down" to children.
The Hobbit is also... you may have guessed :-) -- a movie. Or three. In general I prefer books... But I have seen the first of the Hobbit movies. It was not bad... It was interesting to reread The Hobbit after watching the movie...
The movie begins with An Unexpected Party. Most of the guests are dwarves. Watching the movie I thought, once again, the dwarves are the comic relief :-( For a dour and gloomy dwarf, Gimli was very badly treated in the Rings movies.
Then I read the book -- and the dwarves are, indeed, given a very lighthearted treatment ! So the Hobbit movie is now forgiven. (But not the Rings movies.) (And I'm still not happy with the fun but ridiculous battle while floating down the river.)
The Hobbit is an excellent book ! I enjoyed it immensely ! Not the greatest book ever... But a brilliant and enjoyable introduction to the world of the Lord of the Rings !
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Lord grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can & the friends to post my bail when I finally snap!
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