Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit-hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to take part in an adventure from which he may never return.
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Customer Rating: Summary: Some clunky prose from the Father of Fantasy Comment: I know it's heresy to give Tolkien anything less than a 5. He is the undisputed Lord and Master of the contemporary fantasy genre, from whom all subsequent attempts are somehow derivative. No one has since been able to write speculative fiction without owing Tolkien a great debt. But, while Middle Earth is certainly more complex than Hogwarts, those who sneered at JK Rowling's godawful prose stylings might want to take a look back at Tolkien's first novel. Customer Rating: Summary: Simply a Wonderful Story Comment: The Hobbit is a prelude to the epic The Lord of the Rings, but it still stands quite well on its own. This story tells of the finding of the Ring of Power, though at the time it seems a mere piece of luck and comes in quite handy for Bilbo during his adventure. More important to this story is the journey of Bilbo and the dwarves toward their ancient home, the Lonely Mountain, where Smaug the dragon sits atop their hoard of treasure. Always, the goal of reaching the mountain and reclaiming the gold (somehow) is foremost in their minds, even though they become sidetracked several times along the way. This is a perfect adventure story, ideal for reading to children or for anyone of any age. Bilbo, a seemingly insignificant person of a seemingly insignificant race of people, is a wonderful hero, as he finds that he possesses more courage and wits than he ever imagined. This is one of those books that everyone should read, if not for its relevance to the Middle-earth saga, but also because it's simply a wonderful story. Customer Rating: Summary: Bilbo: Not an Everyman Comment: This is a wonderful book to read out-loud. I dont' think I had ever read this before. I know it was assigned reading in middle school, but I never read it then. I have a strong anti-authoritarian streak evidently.
I found that Bilbo was quite engaging, as he is somewhat like myself. He likes to eat, and entertain, but doesn't much like uninvited guests. When Bilbo gets a call from a childhood acquaintence, Gandalf the wizard, he gets quite a party of uninvited visitors that accompany Gandalf the next day for tea. The party sets in motion a most tumultuous adventure which is not very hobbit like.
Throughout his adventure with the thirteen dwarves, Bilbo grows from a squirming dunderhead in leading his comrades into danger with the trolls, to the fearless leader whilst conversing with a dragon. He proves his bravery many times over. Despite the growth of his testicular fortitude, he remains a humble being. Which is a trait that is perhaps lacking in myself.
Some people can go over the top with humility, and in their baseness turn humility into self-depreciation. This Bilbo never does, and I am glad of it. He does not boast of his successes, nor does he lament to long on his follies. The hobbit is too balanced for the everyman appeal, but is fun nonetheless. Customer Rating: Summary: My favorite fantasy. Comment: I would have to say this and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy is the best fantasy out there. I loved the movies. Customer Rating: Summary: Book Review: The Hobbit Comment: Most of us have seen or read the lord of the rings, but have you ever wondered what happened before this? Well, you can find out by reading The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. This story is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins and how an adventure changes him and the rest of middle earth.
In the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is met by a wizard named Gandalf, who sends him on an adventure with thirteen dwarves: Thorin, Balin, Dwalin, Dori, Nori, Fili, Kili, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Bifuf, Bofur, and finally, Bombur. These 14 companions are sent on a quest to travel to the Lonely Mountain for the purpose of regaining the dwarves' treasure from the evil dragon, Smaug. On this journey, they will travel across the Misty Mountains, through the Goblin Caves and into the Dark Forest of Mirkwood. They will encounter Elves, Men, Goblins and various creatures of all sorts as they travel across Middle Earth.
One such event occurred soon after they left the Shirt. This encounter was with a group of three trolls. After hearing noises in the forest, the dwarves sent Bilbo to investigate. When he did, he found that the trolls were eating. So, he tried to steal from them while they were distracted, but was caught in the act. While a prisoner of the trolls, the dwarves, hearing the commotion, gave themselves away by trying to save Bilbo, causing them to be bagged and thrown by the fire. The trolls then started arguing on how to cook the dwarves and the hobbit. Little did the trolls know, Gandalf was hiding in the bushes where he kept the argument going by disguising his voice as their own. Gandalf kept them arguing until daybreak, knowing that trolls cannot survive sunlight and turn to stone. When daybreak arrived the trolls failed to seek cover from the sun and indeed turned into stone. After this, Bilbo and Gandalf freed the dwarves who were cranky, angry and upset from being in the sack all night. This was just one of many adventures in Professor Tolkien's book The Hobbit.
This story has many strengths. I believe the biggest is how Professor Tolkien paints a picture of the character's surroundings. An example is: "The lands opened wide about him, filled with the waters of the river which broke up and wandered in a hundred winding courses, or halted in marshes and pools dotted with isles on every side." Another strength is how he leads up to an action scene. An example of this is how he has the dwarves and Bilbo wandering around Mirkwood, chasing lights before they actually get to the spider colony where a battle follows. A third strength is how the author uses song to relate to scenes or stories written the book. An example is from the beginning of the story, when the dwarves are all gathered at Bilbo's house. During this time, Bilbo gets anxious about the dwarves no being gentle with his belongings. So Tolkien ha the dwarves sing a song about breaking his plates when they clean up after a meal. Evan though this is a great book, it does have some weaknesses. One weakness is how the book has more narration then dialogue. An example of this is how Tolkien focuses more upon Bilbo's thoughts during a conversation that he is having than the conversation itself.
This book is similar to other fairy tale/medieval novels. This is because of the creatures, weapons, and technologies used. Also, they have castles and every "kingdom" is for the most part independent and uncaring of one another. It is different from these types of novels because this story is used more as a prologue to The Lord of the Rings than a full story in and of itself.
I believe The Hobbit was written for all audiences. Although there can be big words and weird phrases, even young readers would enjoy this wonderful story. The genre of this book is fantasy. I know this because this book has many wonderful fictions characters and places in it. There is no other book in comparison to this one (with the exception of The Lord of the Rings).
Ultimately, I believe The Hobbit is one of the best books I've ever read. I think this is because it's written very descriptively and the storyline is amazing. If you enjoy adventure and action, you should read this book.
