The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Hobbit
Book Review: ......there lived a Hobbit
Summary: 5 Stars
I didn't read any of Tolkien's books until the movies(awesome) came out and made me interested. So I started with The Hobbit. Amazing. The whole book feels like this big classic adventure and its fun to read. It is also very important in setting up The Lord of the Rings books. Gandalf has got to be one the best characters ever created along with Bilbo of course.
There have been many people who have tried to imitate Tolkien's works(Christoper Paolini who wouldn't know originality if it broke his nose) is one example. And sadly no one has made fantasty equal to The Hobbit, Narnia is close but not quite as good. Because if someone did make a fantasty equal to The Hobbit we could have the joy of reading another book that captures your imagination and takes you to another world.
Book Review: A Classic Fantasy for Kids and Grown-Ups
Summary: 5 Stars
I've got six years worth of seventh grade students in Stafford, Virginia, who could tell you as well as I could why no one should go through life without reading this timeless tale. But, as they are not sitting here at the computer with me just now, you'll have to take my word for that.
By now, most of the civilized western world knows that The Hobbit is the prelude to The Lord of the Rings (which is even better, yet more accessible by older teens and adults than by children). I've always told the kids that I teach who read Harry Potter (and I'm a Potter fan, too), that when they're ready to "graduate their reading", The Hobbit is the next step. It has all the appeal of the best in "young" fiction, but it is absolutely "literary", too, in the most classic sense of that word. And well it should be. J.R.R. Tolkien was a student and teacher of linguistics himself, and his love of history (over allegory) is omnipresent in all of his works, not least in The Hobbit.
It's the story of an unlikely and reluctant hero, Bilbo Baggins, who is unceremoniously roped into an adventure with thirteen dwarves. Their goal: traverse the whole of the Wilderlands in Northern Middle Earth to the Lonely Mountain, defeat a dragon who stole the dwarves' treasure, and reclaim the kingdom under the mountain as their own.
What follows is largely episodic in nature, as the first half of the book chronicles the various dangers and respites along the way (one per chapter until they reach the mountain itself). By chapter 8, not only have you met hobbits, dwarves, and wizards, you've outwitted trolls, dined with elves, evaded goblins, avoided being eaten alive by a nasty little subterranean fiend named Gollum, been rescued from the tops of burning trees by flying eagles, befriended a were-bear, and hacked down an army of giant spiders. And then, just when you've taken a breath, you realize the book is only half done ...
To give any more away would be simply gratuitous. If you're a kid, read The Hobbit. If you're an adult, read The Hobbit. If you're a highly intelligent family pet, read The Hobbit.
(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, the author of a horror novel called "Teeth".)
Book Review: A Fair tale........
Summary: 5 Stars
If you have read the lord of the rings and been wondering how the hobbit came across the ring,then here is your book.
when I reached a couple chapters I asked myself the question"hey,why are I reading this,I am a sci-horror-fantasy reader,not fairy tale"..and I decided to stop reading.
I must admit,the story line is good and wonderful.But not for horror readers.
The story line is simple:It tells how the hobbit,Bilbo Baggins came across the Ring,after being called by Gandalf(the wizard) and a bunch of homeless dwarfs.It shows the obstacles they encounter on their journey and the challenges they face.Along with the knowledge they gain.Also there is a very scary dragon in this story.
The plot is simple and the book is short.
It contains everything children would look for in a fairy tale book:Elves,hobbits,ghouls,Wizards,trolls and lots more.
So,despite the fact that I didn't like this book I must recommend it to you,if you are a fantasy/fairy tale reader.
Book Review: A Great Adventure For Old and Young
Summary: 5 Stars
A master of language, Tolkien certainly worked his magic on my four children, ages two to nine. They sat with rapt attention as I read The Hobbit aloud to them. After an hour of reading, they begged for more stories about Gandalf, Bilbo, and the dwarves.
Bilbo's adventures serve as the field experience his education was lacking. On the road with the dwarves, he develops his talents spurred on by Gandalf's confidence in him. His courage, character, and creativity grow throughout the book as Bilbo faces trolls, spiders, elves, and finally the dragon. In the end, Gandalf observes that Bilbo has truly become a new hobbit through his adventures.
Book Review: A fascinating look into Tolkien's creative process
Summary: 5 Stars
What a fascinating look into the creative process for "Middle Earth" this book provides! It's the first of Tolkien's works set in that realm, and it introduces characters he later tweaked to suit his needs in writing The Lord of the Rings. The first look at Gollum is a real treat, and so is the overall setup for the universe of the later trilogy. Dwarves, elves, trolls, goblins and hobbits...oh, my!
Compared to the complex "Rings" books, this one tells a simple and straightforward tale. Its violence and general scariness level is about the same as most traditional fairy tales, making it suitable for most children although decidedly unsuitable for kids who get nightmares easily (I was one of those myself - "Hansel and Gretel" absolutely freaked me out). Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who lives contentedly in a very comfortable hobbit hole, welcomes first a wizard named Gandalf and then a band of noisy, hungry, demanding dwarves into his home. Before he knows it, he's been swept up in their quest to reclaim an ancestral treasure - a quest that takes him far away, on a journey from which he may never return.
My well-meaning friend who suggested giving this book a miss, "Because it's just for children," apparently has far different tastes than I do. What fun!