The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Hobbit
Book Review: History 101: the Hobbit- the World's First Self Help Book
Summary: 5 Stars
There are several important facts to remember in history: the first being the signing of the Magna Carta, the first movement towards democracy; the second is the rise and fall of the Roman Empire; the third is the Declaration of Independence in 1776; and lastly is the creation of The Hobbit. Now, the reader of this might be questioning the validity of this statement, however, in every case a new "empire" rises to introduce something so revolutionary that it shakes the foundation of the Planet itself. Understandably, overthrowing tyranny, introducing governments for the people, and building understanding for all that is good in the face of evil mark monumental events in history. Unlike previously mentioned events, The Hobbit is the first book to use fantasy to capture interest in the struggle to overcome pure evil from an underdog. The Hobbit is the world's first view at a self-help book that uses a magical world created by J.R.R. Tolkein to illustrate overcoming adverse odds to learn about the power of the mind and breaking out of the ordinary: in short, a must read.
When reading The Hobbit there are a few key things to remember. A Hobbit is a small person, only about three to four feet in height, with a taste for beer and food, a life without adventure, and normality. Bilbo Baggins represents the boring life of a Hobbit, constantly in uniform behavior with which he is expected to partake in. However, surrounding the land of the Shire, home to Hobbits, lies an immense world filled with goblins, trolls, dwarves, elves, dragons, and other fantastic creatures eager to be explored. Bilbo Baggins is the book's main character and symbol for taking on the unordinary and challenges contemporary theology. Living in Hobbiton, there are key differences between men and Hobbits, all of which Bilbo represents. Hobbits are only about half the size of regular humans, have hairy feet because they do not wear shoes, and are foremost opposed to taking up adventures, much rather preferring to Garden or drink tea. Bilbo's quest into adventure begins with the introduction of Gandalf, the Grey Wizard, and 13 dwarves in search of a `burglar' to accompany them on a mission to hunt out the marauding dragon Smaug, who took their gold and hordes it on Lonely Mountain. Surprised to find himself involved in such a quest, unbecoming of a Hobbit, Bilbo accepts the introduction to the `unexpected party' and heads out of his comfort to the land of Middle Earth.
While on his quest, Bilbo learns about relying on others, himself, and bravery. Bilbo partakes in fighting goblins, tricking trolls, riding upon eagles, and saving his entire band from killer, giant spiders. The themes of the novel and motifs are not very well exhibited, except through Bilbo's narration and the chapter titles, such as "out of the frying pan, into the fire". Through the chapter titles, and Bilbo's personal queries into fighting off creatures unknown in his homeland, the Shire, Bilbo learns the most about himself and displays the book's message: if faced with adversity and doubt, anyone can do anything if they just try and push through the comfort boundaries. Overall, The Hobbit is a wonderful book because it introduces things children and adults can come to enjoy in fantasy, with real world, mature lessons about life that connect to a broad range of readers. Like the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, and Roman Empire, The Hobbit teaches its followers to rise up against the tyranny of doubt and fight for anything previously linked to doubt, a true historical masterpiece of the human spirit and escape to a world of Fantasy.
Book Review: Hobbit
Summary: 3 Stars
It took too long to get to me and there was no way to really track itBook Review: I went there and back again...and back again.
Summary: 5 Stars
I first read this book when I was ten, I thought it was great book and read it again. Just recently I read it AGAIN and it was seemed even better than before. I love this book and I would highly recommend it for any fantasy fan.Book Review: In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit...
Summary: 5 Stars
'The Hobbit', by JRR Tolkien, a book which is known through out the world as being the enchanting prelude to 'The Lord of The Rings' Trillogy. When I first read 'The Hobbit', I was a fourteen year old High School student who had, at that time, not yet learned the true enjoyment of reading. Considered by many to be a book for children, which indeed it is written to be appealing to children, it is also much more than that, in being a wonderfully enjoyable tale for all ages.
Bilbo Baggins was a Hobbit approaching middle age, living a respectable, and comfortable life in is little Hobbit hole. Then Gandalf the Wizard, along with thirteen Dwarves, appeared on his door step for tea one afternoon, and after that meeting, Bilbo's life was changed for ever, as was the fate of Middle Earth. Bilbo endured many adventures during his travels with Thorin Oakenshield and his band of Dwarves, as they quested for the enchanted gold of the Dragon Smaug.
All in all, a wonderful read, a wonderfully written story filled with magical beings that set the imagination to sparkle. I would suggest this book for any child or adult.
RD Williams, author of 'The Lost Gate'
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.