The Hobbit

J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings Part #0.5

Summary:

Whisked from his comfortable hobbit-hole by Gandalf the wizard and a band of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon...

Plot:

This is one of the books that are always seen on must-read lists, and now I understand why. A great story, full of adventure and danger and magical creatures , this book probably inspired many, if not most, of the great fantasy writers of our time. The author’s style can be compared to C.S. Lewis’, although this book proved a quote I have disliked from Roald Dahl’s Matilda, namely that C.S. Lewis doesn’t use enough humour to keep children interested. As a big fan of The Chronicles of Narnia, I have never agreed with this statement, however The Hobbit may have changed my mind. While I still love Narnia I now see what some light, funny moments can bring to a book like this. All that I disliked about this story is the ending, it was slightly disappointing after the whole journey Bilbo made.

Characters:

None of the main characters are heroes, it says somewhere in the book, and this is true. Bilbo prefers his little hobbit-hole to the great unknown, and is rather reluctant to go on an adventure. The dwarves may be brave and loyal, but they have many faults, some of which make them slightly unlikable at times. Gandalf is probably the only character who could be described as heroic, since he always seems to be saving the day. All the magical creatures are fascinating, and inventive, but there aren’t too many of them, so it never gets too confusing.

Who should read this:

10+, there is some violence, but I don’t feel like it’s too graphic for younger readers. This was written with children in mind, however the author’s style of writing may make it harder for kids to read. If you’re a fantasy fan, you should probably have read this already. I also agree that this is a book to put on anyone’s must read list, since it, and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, inspired so many other great fantasy works.

My rating:

I really, really enjoyed this book. If it weren’t for the ending, which was slightly disappointing, to me at least, I would have added it to my favourites. However, I will be reading it again, because I feel like you would discover something new every time you read this. 4/5

Quote:

It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.