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The Hobbit (Middle-earth Universe)

by J.R.R. Tolkien

4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 · rating details · 1,082,649 ratings · 20,803 reviews

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now...more

Paperback, 351 pages

Published August 15th 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (first published 1937)

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Sep 19, 2009 Ceridwen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: the boy

Recommended to Ceridwen by: Grandma Dory

Shelves: childrens, dragons, fantasy, rule-britannia, what-would-scooby-do, grandparental-overshare, tolkien-uber-alles

I've undertaken to read this to the boy; our first real book with chapters. Richard and I alternate reading at bedtime, so the experience is kind of fractured, but so far I'm loving it. I got to be trolls tonight. I do brilliant trolls.

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When I was six, my dad, who was more the reader-at-nighter of my parents, endeavored to read The Hobbit to me. He got to the part about the giant spiders in Mirkwood, and I promptly lost my damn mind, and begged him to stop reading. He did. My room at the ti...more

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Aug 26, 2008 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Children, parents, all those that stay children in their hearts

Shelves: childrens, fantasy

Some books are almost impossible to review. If a book is bad, how easily can we dwell on its flaws! But if the book is good, how do you give any recommendation that is equal the book? Unless you are an author of equal worth to the one whose work you review, what powers of prose and observation are you likely to have to fitly adorn the work?

'The Hobbit' is at one level simply a charming adventure story, perhaps one of the most charming and most adventurous ever told. There, see how simple that w...more Some books are almost impossible to review. If a book is bad, how easily can we dwell on its flaws! But if the book is good, how do you give any recommendation that is equal the book? Unless you are an author of equal worth to the one whose work you review, what powers of prose and observation are you likely to have to fitly adorn the work?

'The Hobbit' is at one level simply a charming adventure story, perhaps one of the most charming and most adventurous ever told. There, see how simple that was? If you haven't read it, you should, because it is quite enjoyable. At some level, there is little more to say. Enjoy the story as the simple entertainment it was meant to be. Read it to your children and luxuriate in the excitement and joy that shines from their faces. That's enough.

But if it was only simple entertainment, I do not think that it would be anything more than just a good book. Instead, this simple children's story resonates and fascinates. It teases and hints at something larger and grander, and it instructs and lectures as from one of the most subtle intellects without ever feeling like it is instructing, lecturing or being condescending.

At its heart, the complaint I opened the review with is just a variation on one of the many nuanced observations Tolkien makes in 'The Hobbit' when he complains that a story of a good time is always too quickly told, but a story of evil times often requires a great many words to cover the events thereof. How often has that idea fascinated me.

Consider also how the story opens, with Bilbo's breezy unreflective manners which are polite in form but not in spirit, and Gandalf's continual meditation on the meaning of 'Good morning.’ How much insight is concealed within Gandalf's gentle humor! How often do we find ourselves, like Bilbo, saying something we don't really mean and using words to mean something very unlike their plain meaning! How often do we find ourselves saying, "I don't mean to be rude, but...", when in fact we mean, "I very much mean to be rude, and here it comes!" If we did not mean to be rude, surely we wouldn't say what we say. Instead we mean, "I'm going to be rude but I don't want you to think I'm someone who is normally rude...", or "I'm going to put myself forward, but I don't want you to think of me as someone who is normally so arrogant...", or even, "I'm going to be rude, but I don't want to think of myself as someone who is rude, so I'm going to pretend I'm not being rude..."

I think that is what makes this more than just a good book, but a great one. Tolkien is able to gently skewer us for our all too human failings, and he does so without adopting any of the cynicism or self-loathing so common with those that seek out to skewer humanity for its so evident failings.

We fantasize about heroes which are strong and comely of form, and we have for as long as we've had recorded literature. Our comic books are filled with those neo-pagan mythic heroes whose exaggerated human virtues always amount to, whatever else may be true of them, 'beats people up good'. These modern Ajaxs, Helens and Achilles dominate the box office, and I would imagine dominate our internal most private fantasy lives as well. Oh sure, the superhero of our fantasy might have superhuman ethics to go along with his superhuman ability to kick butt, attract the opposite sex, and enforce their will upon others, but it is always attached to and ultimately secondary to our fantasy of power and virility. How different is Tolkien's protagonist from Heracles, Lancelot, Beowulf, or Batman - short, small, mundane, and weak. Of all the principal characters of the story, he possesses probably the least of that quintessential heroic attribute - martial prowess.

And yet, he is not actually merely an 'average Joe'. Bilbo is just as much an exaggerated idealized hero as Heracles, it's just that those attributes in which Bilbo is almost transcendently inhuman isn't the sort of attributes we normally fantasize about having ourselves. Bilbo is gentle. He is simple. He is humble. Power and wealth have little attraction for him. He is kind. He takes less than his share, and that that he takes he gives away. He is a peacemaker. Though wrongly imprisoned, he bears no grudge and desires no vengeance for the wrongs done to him. Rather he apologizes for stealing food, and offers to repay in recompense far more than he took. Though mistreated, he harbors no enmity. He never puts himself forward, but he never shirks when others do.

How often do we fantasize about being this different sort of hero, and yet how much better we would be if we did? How much better off would we be if we, like Thorin could declare in our hearts, "There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." How often is it that we hunger after all the wrong things? What profit would we really have if we had in great measure the power to 'beat people up good'? What real use could we put it too? How much better off would we be individually and as a people if we most desired to be graced with Bilbo's virtues, rather than Achilles speed, strength, and skill with arms? How much less mature does this mere children's book of a well lit-world cause our darker fantasies to seem?

Now, I admit I am biased in my review. I read this book 36 times before the age of 16. I broke the spines of three copies of it with continual reading. Yet in my defense I will say that I'm considered only a moderate fan of the book by many. I've known several devotees of the book who, like the protagonist of Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451', can recite whole chapters from memory - ensuring that this would be one of the few books that would survive the sudden destruction of all the world's technology if only the world's story tellers survived. If you are inclined to think no book can be that good, and that my review overhypes it, so much the better. Go in with low expectations so as to be certain that they will be met or exceeded. Forget all I have said save that, "If you haven't read it, you should, because it is quite enjoyable."
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Dec 28, 2012 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Seak (Bryce L.) by: Mrs. Burrows, my 8th Grade English Teacher

Shelves: fantasy

Amazing.

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The above was my first review of this and really summed things up quite succinctly. Below is actually a review of the first of the trilogy of movies following The Hobbit (kinda).
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There have been lots of thoughts on this movie already, but I felt I needed to add my two cents, because, well, lots of people are just plain wrong.

Okay, maybe people have good reason to be disappointed with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but I wanted to tell you why you shou...more

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May 28, 2007 Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: multiplereads, halcyondaysofmyyouth, post-college, alltimefavorites

There are some days when I actually think that the humble Hobbit is superior to it's bohemoth brother, The Lord of the Rings . It's a much tighter story, and Bilbo is a much more appeal character than is Frodo. I also just love this poem, from The Hobbit

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In h...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Will Byrnes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites-fiction

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

Books exist in time and place and our experience of them is affected by the specific time and place in which we encounter them. Sometimes an uplifting or inspiring book can change the path of a life that has wandered onto a wrong course. Sometimes a book, discovered early on, can form part of the foundation of who we are. Or, discovered late, can offer insight into the journey we have taken to date. Sometimes a book is just a book. But not The Hobbit...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Jason Koivu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, favorites, sci-fi-fantasy

From a hole in the ground came one of my favorite characters of all time, the very reluctant and unassuming hero of the story, Bilbo Baggins. As a child, The Hobbit sparked my young imagination, causing wonderful daydreams and horrible nightmares. As a teen, the book made me want to become a writer of fantastical tales...or go shoeless, live in a hole and smoke a pipe. As an adult, Tolkien's novel maintains within me a link to my childhood, safekeeping cherished memories and evoking everlasting...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: favorites, 2013

Honestly I'm not even sure about how to write this review. How do you review a book that has such an impact on your life, stretching all the way from your childhood? J.R.R. Tolkien was my first, and still is, my favorite author of all time. Ever since 5th grade when I stole my hermano's Lord of the Rings book (all three in one!) and trotted around school reading it every chance I got, even had it taken away once or twice, yeah I was that kid, I loved the world of Middle Earth. While I read The H...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Traveller rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, classics

Maybe one day soon I'll write a proper review of The Hobbit.

In the meantime, I want to say this:

If you are a child, you need to read this for Gollum's riddles.

If you are an adult, you need to read this book to children (if you don't have children, rent some) for at least one opportunity to roleplay Gollum.

GOLLUM ROOOLZ!!!!!

See here, he even won an award!!

Of course the most compelling reason to add this to your reading list in haste is that it's coming to the MOOVIEZZZ!!

Soon at a cinema house...more

82 likes · like · see review

Dec 31, 2012 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-challenge, personal-favourites, want, childhood-book, children-s-literature, classic-literature, favourite-series, fantasy, re-read, tolkien, books-with-films

I love this book. Have I mentioned before how much I love Tolkien's books? They are part of my childhood and my memories are incredibly fond of them (yes I'm a nostalgic type of person alright). The Hobbit in many ways is of all my books part of my childhood. I was certainly the first time that I entered Tolkien's world when I first read it ten years ago. So I decided to re-read this for the fifth time ever as part of a fantasy challenge and to re-familiarise myself with a story I know by heart....more

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Dec 03, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dragons, jrrt, favorites, lit-english, fantasy-high

2012 - Reread - What to add to my original review for this site? I don't. There is something everlasting and yet almost tragic about this book. Thorin doesn't fail but he does not live very long to enjoy his victory, if you can call it his. Perhaps that grey zone is what make the book last.

Some time ago, Harold Bloom went on a Harry Potter rant. He is hardly the only academic to do so. In fact, A. S. Byatt wrote a wonderful essay on how strange and annoying she finds adults who read Harry Potter...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Loederkoningin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sweet-nostalgia, high-fantasy, heartwarming

The Hobbit and LOTR are so epic that even now when I go on a hike, I always pretend that my chocolate chip cookies to go are actually Lembas.

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May 31, 2010 Eh?Eh! rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: parents (maybe)

Recommended to Eh?Eh! by: Caris, Ceridwen C

Shelves: goodreaders-made-me, tandy, dear-diary-what-book, babble-added

I wish I could count this among my childhood nostalgia books.

I remember trying to read this book in grade-school and stopping because there was too much boring scenery and background. I must've been too young because it isn't boring at all, and there isn't all that much scenery as I'd thought and hardly any background. But as I kept reading, this flipped into a feeling that I'm reading this far too old, not young. The voice of the narrator is odd, generally the vague omniscient overlooking tone...more I wish I could count this among my childhood nostalgia books.

I remember trying to read this book in grade-school and stopping because there was too much boring scenery and background. I must've been too young because it isn't boring at all, and there isn't all that much scenery as I'd thought and hardly any background. But as I kept reading, this flipped into a feeling that I'm reading this far too old, not young. The voice of the narrator is odd, generally the vague omniscient overlooking tone but occasionally slipping into a confiding 1st person; are you, the reader, the narrator or an accomplice in this tale-telling? This is a book intended to be read out loud* with funny voices (cranky hobbit, grumpy dwaves, grumbling wizard, dumb trolls, merry and suspicious elves, sneering goblins, howling Wargs, roaring dragon) and dancing eyebrows, with blankets shaped into terrain. I wish this had been read to me.

Thinking about reading and childhood - my parents read out loud to us, sometimes. I think between about 4-6yo, Mom chose to read Bible stories usually in the middle of the day when us kids were at our most active and wiggliest, so that didn't work out too well. Lots of whining, tears, orders to sit and listen which had the opposite effect. Booooooring; poor Mom, in her choice of reading material. Dad was also in the middle of the day, but this was a few years later, maybe between 8-10yo, when we would bring a book to him and beg him to read. My father has never learned to speak or read English fluently, so the books were from a set of Korean folktales.** My brother and I could barely understand the words but we were fascinated by the sound of his voice. I don't know if anyone is familiar with traditional Korean music, but it features extremely heavy vibrato (I think?), these extended ends of a note with an earthquake shaking in the throat; Dad has a gorgeous voice when he choses to use it, all ragged and fuzzy, which made his readings mesmerizing. I think he lulled us with it, my brother and I nearly swaying as we peeked over his shoulders at the brightly colored illustrations. The least successful reading sessions had him interrupting himself to try to explain the story in broken English. It was only a few weeks before he became impatient with this whole practice and refuse to read to us.

I wish there had been more reading to us as children, before bedtime instead of in the middle of the day. I wish my dad had been more patient. I wish he had learned better English, found The Hobbit, and read that to us. I wish I wish I wish.

This silly book has made me nostalgic for a childhood I never had. Is there a word for that?

I guess I should type about the book itself, since there're enough weepy couch confessions masquerading as book reviews out there (not really! love the non-book reviews, want more). A pacifistic creature known as a hobbit (a little man with big hairy feet) has adventures, makes friends, becomes stronger and proves true to his friends, then goes home. It's a great story.

Since my only exposure to Tolkein (Tolkien?) before this has been the LotR movies, I was suprised at the lighter tone of this book. Much less grim and grand but still great. I wonder if the Necromancer is Sauron. There's brief mention of Gollum remembering his grandmother - do we learn more about her later?

Since I've lost the chance to have this read to me as a kid, I have the urge to read this to a kid myself. Can I borrow someone's child?

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*And now I'm wondering how much I've been influenced by Ceridwen's review, where she recommends having babies just to read aloud to them. Also, from Richard's review, it doesn't sound like children sit as still as I imagined for this.

**I thought Dad had given these away! Turns out, he gave away a different set of books, just as treasured...oh well. Just recently found that these are still tucked into a corner of the parents' house. I'm going to rescue them from give-away happy Dad.(less)

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Sep 28, 2011 Kwesi 章英狮 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kwesi 章英狮 by: Emir Never

Shelves: j-r-r-tolkien, 2011, owned

Bilbo Baggins is a normal hobbit, only wanted is a peaceful life and a home loving type. But one day when Gandalf tricked Bilbo to host a party for Thorin and the gang, he was ridiculed and forced to join the team to explore the land within the imagination of Tolkien. Bilbo, the band and the reader met new faces from orcs, eagles, and other mystical creature that fought within stories by stories. Imaginative Tolkien once again made his famous children's book of all time.

If I'm a little bit you...more

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Oct 01, 2009 Joel Simon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, young-adult

There are not many books that I have read twice. The first time I read The Hobbit, I liked it a lot. But I hadn't read The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and still haven't (so I guess I didn't like The Hobbit enough). But it brought a smile to my face when I saw it on our shelf this past summer and I decided that I would read it aloud to my 10 year old daughter. In reading it aloud, a few things happened. First, it took a very long time to read the whole book (8 months, in fact). Some of this was du...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Thor rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well hello my fellow book worms.

I have been remiss in my reviewing of late and for that I apologise. I could bury you with excuses but I find that honesty has always been the best policy for this kind of crap.

I lost my passion for it in the latter half of 2012. I didn’t want to write. Yes, most of you can guess the reasons why, but then I realised that I wasn’t changing anything by letting it get on top of me so I retreated into the novel that got me through a lot of my childhood. I hid in the a...more Well hello my fellow book worms.

I have been remiss in my reviewing of late and for that I apologise. I could bury you with excuses but I find that honesty has always been the best policy for this kind of crap.

I lost my passion for it in the latter half of 2012. I didn’t want to write. Yes, most of you can guess the reasons why, but then I realised that I wasn’t changing anything by letting it get on top of me so I retreated into the novel that got me through a lot of my childhood. I hid in the adventures of one Bilbo Baggins. I wandered with Thorin Oakenshield… I became absorbed into The Hobbit.

With the film (Don’t even get me started on Peter Jackson fucking that up) I know it has been a popular re-read but one thing that I feel a lot of people miss out on when they talk about this book is the tone of it. The Hobbit is, first and foremost, a children’s book. It’s a bed time novel to be read to children. It is not a deep, heavy fantasy like it’s successor, The Lord of The Rings. Its tone is far more informal, almost jovial. Which just draws the reader into Bilbo’s tale much quicker than the opening of LoTR.

The writing is what would now be largely considered cliché fantasy… But that's just because Tolkien is the origin of the cliché. So here it works, because it isn’t trying to be something other than what it is. It’s a children’s fantasy, and it works. We are introduced to many of the most enduring and greatest fantasy character archetypes of all time in these pages and it warms the cockles of my heart (I know you’re sniggering… I am too… Cockle hehehehe).

For me the highlight of this novel though, isn’t the writing though. It isn’t even the story, which, is fairly average if I’m honest. It’s the comforting nostalgia for rainy childhood days it conjures in my mind. This is the novel I turn to when I want to feel better. I don’t know why, but it is. I find the tone comforting.

Yes this is a three star review, but for me it holds that rating not for any technical achievement. I’m not mawkish when it comes to Tolkien. Yes he is the grand daddy of all fantasy but I do not believe, as many do, that he is the tippy top of mount escapism. When it comes right down to brass tacks, I find the majority of Tolkiens writings, whilst enjoyable to my taste, to be heavy, dense and hard to be absorbed by.

The Hobbit, in my opinion, is his greatest achievement because whilst it spawns his best known and most regarded work, it deals with its story with a sense of almost whimsy, which is refreshing even after all this time. More people need to read this book and enjoy it because of its own merits, not because it is the baby brother of the epic that everyone knows.

Seriously, next time it’s a cold grey day for you, grab a copy, curl up under a blanket on the sofa/chair by the window/lamp/fire and make yourself your hot beverage of choice (Hot chocolate with tonnes of marshmallow peeps… what? It’s a kids book, be a child goddammit!) and just wile away the day in this story. I promise, it’s one of the better ways to spend a miserable, cold, wintery day.

Happy reading,

Archer
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Apr 21, 2012 Tanu Das rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: every fantasy lover in the world

Shelves: children-lit, classic, really-good, favorite-protagonist, hilarious, owned, supernatural-fantasy, well-developed-plot, all-time-favorite

The Hobbit is the epic journey of Bilbo Baggins, our titular 50 something hobbit. Bilbo though might as well be 10 year old, since he has almost no experience of the outside world and likes to sit in his Hobbit hole, resting in his armchair having breakfast, supper and dinner and numerous meals in between. That is, until Gandalf the great comes barging in with a dozen of dwarfs, urging him to take up the role of the burglar in their quest to The Lonely Mountains. The dwarfs question Gandalf’s de...more The Hobbit is the epic journey of Bilbo Baggins, our titular 50 something hobbit. Bilbo though might as well be 10 year old, since he has almost no experience of the outside world and likes to sit in his Hobbit hole, resting in his armchair having breakfast, supper and dinner and numerous meals in between. That is, until Gandalf the great comes barging in with a dozen of dwarfs, urging him to take up the role of the burglar in their quest to The Lonely Mountains. The dwarfs question Gandalf’s decision, which offends Bilbo and the home loving hobbit agrees sets out with them, on their “epic journey”.

And, what a journey it is! We meet elves, goblins, giant spiders, warts, the great Beorn and of course the Great dragon along our way and pass through Mirkwood, The lonely mountains, goblin’s lairs. Every description is so vivid, the images almost float into your mind when you read it. Every adventure is greater than the previous one, every scenery better. Just when one thinks, nothing better can come after this, another amazing character gets introduced. And amidst it all is Bilbo and they way his character develops through out the story.

Our Hobbit, who is underestimated by all (including himself) discovers strength, wisdom, and courage within hims. He also discovers the magic ring ( THE RINGto be precise), but I wouldn’t give it much credit. Because its Bilbo and his courage which makes him such an inevitable part among his group and this novel. Without him the novel would be just another amazing fantasy saga, with him, it’s epic. He’s so unfamiliar with the larger world in the beginning, always wondering how he could possibly have left without his hat and continuously wants to go back. Still, in crucial situations, he is the one who to rescue the others. He kills a giant spider, and that is the first step toward him discovering strength. He is the first one to go in the lonely mountain (where the dragon lies with his treasure) and he says that it is the bravest thing he has ever done. Bilbo devises the plan to stop the war among the dwarves and the elves and shows immense wisdom in this. And amidst it all, he still remains our humble, simple, naive hobbit, and how does one not love him?

This story has so many different facets. Brilliant adventure, flawless description and still conveyed such an important message. It's funny and wry, and tells us a classic coming-of-age story. Its not melodramatic, still, one feels Bilbo’s pain when Thorin dies. Him accepting gold to be worthless is such an epic scene from the novel. Who would have thought that the subtle details Tolkien uses could move someone so much. Not only Thorin, all the other dwarves (Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin and the others whose name I don’t remember), Beorn, the Elrond king, Bard, even the goblins make such an incredible impression one’s mind. Secondary characters have never been so memorably rendered.

By the end of the journey, Gandalf tells Bilbo that he has changed. And he has! Bilbo comes away from The Hobbit with a couple of sacks of treasure, but what's immensely more valuable to him (and to us) is the respect he wins from all of the people he meets. More importantly, the respect he wins from himself. He gains self confidence and stops caring about what his fellow hobbits think of him. Somewhere along the journey, I, as a reader felt that, in some way, I have changed too. . Bilbo might not be big or impressive looking, but he's still able to change the course of history in Middle-earth. What can be more inspiring for a person and what more can one ask from a book?
No book is more flawless, inspiring, touching, adventurous and fun than the Hobbit. I may sound melodramatic when I say this, but every time I read books like this, I feel happy to be alive. A more perfect book has never been written and I am going to cherish it as long as I live.

50000 stars and highest possible recommendation.
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Jan 16, 2013 Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star-books, bromance, favorites, ooh-pretty-cover, fantasy, adventure, classics

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars

This was my second experience reading The Hobbit. My first was that my dad read it to me and my sisters back when I was 12, I think. Since I'm 20 now that means it had been ... 8 years. ~~Shit I'm old.~~

I admit, I re-read this mostly because the movie was coming out. And I had to see it because MARTIN FREEMAN.

I MEAN, JUST LOOK AT HIM. HOW CAN YOU RESIST. <3 (Also he was perfect in the movie and just UGHH YESSS. The movie was good. But this isn't a review of the movie so I'...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Suna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Humans, Hobbits, Elves, Beornings. But not Trolls, Wargs, or Goblins.

Shelves: all-time-favourites, fantasy

In anticipation of the movie - and I anticipate, eagerly! - I thought I'd pull my socks up and try to do what I've copped out of doing before: Reviewing Tolkien's work.

This is the easiest book to review though, as it is also the most accessible of his writings.
There is none of the poetically archaic lyricism that emerges in LOTR.
It's the thing most people I know get into contact with first:
Through having had it read to them by their parents when they were but bairns.

I read it when I was fourte...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Terry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, tolkien, ya-children-s, that-northern-thing

I have a long and very personal history with _The Hobbit_. My first experience of it was, I think, at the age of 7 or 8 when my older brother (13 years my senior) read the story to me and I was immediately captivated. After that came readings from the LotR and I was a Tolkien fan forevermore. My re-reading of _The Hobbit_ immediately prior to my most recent one was a bit of a disappointment. Somehow the same old magic didn’t all seem to be there and I was perhaps most discomfited by the gaps in...more I have a long and very personal history with _The Hobbit_. My first experience of it was, I think, at the age of 7 or 8 when my older brother (13 years my senior) read the story to me and I was immediately captivated. After that came readings from the LotR and I was a Tolkien fan forevermore. My re-reading of _The Hobbit_ immediately prior to my most recent one was a bit of a disappointment. Somehow the same old magic didn’t all seem to be there and I was perhaps most discomfited by the gaps in style that were apparent between this story and its even more famous descendent, _The Lord of the Rings_. On this re-read, however, I found much of my initial love of the tale coming back to me and many of the same episodes stirred memories of my first hearing of the tale.

For those two or three people not in the know, this is the story of a hobbit, Bilbo Baggins by name, and his unexpected adventure with 13 dwarves and, for part of the time at least, the wizard Gandalf. Thorin Oakenshield and his followers have long been exiled from their home, the far-away and fabled dwarf-realm of Erebor at the Lonely Mountain, after its pillaging by the dragon Smaug. We follow Bilbo as he moves from inept bungler to expert burglar and begin to see, along with the dwarves, just why Gandalf chose this particular hobbit to round out the unlucky number of the dwarves’ party as his inner courage and resourcefulness grow. We see Bilbo through many adventures, from an encounter with trolls and a harrowing escape from goblins, to a dark journey through the treacherous spider-haunted deeps of Mirkwood and a creeping view of the great dragon upon his misbegotten mound of gold. There are many great characters to meet in the journey from Bilbo’s hobbit hole to the Lonely Mountain, even if only a few of the dwarves are fleshed out to any great detail. A personal favourite is the irascible Beorn, a vegetarian skin-changer and unwitting host to the party who eventually becomes a staunch ally; and am I wrong in seeing in the enigmatic and laconic Bard the bowman something of a prototype for Aragorn?

This is, of course, a children’s story, and as such does not always seem to sit well as a prequel to the later work, the Lord of the Rings (though of course in its original conception the tale was not meant to be a prequel to anything and its ultimate inclusion into the storied history of Middle Earth only grew as the tale did and the significance of certain elements, namely the Ring, became clearer in Tolkien’s mind). Whether it is the silly songs sung by the elves of Rivendell (can anyone picture Fëanor or Thingol singing these things?), the faux-cockney accents and names of the trolls encountered by Bilbo and co., or the various authorial asides, this book can appear hard to reconcile with the later tales. Of course one valid approach to this is simply to say, “who cares?” and move on. This is certainly valid, but after my most recent reading I found that taking into account the conceit of Tolkien’s that all of his tales from Middle Earth (even the posthumously published _The Silmarillion_) exist as documents taken originally from the “Red Book of Westmarch”, a hobbit tome detailing the adventures of the Shire’s most famous sons, and subsequently handled and translated by many hands before coming down to us was a helpful approach. In essence we can see in _The Hobbit_ how Bilbo’s diary of his own adventures was turned into an adventure tale for children, while the higher matters of the LotR were possibly deemed unsuitable for such treatment. Thus we have talking spiders, tra-la-laing High Elves, and silly trolls mixed in with berserk shape-changing warriors, hints of malign necromancy, and a final battle on the doorstep of the Lonely Mountain.

Bilbo is an excellent main character, both unsure of himself and eager to prove his dwarven compatriots wrong in their initial impression of him to be “more a green grocer than a burglar”. Many may criticize Tolkien for his apparent anachronism with the hobbits and the Shire in Middle Earth, with their mantel clocks, singing tea kettles and other modern conveniences in the midst of what appears to be a medieval world of saga and epics. Yet it is this familiarity that allows us to identify with Bilbo as he is thrown into the strange epic world outside the bounds of the Shire. To my mind, despite his estrangement from it, Bilbo sits much more comfortably in this world than do a pack of modern British schoolchildren crossing dimensions or some other conceit that might have been used to allow the reader to identify with the hero. This also gives Bilbo the chance to grow into something more akin to a hero and leader than we ever would have expected of him based on his origins and it is this growth that gives impetus to the story amidst its many colourful episodes. The most famous of these is, of course, the riddle game between Bilbo and Gollum, a suitably creepy game played by Bilbo for nothing less than his life and the keystone moment that links this smaller tale to the greater epic of the LotR as we see just how important that question Bilbo asks is: “What have I got in my pocket?”

Bilbo not only grows in courage and resourcefulness, but shows his inner worth when he resists the call of the dragon horde, unlike the unfortunate Thorin, and even attempts to broker peace between those who ought to be allies when greed and anger threaten to destroy all that the quest attempted to achieve, at the possible cost of his own safety and the friendship of his comrades. This is a great story for children, of any age, and will provide them with not only an exciting adventure, but also some good lessons and a fine model for true heroism. It’s also a great introduction to the world of Middle Earth and you won’t regret your time spent with the charming Mr. Baggins of Bag End.
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Sep 14, 2007 Adam rated it 5 of 5 stars

My parents had a BBC version of this on vinyl when I was about 3-4 years old, and they taped it for me onto four or five analog tapes that I listened to every morning. I'd spend hours and hours at the beginning of each day listening to the British actor read these words, taking them to heart and memorizing them until they became rote. By the time I was five, you could start me at any point in the book and I could continue on, word for word spilling out of my young mouth. I remember gathering thr...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2012, sword-and-laser, ebooks, audiobook

(Finished the book but my readalong group won't finish until end of December, so I'll update the blog links as they post, and return for a full review.)

Reading this along with a group of book bloggers in November and December, so this will be a long read (the book itself is not that long!). In December, the Sword & Laser group is also reading it, so this book will be in our collective memory.

My thoughts on chapters I-II.
My thoughts on chapters III-V (I have questions about the creatures, com...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Eric Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Hobbit
By J.R.R. Tolkien

A Retroview by Eric Allen

Long, long ago, in the era of big hair, terrible, low budget movies, and New Coke... The eighties, people, I'm talking about the eighties. I was a young whipper snapper who idolized his father... and Luke Skywalker... but mostly my father. My favorite time of day was when he came home from long hours working construction on several prominent buildings amongst the present day Seattle skyline, tossed his jacket into the closet without bothering t...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Stefan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everybody

Recommended to Stefan by: My Dad

Shelves: favorites

I received this beautiful 1966 leather-bound edition of The Hobbit as a result of winning a contest on author G.T. Denny's blog. I wanted to publicly thank him for such a wonderful prize which, of course inspired me to re-read the novel.

The Hobbit is a tale that I will always hold near and dear to my heart. My father first read it to me when I was around five years old and I have had a love of fantasy in my heart from that point forward. The time that we spent together journeying with Bilbo and...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Tracey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, the-professor

**spoilers**

I can't review The Hobbit: it's part of me, so I can't be objective.

Instead, kick on the karaoke machine.

He Didn’t Mean To Adventure
- The story of The Hobbit, singable to the tune of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”

Bilbo is respectable in Bag End Under Hill
Till “Gandalf tea Wednesday” and a rune scratched on his door.
Fili Kili Ori Óin, Dori Nori Bombur Glóin
Bifur, Dwalin, Bofur, Balin - are there any more?!
Yes: Thorin especially; Gandalf makes fourteen
An Unexpected Party,...more

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Dec 21, 2007 Bryon Medina rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who can comprehend it.

This book took me on a great adventure, one that took me through a great range of emotions, and I have to say, it must be the cutest adventure I've ever been on. How can you not adore Bilbo and his hobbit friends with thier furry feet and quaint past-times?
Of course, by the same Tolkien (pun intended), how can you not be afraid for Bilbo as he faces trolls, gobblins, men, and numerous other dangers? I for one don't know how you couldn't, not with J.R.R.'s gift for character development. I quic...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Mariel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: over the hills and far away

Recommended to Mariel by: my mother

I wrote a book report on The Hobbit when I was fourteen. My teacher made fun of me, slipping in not-so-sly jokes for the rest of the year. Jerk face! The Hobbit is awesome, I tells you!

I have more than enough fond memories of this book (and some not so fond ones, involving other snobby male teachers besides the above mentioned one). I could make new fond memories if I were to pick it up and reread today, I have no doubt. That makes it an always favorite and not just a nostalgia favorite.

My mom...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Palice Pottle marked it as apologies-did-not-get-to-finish

Ah, here we go.

I need to read half of this before Tuesday. I have a feeling I won't...

When there's so much reading to do in a short amount of time, I'm just like nooooo! Get it away! Get it away! I don't wanna read -- you can't make meee!

But I'll do it anyway. Except you know those the tiny, tiny things that you can overlook when you choose to read a book? Yeah? Well, those tiny, tiny things start to become REALLY annoying to me when I'm forced to read a book.

So let's hope I enjoy this. I hea...more

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view all 31 comments

Marie That comment wasn't all that well thought out—on a trip actually and was really too tired to try and discuss something like this :)

I do agree with you...more
Sep 22, 2012 09:11am

Palice Pottle I get kind of depressed reading your comments. Because it is true. I mean, look at most YA novels. They're written by women, and their female characte...more
Sep 22, 2012 11:34am

Apr 10, 2013 Jon added it · review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: Fantasy Book Club Nov 2009 Selection

Shelves: fiction, epic-fantasy, fantasy, read-in-my-20s, read-in-my-teens, read-in-my-30s, read-in-my-40s, favorites, loved-it

5 stars

Due to the acquisition of GoodReads by Amazon on March 28, 2013 and my existing and continuing boycott of all things Amazon, the review I wrote after reading this book now resides, safe and secure, at my blog. You can read it by following this link: http://bit.ly/YmKq2R

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 25, 2012 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, classics, uk-lit, fantasy, magic, dragons, 2012, re-reads, ya, favorite-author

The Hobbit is what really sparked my love of reading. I first came across this book at school, in the English departments private book-room, many years ago. For whatever reason on that fateful day, the door to that special room was open just a crack, the first time and only time i ever saw it like that, and it only took me a second to slip inside and shut the door silently behind myself. I only intended to have a quick look around, and enjoy the feeling of having a room full of great literature...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Louize rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

During my childhood, Zimatar, a radio drama was very popular. Before classes start every morning, children would tell and retell the story to one another. Expounding how wonderful yesterday's episode was. Those were the days...

This edition of The Hobbit brought me back to my youth. It was alive, fun and very entertaining. Narrated simultaneously by both Bilbo and The Tale Bearer. When I say simultaneously, what I mean is that they sometimes talk both at the same time, which was really funny maki...more

5 likes · like · see review

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Would you go on the adventure?	42	73	3 hours, 45 min ago
The Shire-folk: Is anyone interesting in doing a buddy or group read?	10	8	7 hours, 47 min ago
The Shire-folk: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug	77	21	Jun 17, 2013 07:54pm
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The Desolation of Smaug	39	135	Jun 17, 2013 10:34am
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About J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE, was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the high fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings .

Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford from 1925 to 1945, and Merton Professor of English language and literature from 1945 to 1959. He was a close friend of C.S. Lewis.

Ch ...more

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Books by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)

The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)

The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)

The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3)

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“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” — 863 people liked it

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