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The Hobbit

(The Hobbit)

J.R.R. Tolkien

4.28 · Rating details · 3,019,821 ratings · 50,617 reviews

Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole in Bag End by Gandalf the wizard and a company 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. Although quite reluctant to take part in this quest, Bilbo surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 306 pages

Published July 12th 1986 by Del Rey Books (first published September 21st 1937)

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Jun 02, 2008 Matt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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 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."
...more

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Dec 29, 2018 Miranda Reads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

If you've ever wondered which literary world would be the best to live in, wonder no longer, cause there's a BookTube Video to answer that!

The Written Review :

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

Bilbo Baggins, living comfortably in his hobbit-hole in Bag End, finds himself on the wrong end of an adventure.

Gandalf the Grey has come recruiting for a burglar willing to raid the home of Smaug (a dragon) whose taken over the ancestral home of the dwarves.

These dwarves, who ...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Inge rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, magic, faeries-fae-elves

Dear Tolkien fans: please don't leave a comment if you're going to spew hatred - I'll just delete it. I'm glad you enjoy Tolkien's work, but I am actually allowed to feel this way, no matter how scandalous you find that idea. Thank you.

To be fair, it really is a cool story. Mr Tolkien’s imagination is endless and I respect him immensely for that. To be able to conjure a whole new, magical world and all these creatures in it.. absolutely amazing. But it is also a very long-winded story and I ...more

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Nov 05, 2008 Will Byrnes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, literary-fiction, all-time-favorites-fiction, young-adult

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 Hob ...more

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May 26, 2007 Scott rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: multiplereads, halcyondaysofmyyouth, alltimefavorites, post-college

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,
I ...more

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Nov 12, 2020 Muhtasin Oyshik rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 4-star, 301-400-pp, read-in-2020, classics

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien
description

It was an enjoyable tale of adventure, friendship, and courage which was set in a beautiful, massive, and lore-filled world named MIDDLE-EARTH. This book was originally meant for the pleasure of children and was created with that idea in mind. Even so, it can be enjoyed by all ages. Regardless of your age, or affinity for the fantasy genre, there has an experience of an adventure that everyone can take away from reading this. It's certainly wo ...more

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Sep 28, 2016 Michael Finocchiaro rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, english-19th-c, fantasy, favorites, novels, made-into-movie

What makes The Hobbit such a seminal work in the fantasy genre? Is it the nine hours of over-budget, sensorially explosive movies by Peter Jackson? Nope. Is it a complex tale of multiple human kingdoms slaughtering each other for an Iron Throne with buckets of blood and guts and plenty of sex? Nope. Is it simply wonderful writing. As simple and boring as that. Does that mean that I was incredibly disappointed in the movie adaptation (not to say abortion)? Yep. Does that mean I don't love Game of What makes The Hobbit such a seminal work in the fantasy genre? Is it the nine hours of over-budget, sensorially explosive movies by Peter Jackson? Nope. Is it a complex tale of multiple human kingdoms slaughtering each other for an Iron Throne with buckets of blood and guts and plenty of sex? Nope. Is it simply wonderful writing. As simple and boring as that. Does that mean that I was incredibly disappointed in the movie adaptation (not to say abortion)? Yep. Does that mean I don't love Game of Thrones (books and TV shows)? No, they are great too. But the seminal work, the Divine Comedy that created the language and inspiration for George R.R. Martin as Dante created Italian from the common vernacular in Florence and Ravenna, was The Hobbit. The book, even for a slow reader is most likely able to be finished in 1/3 the time that Peter Jackson spent telling the story in 70mm film. Unlike Peter Jackson's version, there are no orcs and the element of danger is more psychological than psychical: Bilbo Baggins is battling his fears and his provincialism and growing up. The Hobbit should be read as the Odyssey of Middle Earth - a voyage of self-learning and maturation that is more about the monsters in Bilbo's imagination than those encountered in his baptismal voyage into the unknown with Gandalf. Gandalf. Honestly, would there EVER have been a Dumbledore had there not been a Gandalf? Did any Tolkien reader NOT picture Gandalf when Rowlings talked about Dumbledorf in the first Harry Potter book?

Bilbo does encounter some monsters and even outsmarts Smaug the Dragon (wow, I mean what a perfect name for a dragon! More evocative than Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion in my opinion - and again would they even have existed had Smaug not preceded them?) and he saves Middle Earth before returning to the Shire. He is not the same person he was before leaving. He is Ulysses without a Penelope waiting for him (unless his pipe is secretly called Penelope in his expanded imagination or his Penelope is a symbol of his vast library in Rivendell).

In literature, there is nothing quite like the Hobbit in its simplicity and beauty and its symbolic voyage: we are of course introduced to the elves, the humans, the dwarves...but they are all on the outskirts of the story. The Hobbit is about one small hobbit fighting his greatest fears...and winning.

Fino's Tolkien Reviews:
The Hobbit
The Fellowship of the Ring (LOTR 1)
The Two Towers (LOTR 2)
The Return of the King (LOTR 3)
Lord of the Rings 1-3 - General Comments and Observations
Raymond Edward's Tolkien biography ...more

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Oct 12, 2009 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, 1001-book, childrens-young-readers, fantasy, classics, novels, 20th-century

610. The Hobbit = There and Back Again, J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again is a fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction. The book remains popular and is recognized as a classic in children's literature.

Gandalf tricks Bilbo Baggins into hosting a party for Thorin Oakenshield and his band of dw ...more

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Jan 17, 2014 Sean Barrs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, tolkien, 5-star-reads, children-of-all-ages

Andy Serkis is doing a live reading of this RIGHT NOW for charity!

To call this the epitome in which all high fantasy should be judged does not quite suffice; this is simply one of the best books that has ever been written or will ever be written. The Hobbit defines the high fantasy genre along with its sequel, of course, and has been an inspiration to countless authors and readers alike. Tolkien, quite literally, kick started a genre that would eventually capture the hearts of thousands of peo ...more

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Nov 22, 2008 Jason Koivu rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, classics, favorites, fantasy

From a hole in the ground came one of my favorite characters of all time, the very reluctant and unassuming hero, 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 emotions.

The ...more

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Dec 21, 2017 Chelsea Humphrey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library

I probably won't write a full review here, as this is just a reread for me, but I found this just as enchanting as the first time I read it. While I still like this one only SLIGHTLY less than The Lord of the Rings, I'm glad I took the opportunity to read this first before diving into a reread of LOTR this year. When I first read Tolkien's books about 15 years ago I didn't experience The Hobbit until I finished LOTR, so it gave me the feeling of being able to read this one as an introduction to ...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Lyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

“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.”

So begins J.R.R. Tolkien’s love letter to fantasy literature.

A reader to this timeless classic will first notice that this is a first person narration, the reader hears Tolkien’s voice as he narrates the tale of Bilbo Baggins, Belladonna Took’s odd so ...more

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May 24, 2015 Hannah Greendale rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fiction, young-adult, classics, fantasy, tolkien, must-read-teen-lit

Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.

Were it not for the irresistible allure of The Fellowship of the Ring, I'd start reading this book all over again right now. <3

...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Ben Alderson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

JUST AMAZING! FUN AND BEAUTIFUL ADVENTURE!
I HAD TO READ THE END AGAIN BECAUSE OF MY LOVE
how they made three films out of this impresses me!

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Jan 12, 2010 Traveller rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 1001-books, fantasy

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~~ borrow some) for at least one opportunity to roleplay Gollum.

Becuz GOLLUM ROOOLZ!!!!!

See here, he even won an award!!
(PS. Since Gollum features so strongly in this review, here is an interesting video on the acting and CGI genius t ...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Emily May rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, classics, fantasy

In certain crowds, my rating and the words I'm about to write (well, type) would probably get me shot. But The Hobbit is still one of the most boring books I have ever read. Tolkien's writing seems so dry and impersonal, though I can't deny he had a lot of fascinating ideas. ...more

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Jul 13, 2018 Luffy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star

Now I don't remember all the names of those 13 dwarfs, but still I can legitimately say I enjoyed the book. The Hobbit (the version rewritten by Tolkien) is sophisticated enough to please adults and children alike.

Initially, nobody knew how Gollum looked like. Seriously, just take a look at the various covers of the book and you'll see diverse bodies as Gollum. The Ring acquired by Bilbo is so quaint, so practical.

Tolkien weaved his magic here and delivered a timeless classic. The adventures of ...more

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Dec 06, 2008 Manny rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I love the feeling of connectedness you get when you've wondered about something for a long time, and finally discover the answer. I had a great example of that yesterday. As I said in my review of The Lord of the Rings, for me Tolkien is all about language. I must have read The Hobbit when I was about 8, and even at that age I was fascinated by his made-up names. They sort of made sense, but not quite.

Then, when I was 21, I learned Swedish, and suddenly there were many things in Middle Earth th ...more

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Jan 16, 2019 Henry Avila rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Now the route Mr. Bilbo Baggins transverses to seek adventure and a pot of gold...several in fact, may not be as glamorous as the yellow brick road nonetheless thoroughly lucrative...he will never complain....after he is safely back home.... As our story begins the Hobbit is having a quiet, delightful time drinking his tea and a nice breakfast, steps out the door (from his hole in the ground the unkind would say) blows a wonderful smoke ring...And is the last one for many moons... a peaceful sit Now the route Mr. Bilbo Baggins transverses to seek adventure and a pot of gold...several in fact, may not be as glamorous as the yellow brick road nonetheless thoroughly lucrative...he will never complain....after he is safely back home.... As our story begins the Hobbit is having a quiet, delightful time drinking his tea and a nice breakfast, steps out the door (from his hole in the ground the unkind would say) blows a wonderful smoke ring...And is the last one for many moons... a peaceful situation I mean. An old man, a stranger appears the polite hobbit greets him, Bilbo later regrets it often but that's further down the road. The sociable Mr. Baggins invites the man who reveals himself to be the powerful, mystifying, lofty wizard Gandalf to tea...tomorrow. The nervous hobbit, half the size of a human just wants to be left alone and enjoy his comfortable life which unfortunately doesn't occur, on the other hand the reader is greatly rewarded. Next day a dwarf arrives Dwalin, than another Balin, and still more, two in fact, Kili and Fili, five then, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, and Gloin, this will in a short while ( pun intended) be thirteen, no I haven't forgotten Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and last very appropriately , the leader Thorin, they are a superstitious bunch. The need for a fourteenth member is obvious ( you can't count a wizard) , these creatures are eating, drinking at poor Bilbo's home... an unexpected party is fully in bloom causing the owner a headache ...think of the expense and danger to his dishes and furniture. Finally Gandalf comes and the purpose of the gathering disclosed, a bold plan to kill a huge dragon Smaug the Magnificent, take the vast priceless treasure, the winged fire breathing behemoth sits on, inside the very distant Lonely Mountain, the dwarves ancient home. The reluctant Mr. Baggins agrees to go along, not too confidently , he can see disaster in his future... Deadly monsters, goblins, wolves, unfriendly elves are between their goal, the sinister Misty Mountains, rivers to cross, lakes too, the dark thick forest Mirkwood, where evil giant spiders, sinister wizards, unfriendly wood-elves reside, with only a little stream to guide and follow , then Gandalf abandons them...Still the frightened little hobbit becomes the leader, with the help of a magical ring. The battle of five armies, a grisly fight where no quarter is given, an epic style end to this tale is the high point. This classic written in 1937 is the original, The Lord of the Rings are sequels and more magical than Mr. Bilbo Baggins band. If you wonder why someone would read a book for the third time all you need to do is get this title... (yes more than one novel in my library ) . A trip in a world where you can forget your troubles and drop into one let's face it, quite interesting ... an ominous place to become a hero even get rich if you serve well, and survive obstacles in the way that all good people will. ...more

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Mar 20, 2017 Fares rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Gosh, that last chapter. Sigh.
And you can start celebrating the updates are over. Now let's start LotR :)

Buddy read with Jen the unexpected party
Get it? the unexpected party, as in chapter one's title. Oh I'm hilarious.

----------------------------------------------------
OK let’s do this.
But first let’s talk about something totally unrelated but totally is.

So I don’t know about you guys but when I watch a sporting event, no matter what it is, and I see these world class athletes doing their thing ...more

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Jul 18, 2019 Petrik rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2.5/5 stars

The Hobbit probably would’ve been more enjoyable if I were reading it at least 15 years ago.

I have an odd relationship with The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings due to my feelings of the movie adaptations. For Lord of the Rings, I haven’t been able to finish Fellowship of the Ring because I loved the movies so much and I ended up finding the book incredibly boring; I will try again next year. As for The Hobbit, I was reluctant to read the book because I disliked the movie adaptation. Afte 2.5/5 stars

The Hobbit probably would’ve been more enjoyable if I were reading it at least 15 years ago.

I have an odd relationship with The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings due to my feelings of the movie adaptations. For Lord of the Rings, I haven’t been able to finish Fellowship of the Ring because I loved the movies so much and I ended up finding the book incredibly boring; I will try again next year. As for The Hobbit, I was reluctant to read the book because I disliked the movie adaptation. After finally reading this for the first time, I can safely say that I still dislike the movies, and I felt more or less indifferent about the book.

This will be a short review; I have nothing new to offer. The Hobbit is a book targeted for kids and, in my opinion, it certainly read like one. As I said, I most likely would’ve enjoyed this book so much more if I were younger and weren’t acquainted with other modern high-fantasy yet. Reading this for the first time, it felt like there was a complete lack of tension throughout the entire book. I also immensely disliked the storytelling voice implemented into the narration; it’s so distracting to my immersion and rather than reading it felt to me like Tolkien was telling the story to me. I prefer seeing events unfolds from the character’s perspective. That being said, I will also admit that I wasn’t bored with it because the accessible prose made the book very easy to read.

The Hobbit is a classic and I can totally understand why it became one. I will definitely consider reading this to my kids one day. I have no idea whether the decrease in enjoyment of the book was caused because of me watching the movies first or not, it might be. But overall, I just felt more or less indifferent about The Hobbit, which I guess is arguably even worse than disliking it. Honestly speaking, around 30% through the book, I ended up reading through it just for the sake of completing my bingo challenge rather than because I was having a good time with it. Thankfully, this was a short read.

You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Jen/The Tolkien Gal/ジェニファー rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: tolkien, favorites, fantasy

Buddy read with Fares and I could not be more excited!

Edit after finishing: So I'm bawling right now. Every time I have to say goodbye, I just can't bear it. Full review to come.
Image result for last goodbye billy boyd gif

Image result for last goodbye billy boyd gif

Image result for in a hole in the ground

Since this is a buddy read with the awesome Fares , my review will be chapter by chapter, accompanied by appropriate gifs and quotes every two days.

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Party. This is giving me such nostalgia!

Underrated quote: The hobbit was a very well-to-do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses have live ...more

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Nov 13, 2013 Alejandro rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novel, magic, humor, military, epic-fantasy

Where there's life there's hope.

I've been thinking a lot of how many stars giving to the book, since there were parts that I loved a lot, but there were others that I found tedious and even anti-climatic, but in respect to this great writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, I think that the book deserves at least 4-stars rating with which I feel easy since I am not giving it a full rating but also I am not punishing it for things that maybe a future re-reading will solve.

In a hole in the ground there live ...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Evgeny rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I find it hard to believe there are people who have no clue what the book is about. Still the possibility exists so I will give the high points of the plot. See there once was a hobbit (a race entirely created by Tolkien and endlessly recycled since under name halflings - for copyright reasons) named Bilbo Baggins. Think a humanoid creature of about half of a grown-up adult human height with furry legs who goes barefoot - it is a hobbit.
Hobbit

These guys live underground in holes similar to rabbit's, b I find it hard to believe there are people who have no clue what the book is about. Still the possibility exists so I will give the high points of the plot. See there once was a hobbit (a race entirely created by Tolkien and endlessly recycled since under name halflings - for copyright reasons) named Bilbo Baggins. Think a humanoid creature of about half of a grown-up adult human height with furry legs who goes barefoot - it is a hobbit.
Hobbit

These guys live underground in holes similar to rabbit's, but much more comfortable. Speaking about comfort, they love it and for this reason never ever go adventuring.

One fine day Bilbo was sitting outside minding his own business when Gandalf showed up. Gandalf was a wizard who gave birth to practically all mighty wizards appearing in any art form. Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter is probably the most famous example and yes, he would not exist without Gandalf.

Anyhow, for reasons entirely unclear through the whole book Gandalf decided to involve poor hobbit into a grand adventure - the kind where heroes go from a mortal danger to being miserable from hunger and weather having just escaped said danger and to yet another mortal danger again, still remaining miserable. Who would not want it? By the way, this never-explain-your-reasons-and-motivations thingy is a trademark of all mighty wizards that come after Gandalf.

And so off to a grand adventure Bilbo went, accompanied by 12 dwarves and Gandalf himself who kept them company only part way. Adventure they wanted, and adventure they got, full of misery and dangers.

I said it before and I will say it again at the risk of making some people very angry: this is a children tale; nothing more, nothing less. If you are trying to find some deep philosophical meaning in it, you are wrong: it is not supposed to have any. You might as well find some hidden messages in Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Just look at Gandalf: the guy who dueled Balrog in the Lord of the Rings (this is an adult tale) at times looks like a total fraud in Hobbit: at one time he was sitting in a tree throwing flaming pine cones at wargs and set the forest on fire - his own tree included. As I said, a simple tale.

It does not make the book bad by any means. It is a children classic for children and adults alike for a reason. I had a blast reading it in my childhood; I reread it later and liked it and I still like it after my latest reread. The rating is 4 very solid stars. ...more

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Nov 09, 2016 Ryan rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf, not-my-cup-of-tea, library, that-cover-though, mixed-feelings, 2-star

Unpopular opinion time: I don't like The Hobbit.

description

Before all of you start hating me forever, please, hear me out. I truly respect J. R.R Tolkien. If I'm not mistaken, this was one of the first really popular fantasy books ever written. And fantasy just happens to be my favourite genre. So you can see why I really wanted to like this book. I wanted to like it so much, in fact, that I have tried to read it three times now. But each time, I have had to DNF it.

description

I love The Lord of the Rings movies. I ...more

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Nov 04, 2017 Zoë rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I discussed this novel with my book club, Austentatious, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vvG4... ...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Matthew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, own, library, 2021, read-more-than-once, audio

Not much more needs to be said about The Hobbit than that it is excellent! Great storytelling, fun characters, humor, action – it has it all. Tolkien is rightfully one of the (if not THE) founding fathers of modern Fantasy. If you are already into the Fantasy genre and you haven’t read him, you need to. If you are looking to get into Fantasy, The Hobbit is a great place to start.

One of the great things about The Hobbit is that I think it is easily accessible to a wide audience. The Lord of the R Not much more needs to be said about The Hobbit than that it is excellent! Great storytelling, fun characters, humor, action – it has it all. Tolkien is rightfully one of the (if not THE) founding fathers of modern Fantasy. If you are already into the Fantasy genre and you haven’t read him, you need to. If you are looking to get into Fantasy, The Hobbit is a great place to start.

One of the great things about The Hobbit is that I think it is easily accessible to a wide audience. The Lord of the Rings is a much larger and more daunting commitment which might be too much for the casual Fantasy fan. Then, if you are really into lore and world building, I hear people talk about The Silmarillion as a great but very dense history of Middle Earth. So, Tolkien has it all: Fantasy-101 or master’s thesis level Fantasy – you can decide how you want to approach his works.

One thing that has been bugging me about other Fantasy novels I have been reading lately is that there is a lot of wandering around without much action or story progress. And, this wandering around can stretch for several books. With The Hobbit, there is adventure, and “wandering”, but it moves quickly and gets to the point. Large chunks of progress are made without pages and pages of rambling dialogue. I appreciate how well The Hobbit gets to the point but does not leave you feeling cheated by it going too fast.

Another thing that I love about this Fantasy book is that it does not bog down with complicated names, location terminology, odd magic systems, etc. This is another thing that has been turning me off to other Fantasy lately because I cannot just escape and enjoy the book. Instead, I have to keep a notebook and a flowchart to keep everything straight! With The Hobbit, it was very organic and easy to follow – perfect for a relaxing Fantasy getaway for the brain.

I did not yet see the recent movies they made from this book but was surprised at first that they made it into three movies. After rereading this, I think I can see how they could expand on certain parts to make a movie trilogy. I will have to go and check it out now.

The Hobbit – read it!
...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Julio Genao rated it really liked it · review of another edition

this is not a review.

this is smack-talk.

me and a buddy saw the first two films in the peter jackson trilogy (for a second time) this weekend. he says he loves actor lee pace just like i do, but that his character, thranduil, was campy as fuck and also what the hell were they even thinking?

to which i reply:

description

y'all know i like 'em long, lean, and unavailable.

aint nobody gon' talk shyt 'bout muh boo.

ACTIVATE MEME BATTURR ...more

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May 08, 2019 Spencer Orey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mg-fantasy, antediluvian-fantasy

Always excellent!

Some quick scattered thoughts on re-reading this classic:

It's strange how generic this story can feel, since so much that's followed in its wake has adapted and used little parts for its own. LotR is more influential yet, but reading this, I could feel the Hobbit's influence everywhere. Even subtle details and throwaway lines turned into major Dungeons and Dragons tropes.

The dwarves are terrible adventurers, always getting into trouble. They lose their food and adventuring equi Always excellent!

Some quick scattered thoughts on re-reading this classic:

It's strange how generic this story can feel, since so much that's followed in its wake has adapted and used little parts for its own. LotR is more influential yet, but reading this, I could feel the Hobbit's influence everywhere. Even subtle details and throwaway lines turned into major Dungeons and Dragons tropes.

The dwarves are terrible adventurers, always getting into trouble. They lose their food and adventuring equipment over and over and over. Like, the incompetence of the characters is actually this major driving force in the book. I think that idea is still incredibly fresh.

Also, there were just so many dwarves. 13 dwarves and a hobbit? It's easy to lose track of all of them, but they somehow all feel like complete characters, and they know each other well enough that their interactions show it. And even Bilbo can tell them apart in one way or another. There's something refreshing about a giant party of too-many dwarves here. None of that Fellowship party of specialists that turned into 6-member Dungeons and Dragons parties. No way. For intrigue, just add more dwarves and make them all uniquely bad at the things they do.

The little character interactions are fantastic. There's a tense point where Bilbo is breaking all of the dwarves out of prison and they have to run for it before they're caught, but one of the dwarves stops and starts asking a lot of questions because he wants to brainstorm the plan.

The songs are actually kind of good, and the world is always singing. Even the bad guys have songs. At this point, I've read a LOT of bad songs and rhymes in fantasy books, but the ones here are lovely, accessible, and worth reading.

The language in general is wonderful? The world feels vivid because of how it's described. Though some of that is a little dated, with giant chunky paragraphs describing the woods over and over. Petty point: for all of Tolkien's powerful use of language, the Great Goblin straight-up has some of the worst lines in fantasy literature. Dude speaks in giant boring paragraphs. But mostly, the language is the reason I came back to these, to take a dip in the source and get a better feeling for how to write fantasy.

Anyway, if you love fantasy but haven't read the Hobbit or LotR, they're a lot better than you might think if you've only seen the movies. The language, in particular, is everything.

Can someone write a feminist retelling through Smaug's perspective? Thanks ...more

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Jul 22, 2019 Swaroop rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"If more of us valued food, cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world..."

Thorin Oakenshield sums it up when he says these last words to Bilbo Baggins.

The Hobbit is the ultimate and an amazing adventure ("nasty disturbing uncomfortable things" in Bilbo`s words) story. This book is a real delight, a must-read!.

These below lines recited by Bilbo are just beautiful::

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that ne ...more

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About J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien

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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, WWI veteran (a First Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers, British Army), 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 ...more

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)

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