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The Hobbit (Middle-Earth Universe)

by J.R.R. Tolkien

4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 · rating details · 1,585,119 ratings · 27,218 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, 365 pages

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

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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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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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Jan 13, 2014 Jason Koivu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, favorites, 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 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 emotions. I have read this fantastic tale a number of times, watched the 70s cartoon movie version countless times and am counting down the days with unabashed eagerness until Peter Jackson's new live action film comes out. I will continue to read The Hobbit again and again, for the road goes ever, ever on...

Appendix-ish type reviews

The Hobbit, the 1977 animated film version by Rankin & Bass
This may be the movie I've watched the most in my life. This is the one I can quote from start to finish and annoy the fuck out of my friends. I try to refrain, but when John Huston bellows out, "I am Gandalf and Gandalf means ME!!!"...well, I just can't help myself. Crazy-off-his-rocker Brother Theodore as Gollum still astounds me with the sheer depth of his guttural growl. Sorry voice-straining Serkis, but this is the real Gollum, the creepy muthah that kept me up nights. Though Rankin & Bass's version skips over the whole Beorn scene entirely, coming in at 90 minutes, they actually managed to pack in quite a bit of story. Certainly it is truncated (to absurdity during The Battle of Five Armies), but at least it's not overblown, as appears to be happening with Peter Jackson's unnecessarily long trilogy of this single book.

The Hobbit, or There And Back Again (An illustrated book by Rankin & Bass)
Though it's a few pages shorter than the regular paperback version, this marvelous part-text, part-illustrated version seems to be unabridged. It includes screenshots taken directly from the 70s cartoon, plus where the movie skipped over parts of the book they've included extra illustrations, admittedly of mixed quality. It's a little strange to see the same characters rendered differently sitting side by side...
description

...but nonetheless, it's always fun to see how artists interpret the work, especially when it's a work dear to your heart.

The Hobbit, a film version by Peter Jackson
It's never fun to see an artist tear the heart out of a work. Peter Jackson was given too long a leash when New Line stretched this one book out to three separate movies. Instead of one movie packed with awesome, we get three that, so far, have been watered down and dragged out. Extra scenes are added and add nothing: Really, a sleigh ride chase scene with a super minor character? And honestly, can Richard Armitage (as Thorin Oakenshield) act with any other part of his body besides his eyebrows?
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May 30, 2014 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~~ borrow some) for at least one opportunity to roleplay Gollum.

Becuz GOLLUM ROOOLZ!!!!!

See here, he even won an award!! (Click on the link to see a hilarious video)

Of course the most compelling reason to add this to your reading list in haste is...more

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Dec 15, 2013 Will Byrnes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites-fiction, ya-and-children

Updated - July 10, 2013 - new link at bottom

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. Someti...more

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Aug 01, 2014 Alejandro rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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 lived a h...more

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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.

-----------------
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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Apr 17, 2013 Inge rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dragons, magic, fantasy, children, meh, classics, faeries-and-elves

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 found myself struggling to get the job done. Reading is not supposed to be a job; it’s supposed to be fun and relaxing. For me, The Hobbit was not an engaging story – I was distracted constantly and kept missing paragraphs. The story in it...more

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Sep 19, 2014 GHOULIO™ rated it 4 of 5 stars

this is not a review.

this is smack-talk.

me and my buddy Alexis Hall 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

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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?

------------------

*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 06, 2011 Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For Goodreads) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommends it for: Fantasy lovers and the young at heart

Recommended to Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For Goodreads) by: Classics For Beginners Group Read

Shelves: classic, fantasy, owned-copy, plan-to-read-soon, group-read-classics-sep-2011, favorites, faerie, reluctant-or-unlikely-hero, quest, dragon, 2011-reading

Bilbo Baggins is a Hobbit who doesn't take much after his Took side of the family. Adventure might be in his blood, but it's not really his thing. He'd rather stay in his nice home under the Hill and have tea. But adventure comes knocking in the form of one wizard, Gandalf, and thirteen dwarves. Gandalf has volunteered Mr. Baggins to be the burglar for these dwarves. To steal into their former home and get back their treasure from a nasty dragon by the name of Smaug. Bilbo would rather say no, b...more Bilbo Baggins is a Hobbit who doesn't take much after his Took side of the family. Adventure might be in his blood, but it's not really his thing. He'd rather stay in his nice home under the Hill and have tea. But adventure comes knocking in the form of one wizard, Gandalf, and thirteen dwarves. Gandalf has volunteered Mr. Baggins to be the burglar for these dwarves. To steal into their former home and get back their treasure from a nasty dragon by the name of Smaug. Bilbo would rather say no, but he doesn't get the choice.

So off he goes on an amazing adventure that takes him across Middle Earth and to very dangerous places. Bilbo discovers just how much he is capable of (more than he imagines), and proves his worth again and again to the dwarves. Of course, Gandalf knew he was capable of that all the time.

This was a lovely story. I had never read any Tolkien prior to this, so it was fascinating getting to experience his work firsthand. He clearly has a love of song and poetry, and the epic works of bravery and adventure. It took some getting used to, but I decided I liked how he used lots of songs in this work. I would even read them aloud to myself.

I appreciated the time spent in crafting this world, replete with various types of folk, from Hobbits to Elves, Trolls, Goblins, Dwarves, a bear Shape-changer, Wargs (werewolves), talking ravens, great War Eagles, nasty giant Spiders, and even a grumpy Dragon. I liked that Mr. Tolkien told us a little of each, but primarily integrated this knowledge into the story so we could see for ourselves what they were made of.

This book was a great mix of humor and adventure. Tolkien doesn't seem to take himself too seriously, and his narrative shows a lively sense of humor and a good-spirited view of the world. It's clear that he has some things to say about what was going on in the world of his times, but he doesn't use his story to beat the reader over the head with his beliefs. Instead, one gets the clear impression that Tolkien questions the advance of industrialization and how it might cause the loss of things much more valuable in the world. And to think he uses a mythical world and mythical creatures, and tells a great story along the way, making that the clear focus. Personally, I think a writer can reveal a lot about himself without taking a reader out of the story and into editorial land, and that is clearly the case with Mr. Tolkien in this novel.

Bilbo is definitely an unlikely hero, which is one of my favorite kinds. He shows that being a hero is both a lot of work and sacrifice, yet comes naturally when one does what one feels is right, albeit not easy. I liked that as we got to know what he was capable of, so did he. His strengths felt realistic to who he was, and I liked that although people expected little of a Hobbit, Bilbo shows them just what he's made of. Bilbo gets frightened, and who can blame him? But he shows a cool head, and puts his thinking cap on, and always works through his fear. He's the kind of character that challenges the stereotype of what a hero is made of, and in a very good way. I found myself feeling very affectionate towards the guy and hoping that things worked out for him. I especially liked that although Gandalf is their companion part of the way, and a powerful wizard, he's not a deus ex machina figure in this book. His powers and sage knowledge do help, but his companions, particularly little Bilbo, mainly have to use their own strengths to extricate themselves from some nasty situations.

Although this tends to be a light-hearted book, there are some scary moments, and foes that I certainly wouldn't want to face. Poor Bilbo and his companions continually get out of one bad scrape, only to end up in a worse one. Lives are at risk, and heroes have to make their stands. But good wins out in the end, and that's what I want to see in a Goodread.

I can certainly see why The Hobbit is considered a classic. This is a rich story that can be taken on several levels. It's not only fun to read, but it has some good messages. I also found the writing to be high quality and showcasing that its author had the benefits of a classical education in folklore, myth, and legend. He combined all that to make a very delightful story that I had the pleasure to read for the first time (although not the last, I'm sure). If you have enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movies but haven't read the books, I highly recommend reading Tolkien. And The Hobbit is the best place to start. (less)

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

Shelves: dragons, jrrt, favorites, lit-fiction-english, fantasy-high, trolls-and-gnomes

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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Jan 09, 2014 Mohammed Arabey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Plot القصه
The Action الاحداث
The Settings الاماكن
The Characters الشخصيات
But.. The Oscar Goes to.. J.R.R. Tolkien for BEST STORYTELLER

فعلا لعل اكثر ما اعجبني في رحلتي مع الهوبيت ..تلك الرحله غير المتوقعه لي
هو اسلوب روايه جي ار ار تولكين للقصه
فله اسلوب مميز بالفعل في الحكي, كانه يروي خصيصا من اجلك انت

الهــوبيت هي حجر الاساس والبدايه في واحده من اهم الروايات في العالم "سلسله ملك الخواتم" "وكانت السلسله الاعلي مبيعات حتي اطاحت بها روايه الساحره الانجليزيه جي كي رولينج عن قصه حياه هاري بوتر"...more The Plot القصه
The Action الاحداث
The Settings الاماكن
The Characters الشخصيات
But.. The Oscar Goes to.. J.R.R. Tolkien for BEST STORYTELLER

فعلا لعل اكثر ما اعجبني في رحلتي مع الهوبيت ..تلك الرحله غير المتوقعه لي
هو اسلوب روايه جي ار ار تولكين للقصه
فله اسلوب مميز بالفعل في الحكي, كانه يروي خصيصا من اجلك انت

الهــوبيت هي حجر الاساس والبدايه في واحده من اهم الروايات في العالم "سلسله ملك الخواتم" "وكانت السلسله الاعلي مبيعات حتي اطاحت بها روايه الساحره الانجليزيه جي كي رولينج عن قصه حياه هاري بوتر" , وحتي الكتاب منفردا قد حقق مبيعات عاليه ونسبه قراءه اعلي

لم اكن انتوي ابدا البدء في قراءه عالم فانتازي من اوله لاخره..فهذا لم يكن ابدا نوع القراءه المفضله بالنسبه لي "فلا الخيال العلمي مثل حرب النجوم او الهوبيت هو النوع المفضل لي في القراءه واحيانا الافلام ايضا"..فانا افضل الخيال الذي يحدث في العالم الحقيقي الواقعي,الفانتازيا التي تحدث في البلد المجاور والشخصيات الحقيقيه حتي وان كان لها قدرات خارقه..ولكن عندما تعج روايه بشخصيات غريبه كاقزام وغيلان وهوبيت وجن, بل وتدور في ارض خياليه فهذا كنت اعتبره كثيرا جدا لمخيلتي الي علي قدها :)

ولكني اتذكر جيدا ان اول مشاهده لفيلم "ملك الخواتم" 2001 اعجبني قصه الجزء الاول نوعا ما الا ان يكون "الهوبيت" هذه الشخصيات الخياليه مع الاقزام مع الجن والغيلان والترول والصقور العملاقه, كل هذا في اراضي غير حقيقيه وعالم اخر تماما اربكني جدا ولم يجعلني استمتع بالاجزاء التاليه

وتشأ الظروف ان اشاهد بعد اكثر من 10 سنوات النسخه الممتده من الفيلم, وشعرت ان الشخصيات لها عمق والسيناريو الممتد افضل بكثير من مجرد الاكشن والحروب التي ضجرت من طول مدتها خلال الاحداث

ومن هنا شعرت ان بالتأكيد الروايه نفسها وشخصياتها لها عمق غير الاكشن ولها تاريخ ايضا..وبعد صدور الفيلم الذي خرج عن روايه "الهوبيت" بعد اخر جزء بعشر سنوات واعجابي فعلا برسم الشخصيات قررت ان ابدا في دخول عالم الارض الوسطي ,عالم تولكين كما رواه بنفسه وكما "اختلقها" بقلمه وريشته ايضا..ومن البدايه

********* الاحداث *********
------- The Plot ------
فكره الرحله وطريقه تقديمها اعجبتني جدا, وجود خريطه المسيره في غلاف الكتاب الداخلي بريشه تولكين امر اكثر من رائع وافادني كثيرا لتخيل الرحله

الا ان العيب الوحيد هو تسرب الملل في بعض اجزاء الرحله نفسها..ربما -واقولها مره اخري- هو ملل مقصود ادبيا لكي نشعر بمدي الملل الذي يعانيه البطل "فالبطل كان متمللا جدا طبعا ولايحلم الا بفراشه الوثير" ولكن مازالت بعض الاجزاء كانت اطول مما ينبغي ولم ترق لي كثيرا

وهنا يأتي جمال الفيلم والذي اعتبره مكمل للصوره الكامله التي رسمها تولكن, بيتر جاكسون فعلا منح الحياه البصريه للروايه بشكل رائع ويستحق فعلا ترشيح اوسكار اخر

بيتر جاكسون منذ بدايه الجزء الاول من سلسله ملك الخواتم قام باختيار اجمل مواقع التصوير التي يمكن جعل بها الارض الوسطي حقيقه مرئيه وليس في الامكان اجمل مما كان
وهذا ما استخدمه هنا بطريقه اقوي في "الهوبيت" وحتي ان كان هذا الجمال اكثر بكثير من الروايه نفسها في وصف الاماكن

كما قام في مغامره تحسب له بحذف بعض الاحداث الممله بالروايه "كالدوران مرارا وتكرارا في ممرات الغيلان بالجبل او الغابه المظلمه" ولكنه اضاف بعض الاحداث الاخري الاكشن والتي ربما زادت من الملل قليلا بالنسبه لي مثل جعل مطاره الغيلان للاقزام تأخذ مساحات اطول واحيانا في اوقات لم تكن بالروايه

كما اضاف في الفيلم احداث تدور بين جاندلف وبين النكرومانسي والتي تم ذكرها عابره في احداث الروايه ولم نشهدها او نعرف عنها اي شئ..وهي اضافه في هذه الحاله تحسب له جدا وفعلا اتمني ان اقرأ عنها في روايه اخري

وان اشفق الراوي الرائع علينا ويلات الحرب الاخيره -وهذا من حسن حظي اني غبت عن الوعي مع بيبلو "طبعا وكل من قرأ الروايه- لعدم تطويل الاحداث في وصف الحرب فاني اعتقد انها سيخصص لها نصف الجزء الثالث من الفيلم تقريبا, وربما يكون الامر مشوقا وقتها

ولكن كما قلت جمال الطبيعه والتصوير الذي قام به الفيلم يشفع له التطويل
ولكن الاجمل فعلا كان في تصوير
********* الشخصيات *********
-------The Characters--------
Dwarf فعندما يكون هذا ...قزم

تعرف انك امام فيلم يعشق شخصيات الروايه ويريد ان يقدمهم في اجمل صورهم
وقد كان.........حقا

فتصوير الشخصيات بالفيلم قدمه بيتر جاكسون باروع مايمكن ,وحتي ليس بصريا فقط بل وبناء الشخصيات نفسه وتطورها كان مشابهه للروايه ويعلوه في بعض الاحيان"بالطبع لطول فتره الفيلم باجزاءه"
فسموج التنين مثلا كان رهبته افضل بكثير "بصوته" وهيئته في الفيلم الجزء الثاني, وان كان هناك اختلاف طفيف بين الحوار بين الروايه والفيلم الا انك تجد ان كلاهما مكملين لتصويره الرهيب...ولكن يظل توليكن يتفوق بالتأكيد وبدون اي شك او حتي معارضه في تقديمها
اتذكر شخصيه "بوروين" الرجل الدب اني قرأت بدايه هذا الفصل وتقديم الشخصيه نفسها قبل نصف ساعه من دخول الفيلم الجزء الثاني..روح الدعابه في روايه القصه كان واضحا جدا وكان من اجمل الفصول فعلا, ولكنه تحول في الفيلم الي مشهد اكشن فحسب فلم يكن رائعا مثل الروايه

فالحوار بينه وبين جاندلف كان في غايه الطرافه فعلا...وشخصيه جاندلف بالاخص اعشقها "صارت شخصيتي المفضله الجديده" لاني اشعر ان بها الكثير من
********* الـرواي *********
----- The Storyteller -----

تولكن , والذي منحناه الاوسكار في اول الريفيو كان له اسلوب اكثر من رائع في الحكي...في وصف العالم الذي يعشقه والشخصيات وماضيها وتاريخها ونفسيتها وعائلتها

لغته المحببه في الروي وروح الدعابه واشعارك بانه يحكي لك الروايه خصيصا هو اكثر ما شدني لاستكمال رحلتي الغير متوقعه فعلا معه
انجليزيته المحببه سواء في اللغه او حتي تصرفات شخصياته جعلتني اعشق اكثر الادب الانجليزي "فلا ننس ان جي كي روليج كاتبتي المفضله انجليزيه ايضا"

جندلف انا متأكد انه شخصيته المفضله.."ربما سأبحث في هذا الامر فعلا" وقد اعجبني جدا حواره منذ اول مشاهده والتي حافظ عليها بروحها ونصها المخرج بيتر جاكسون
“Good Morning!" said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat.

"What do you mean?" he said. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

"All of them at once," said Bilbo. "And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain.
...

"Good morning!" he said at last. "We don't want any adventures here, thank you! You might try over The Hill or across The Water." By this he meant that the conversation was at an end.
"What a lot of things you do use Good morning for!" said Gandalf. "Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move off.”

ستشعر فعلا بتلك الروح المرحه في الروي سواء من الراوي او من جمله جندلف نفسها
"هل تتمني لي صباح سعيد ام انك تعني انه صباحا سعيدا سواء شئت انا او ابيت , او انك تعني انك تشعر بالسعاده هذا الصباح , او انه صباح لتكون فيه سعيد؟"
“Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”

في النهايه
********
فعلا هي رحله غير متوفعه
Unexpected Journey

لم اتخيل انه سيعجبني عالم خيالي وشخصيات خياليه الي هذا الحد..ربما تظل لاحداث القصه بعض الاجزاء التي مللت منها الا ان روح الراوي وتعبه في هذا العالم وتاريخه سيجعلك متشوقا لمعرفه المزيد من الاحداث

النسخه التي لدي
Paperback -Movie Tie in
كان بها اخر 25 صفحه بخط اصغر من الخط الصغير اساسا اخاص بالروايه اول فصول ملك الخواتم, في البدايه عندما كانت اضجر احيانا من الملل اقول اني لن اقرأه وسيكفيني الفيلم بنسخته الممتده
الا ان بعد النهايه وجدت اني اريد المزيد , وفعلا شدني جدا الفصل الاول وسيكون لي رحله اخري للارض الوسطي ومدنها وجبالها وجمال طبيعتها وحتي طرقها الوعره

مع الهوبيت..مع جاندلف..والخاتم..وحتي بيتر جاكسون وفوقهم
الرائع
جي ار ار تولكن

محمد العربي
من 12 ديسمبر 2013
الي 29 ديسمبر 2013(less)

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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 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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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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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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Jan 16, 2014 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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May 10, 2009 Manny rated it 4 of 5 stars

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, 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 23, 2010 Caris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

The Hobbit is one of the few books I started but never finished. I remember opening it on Christmas morning when I was in sixth grade or so. It came in a box set with the Lord of the Rings books. I turned it over in my hands, not sure of what to think. My father thought I’d really like it, as he loved those books as a kid. I wasn’t quite so sure, but I started it anyway. I trudged through the boring words, not remembering any and eventually quitting when the traveling troupe was apprehended by s...more

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Oct 01, 2007 Nathan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Pretentious assholes who are too stupid to see how right wing this book is.

Shelves: fiction, books-i-hope-die

The only Tolkien I've ever read. And it guarantees it'll stay that way. That's right, I'm one of the five people on the planet who didn't pretend to have read the Lord of the Rings trilogy after the movies came out. And that's using the term loosely. They weren't really movies, they were more like protracted masturbatory fantasies for stoner geeks and people who would otherwise be making b-horror film remakes. The Hobbit wasn't a part of the trilogy, and I can only assume that it got left it out...more

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Oct 02, 2013 Tracey, librarian on strike rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, the-professor

I guess I'll start my move with my most "like"d review.

My friends list will be seeing this message a lot over the next days and weeks. Sorry.

I have reviewed this book; the review can be found here, on Booklikes, and here, on my blog. However, I will no longer be posting reviews on Goodreads, due to its recent changes to terms of service and, far worse, the boneheaded and incomprehensible way it is proceeding with the new policy. Deleting content, almost randomly, and without warning (whatever t...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Brad rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faves, fantasy, classic, young-adult, to-my-kids, out-loud, exceeded-my-expectations, the-best

Finished reading it to the kids tonight. I'll have to write about it tomorrow.

later ... It's been almost two decades since I last read The Hobbit,and the intervening years have not been kind to our relationship. I've reread The Lord of the Rings in that time, and been both dazzled and repulsed by Peter Jackson's screen interpretation of them. I revised my intellectual response to Tolkien, if not my feelings, because of the racism inherent in the Trilogy, then I revised it again because of the se...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Emir Never rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hear here a tale of yore
Of Hobbit's unlikely adventure
Through a Wizard's wit and guile
Ventured he out of Hole and Hill

Off to the Misty Mountain wild!
Off to the Rivers long and wide!
Off to the Forest dark and deep!
All for the treasures that dwarves seek.

Oh the paths with dangers fraught
Trolls and wolves that need be fought
Spiders weave their nasty work
And goblins all in darkness lurk

Off to the Misty Mountain wild!
Off to the Rivers long and wide!
Off to the Forest dark and deep!
All for the treasu...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Shovelmonkey1 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: dragons

Recommended to Shovelmonkey1 by: 1001 books list

Shelves: 1001-books, fantasy-fantastic, read-in-2012, travel-books

If you had known me as a child you'd have found me in my room, curled in Smaug-like fashion around a giant heaped collection of fantasy novels including Dianne Duane, Terry Pratchett, Tolkien and Lloyd Alexander. (Teen Book Smaug graduated to Stephen King, Dean R Koontz, Wilbur Smith and Shaun Hudson and adult Book Smaug has lost the ability to be discriminating and now just hoards any and all books from Classic Lit to Sci-fi and all stops in between). Anyone attempting to remove a book from the...more If you had known me as a child you'd have found me in my room, curled in Smaug-like fashion around a giant heaped collection of fantasy novels including Dianne Duane, Terry Pratchett, Tolkien and Lloyd Alexander. (Teen Book Smaug graduated to Stephen King, Dean R Koontz, Wilbur Smith and Shaun Hudson and adult Book Smaug has lost the ability to be discriminating and now just hoards any and all books from Classic Lit to Sci-fi and all stops in between). Anyone attempting to remove a book from the coveted collection might be in danger of getting bitten and there is still some truth in that now.

Yet somehow during the early stages of my book hoarding mania, I failed to read The Hobbit. A stupid and glaring oversight which has now been rectified although I think I'd have gotten more out of this if I'd read it before Lord of the Rings all those years ago.

Hobbits are stout little fellows with curly hair, big feet and endearing small outfits in fetching shades of green and yellow. Apparently they are smaller than dwarves too which kind of made me wonder why the dwarves had not rounded them all up and used them for getting into extra-tight diamond picking spots in the mines, I mean they sound like easy targets right? Hobbits like to eat home baked goods and sleep and eat a bit more, and occasionally they like a nice pipe of tobacco and a good catch up with friends over a bottle of wine. They probably read The Guardian too.

All of this might make you disinclined to believe that they are Middle Earth's answer to James Bond, Harry Houdini and Ethan Hunt combined into one escapological espionage-tastic micro package. But they are and Bilbo Baggins is here to prove it. Asked to join in an expedition to the Lonely Mountain to liberate a substantial amount of treasure, currently being warmed by the scaley buttocks of the fearsome dragon known as Smaug, Bilbo is soon swept up on a non-stop series of perilous adventures. He is ostensibly asked to join the fourteen strong team because thirteen is an unlucky number. So, just along to make up the numbers then? I'm not sure if that kind of half-arsed invite would have been enough to tempt me off the sofa.

Not long after setting out, Bilbo and the dwarves are caught by trolls and then escape.
Then they are caught by goblins and Bilbo is hunted by Gollum but it is ok because they escape from there.
Then they are cornered by wargs but it's ok because they managed to get out of that one too.
Next they're caught by giant spiders (shudder) and, oh yes they get out of that one.
Blundering away from the spiders they fall foul of some wood elves but its ok because they escape from that sticky situation as well.

Finally after more great escapes than Steve McQueen, they arrive at the Lonely Mountain and promptly get sealed in a tunnel by grumpy Smaug who is none too keen on house guests. Just when there's about to be a proper slap fight over the distribution of the treasure, The Battle of Five Armies breaks out. Once the battle is over, Bilbo takes a little bit of treasure because money can't buy you happiness people, and sets off back to The Shire.

Because this was originally a story told for children rather than a book written for overgrown ones, there are of course a lot of hidden (glaringly obvious) morals of the sort that parental units wish their chidlets to imbibe indirectly thus helping them to grow up to be nice people. Share things, be nice to people who help you, the value of team work, be hospitable, arson is bad, don't annoy dragons. You know the sort of thing I mean.
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Apr 21, 2012 Shayantani 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 11, 2014 Algernon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Algernon by: re-read after seeing the second movie

Shelves: 2014

I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led. And through the air. I am he that walks unseen.

I am the clue-finder, the web-cutter, the stinging fly. I was chosen for the lucky number.

I am he that buries his friends alive and drowns them and draws them alive again from the water. I came from the end of a bag, but no bag went over me.

I am the friend of the bears and the guest of the eagles. I am Ringwinner and Luckwearer; and I am Barrell-rider.

Bilbo

Bilbo Baggins, lad...more

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Oct 12, 2014 Will M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, fantasy, 2014, favorites

This was a very fun read, but quite disappointing in a way. I believe my disappointment rooted from the fact that I watched the movie adaptations [Part 1 and 2] first before reading this. If I read this years ago before the movies came out, I'm 100% sure that I would've been fully immersed and would've loved this novel. While reading this, I imagined everything as how the movie adaptation did. I wanted my interpretation of the novel, but I guess the only one we can blame would be me. I don't thi...more This was a very fun read, but quite disappointing in a way. I believe my disappointment rooted from the fact that I watched the movie adaptations [Part 1 and 2] first before reading this. If I read this years ago before the movies came out, I'm 100% sure that I would've been fully immersed and would've loved this novel. While reading this, I imagined everything as how the movie adaptation did. I wanted my interpretation of the novel, but I guess the only one we can blame would be me. I don't think it's right to give this a 4-star rating because of something I did, and I'll be logical and say the movie wouldn't be that amazing without the reference in the first place. So I believe this deserves my 5-star rating, and it's also considered as one of my favorites.

The characters are obviously unforgettably superb. Bilbo Baggins is one humorous man, and his adventure resulted to a magical world where millions of people learned to love and appreciate. Gandalf is another character where people will always remember. For me he resembles Dumbledore, or I believe the right comparison would be, Dumbledore resembles Gandalf. His wit and humour added to the amazing adventure this novel offered. So I've managed to mention my third and second favorite characters. Now let me talk about my favorite, Gollum. I've seen the 3 movies of The Lord of The Rings when I was a child, and the character that I remember the most would be Gollum. The very ugly yet funny and entertaining creature. Who wouldn't love this creature?! Even though he only played a minor part in this novel, I'm still glad that he even played a part in the first place. He brought back a lot of good memories.

The world of The Hobbit is magically splendid of course. Middle-Earth would be one of the few fictional worlds I'll never forget. It played a major role in my childhood, and yet it still plays a huge role in my life right now as a young adult. No matter how old I'll be, I'll never learn to get tired of Middle-Earth.

To sum things up, just go read this novel. Stop hesitating, cause after reading this, you'll end up hating yourself for delaying too much. Stop delaying the amazing feeling you'll experience after reading this. 5/5, deserves no less.

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About J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE, was an English writer, poet,WWI veteran (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 language and literature from 1945 to 1959. He was a cl...more

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

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

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

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

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