The Hobbit, or There and Back Again in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Dec 28, 2012 Jennifer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, fiction, classics

**Reread in 2015 to Jefferson as a bedtime story book. Wonderful to read aloud, despite the scores of gruff male voices that are a challenge to differentiate.

Review from first reading: (in 2012)
Somehow, for the past decade or so, I have been convinced that I had already read this book. When I finally read The Lord of the Rings trilogy, I didn't start with The Hobbit instead, because I'd read that one. But talking with Andrew while he read this book on the train ride to Texas, I began to suspect **Reread in 2015 to Jefferson as a bedtime story book. Wonderful to read aloud, despite the scores of gruff male voices that are a challenge to differentiate.

Review from first reading: (in 2012)
Somehow, for the past decade or so, I have been convinced that I had already read this book. When I finally read The Lord of the Rings trilogy, I didn't start with The Hobbit instead, because I'd read that one. But talking with Andrew while he read this book on the train ride to Texas, I began to suspect that this wasn't so. So on the train ride back home, I snatched my book back, and it didn't take more than a few pages to convince me that no, I'd never read The Hobbit. (Later I came to the conclusion that I had read a very abridged version that was a tie-in to the cartoon as a child.)

That said, it was kind of wonderful to read this book after the LOTR trilogy. Already fond of Bilbo, already pitying/loathing Smeagol/Gollum, seeing the eagles again, learning more about the ways of dwarves, and, of course, Gandalf, Gandalf, Gandalf.

There seems no point in reviewing the plot, as everyone knows at least the bones of the plot (even those who've never read the book!) There seems to be no point in discussing the worthiness of the book or the skill of the author, as people seem to be Tolkien fans or not. And in this age of Peter Jackson, it seems inconceivable that any English-speaking person could not know which camp they fall into.

Though I will say that the beginning of the final conflict was surprisingly difficult reading. So many sides with vested and opposing interests, and all of their positions were both understandable and reprehensible. Even Bilbo himself. It all ended alright finally, of course, as it must in a story when you know how the main characters turn out seventy or so years later.

Additionally, I will say that I have finally learned my lesson regarding books and movies. Two months was not enough time to let go of the book version of this story. Every other moment watching the movie I was (mentally) screaming, "What the what?" In the future: if there aren't six months to pass between book and movie, wait and watch the movie first. Especially in this case, when Gollum was already firmly Andy Serkis in my mind anyway.

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