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There is a general appetite for thinking seriously about the art & artifacts we love, from "high" culture and "pop" culture alike. To that end, Olsen's Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is a perfect reading companion.
It is not a "critical" work, in the sense one might first assume. Criticism falls into three modes, or aims, or moods. The first and most foundational is analytic criticism, which aims at understanding. The second, quite popular and common in academia and thinkpieces in recent d ...more
It is not a "critical" work, in the sense one might first assume. Criticism falls into three modes, or aims, or moods. The first and most foundational is analytic criticism, which aims at understanding. The second, quite popular and common in academia and thinkpieces in recent d ...more
Alcuni spunti molto interessanti e una altrettanto interessante e approfondita analisi delle canzoni
I read the first 100 pages and hadn’t learned anything. DNF
I really enjoyed the entire experience of reading this book, while following along in my kindle copy of the Hobbit (which I had read again only a few weeks ago)
You might think that The Hobbit, of all Tolkien's work, would be the least in need of this kind of guide. I first read Tolkien back in the 1960's, and since I read LotR first, I was always a little less in love with The Hobbit. So, for me, the truth is that while I have never had any trouble delving into the Lord of the Rings or The Silma ...more
You might think that The Hobbit, of all Tolkien's work, would be the least in need of this kind of guide. I first read Tolkien back in the 1960's, and since I read LotR first, I was always a little less in love with The Hobbit. So, for me, the truth is that while I have never had any trouble delving into the Lord of the Rings or The Silma ...more
This is basically a commentary book on The Hobbit.
What I really like about this book is it takes the story of "The Hobbit" at face value. At no point does Mr Olsen ever go: "And at this part of the text, we see Tolkien is referring to his experiences in World War I" or "And from Chapter Eight we can see that Professor Tolkien really hates spiders." His analyses are very much involved with the story itself, how it portrays the characters, and how it presents the world that it takes place in.
F ...more
What I really like about this book is it takes the story of "The Hobbit" at face value. At no point does Mr Olsen ever go: "And at this part of the text, we see Tolkien is referring to his experiences in World War I" or "And from Chapter Eight we can see that Professor Tolkien really hates spiders." His analyses are very much involved with the story itself, how it portrays the characters, and how it presents the world that it takes place in.
F ...more
I really, really liked this book. I have read The Hobbit many times since I first picked it up in the 6th grade and it is always a good time. I liked looking at it from a more in-depth and, maybe, scholarly perspective.
Corey Olsen takes an in-depth look at the themes and ideas that make up The Hobbit. As he goes through the book chapter by chapter, you (or at least I) forge a stronger connection to a story that seems quite simple on the surface. AT it's heart "The Hobbit" is a simple tale of a ...more
Corey Olsen takes an in-depth look at the themes and ideas that make up The Hobbit. As he goes through the book chapter by chapter, you (or at least I) forge a stronger connection to a story that seems quite simple on the surface. AT it's heart "The Hobbit" is a simple tale of a ...more
This is a thorough breakdown of The Hobbit, dealing with the themes and characterisations presented in each chapter. It is designed for readers newer to Tolkien that me and so parts of the analysis may be too simple for Tolkien fans. However, I enjoyed the insights Olsen offers and ended up bookmarking a dozen or so pages where the insights seemed (to my eyes) new or particularly interesting. I could start to list them all but I'll be here all night if I do.
I liked that Olsen dealt with The Hob ...more
I liked that Olsen dealt with The Hob ...more
Professor Olsen's analysis is by far the most comprehensive and understandable of any and all I have read (and I have read a lot!) Because of the way he organized his book I was able to reread The Hobbit as I went along each chapter which was incredibly insightful and I recommend anyone reading this book to do the same. If you enjoyed this book or any of the Tolkien Professor's podcasts, consider enrolling in classes for Signum University, of which Professor Olsen is president. The courses are a
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Sep 23, 2012
Gaijinmama
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