From the Bookshelf of Reading the Classics…

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

J.R.R. Tolkien

Start date: September 3, 2012

Finish date: September 30, 2012

Discussion: Member-Led Side Reads

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What Members Thought

Aug 13, 2011 Michelle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I first read The Lord of the Ring trilogy when I was a kid but I only read The Hobbit for the first time in 2013. Now that’s out, I’m going to start my review with the first sentence from the book aka one of the most memorable opening line in literature:

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”

Thus, begin my not-little adventure with Bilbo & co. And what an adventure it is! Epic! Magical! Legendary! The characters are written in distinct voice. I especially like Bilbo, who at t ...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Emily rated it really liked it

Shelves: classic-novels

Is it just me or am I not the only one feeling like a little kid every time I read this fantastic novel? I swear, every time I read this book, I having this crazy kid-like fantasy that only occurs whenever I read the tales of Bilbo Baggins. He is such a funny and witty character. I love him so much!

I've read this book twice, both differently each time. The first time I read this book, I read it silently inside my head. Well, I do that all the time, but for some reason I did not feel right keepi Is it just me or am I not the only one feeling like a little kid every time I read this fantastic novel? I swear, every time I read this book, I having this crazy kid-like fantasy that only occurs whenever I read the tales of Bilbo Baggins. He is such a funny and witty character. I love him so much!

I've read this book twice, both differently each time. The first time I read this book, I read it silently inside my head. Well, I do that all the time, but for some reason I did not feel right keeping The Hobbit inside this concave structure. I don't know why but my thought process when I read this novel goes at a much slower pace compared to the speed of my mind reading it. To put it simply, I read faster than I think most of the time when I read this book largely because of the fact that I cannot wait to unfold what comes next, hence the numerous details skipped. (I think I just sinned the essence of book-reading.) This case scenario only happens when I am deeply entranced into books that I truly like and The Hobbit is definitely in that category. Thus, I felt like my inability to fully grasp the novel due to my excitement really hindered my chance to enjoy this book. Therefore, I have decided to give The Hobbit a second toss...

So, I re-read this book out loud through different parts in the story. Well, mainly the parts that contribute to the core of the novel. I must say, I now view this book in an entirely new perspective! What I had missed when I sped through this novel became so clear to me the second time around. Also, I was able to understand this novel even more because I was able to read it in a way that comes in the form of "story-telling". You know? It's similar to one of those bed-time stories that your parents read to you every night before you go to sleep.

Overall, what I am trying to point out is that you should read The Hobbit the way I did. Although everybody's absorption of books is different, do try to read it out loud if possible. My review here is just to help you take this novel in a different way if you ever find yourself re-reading it again. There are so many positive reviews out there about The Hobbit already, so I do not need to say anymore. Heck, some of those reviews can say better things than I would have. Nonetheless, I hope that my suggestion is helpful to you in your journey to read The Hobbit! ...more

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