General Discussion/Questions

[May]

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Published 1937

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.
~
If you read books (which I am assuming you do) then there is no explanation needed for why this would be our December book. Aside from the movie coming out this month, it's just one of those books fantasy lovers have to read.

The first time I read this book was in grade 7 and I can't wait to re-read it with you!

[May]

Now that the movie is out, what do you think about how Peter Jackson approached turning this rather short book into a (to-be) trilogy?

[Mitch]

It's a little self-indulgent turning a 200 page book into a trilogy of very long movies, but I like how faithful it's kept to the book whereas the LotR trilogy really had to condense things.

The opening sentences even found their way in, along with that classic Bilbo and Gandalf banter. It's not a word-for-word adaptation but it really was playing out exactly as I had imagined it while reading it over the weekend. I'm not a big Tolkein buff but I do love high fantasy so I don't mind sitting through two more.

Seemed to be plenty of grumbling from the audience on the way out though.

[Rachel]

I was able to go and see the hobbit the on the 15th and being such a massive fan of the LoTR and the Hobbit I was beyond thrilled by the epic scale of which this was done! If you allow your self to just get caught up in all action and suspense and comedy of the movie the 2 hours and 46 minutes just flies by!! Peter Jackson did a wonderful job with the first part making it into 3 long parts allowed for great detail and focus on getting every part right! On top of it all Martin Freeman is amazing as Bilbo!

[May]

I suppose for the non-Tolkien viewer, The Hobbit doesn't exactly live up to the seriousness and almost instant darkness that we remember from LotR. I can imagine that letting a lot of people down who don't know that The Hobbit was written for little Catholic children.

I thought Peter Jackson did a great job of keeping the mood light but adding elements that foreshadow a darker ending. I was curious as to how he was going to be able to stretch out this book into a trilogy but I see that by adding the appendices he has added depth to the film itself and made it a better sequel (the Necromancer, the history of Durin and the Mines of Moria). I feel lucky to have a group of friends who understand story before effects, so we watched this in 2D first before going all out with an IMAX viewing sometime later this Christmas season.

Martin Freeman as Biblo is just perfect. I'm glad it all worked out in the end since he almost turned down the role to continue Sherlock (he's pretty amazing in Sherlock, too). Richard Armitage made Thorin more badass than I imagined him. I don't mind - badass dwarfs all the way.

[Rachel]

Mary Anne wrote: "I suppose for the non-Tolkien viewer, The Hobbit doesn't exactly live up to the seriousness and almost instant darkness that we remember from LotR. I can imagine that letting a lot of people down w..."

You sum it up beautifully!!