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The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
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Angie, Constant Reader
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Dec 01, 2016 05:52PM
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I have read it twice. I prefer TLOTR for its deeper, more adult-oriented treatment.
I may try to squeeze a reread in, we'll see how the month goes.
I've read everything by Tolkien at least once and this group of four books more times than I can count, but I find myself less enamored with it the older I get. Not sure if I will re-read but am looking forward to seeing people's opinions upon first read.
I have reread this entire series as a group, and individually; at least 3 times. I truly love this epic journey, and hope you all enjoy it, as well.Good luck
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Speaking of writing... I find it very interesting that Tolkien wrote a whole language by himself in this book. The Elvish language and letters. Amazing.
Angie wrote: "If you notice, the narrator has their own linguistic way of speaking that is different then any of the characters in the book. Later we are told that Bilbo wrote the story... but I am not sure if i..."If you read his other works he does get a lot of use out of the language(s) he created. Linguistics are so crazy to me. Not only did he have to create an entire world and all it's many inhabitants, but also the way they speak to each other? Crazy!
Even Gene Roddenberry didn't make up Klingon himself. O_o
This is a book I read out loud to my kids when they were young. Haven't read it (or seen any of the various movies) since then. So I got the audiobook and am about 1/3rd of the way through. I'm surprised how well I remember some scenes, the dwarves assembling in Bilbo's house to start the great adventure, finding the ring and escaping from Gollum. Other scenes are surprising and rewarding. I wouldn't recommend the audio version, however. The narrator has a great voice when he tells the story, but when he tries to do some of the other voices (especially Gollum) it's just plain annoying.
Nick wrote: "This is a book I read out loud to my kids when they were young. Haven't read it (or seen any of the various movies) since then. So I got the audiobook and am about 1/3rd of the way through. I'm sur..."I'm not sure if we are thinking of the same narrator, but I remember trying to listen to this on audio a few years back and the narrator just pulling me right out of the fantasy with his "voices"! I bet it's the same one.
As much as I love audio books, some books just need to be read.
Kandice wrote: "Nick wrote: "This is a book I read out loud to my kids when they were young. Haven't read it (or seen any of the various movies) since then. So I got the audiobook and am about 1/3rd of the way thr..."I agree. I'm sure it's the same guy, this is an older reading. Too bad; his straight narrative voice is so good. But I do agree with you and reading this book would take half the time as listening... and I wouldn't fall asleep when I'm listening late at night and wake up 100 pages later.
Really enjoyed the read, it is a book aimed at children, nonetheless I can see why it has so many fans.
Wend wrote: "Really enjoyed the read, it is a book aimed at children, nonetheless I can see why it has so many fans."I'm really enjoying it... about 3/4 through now, what a story, beautifully told. The attitude of the narrator is also impressive, it's like he's a character in the story himself. It's really a model of how a quest should be written. One adventure following another, dangers compounding. And Bilbow only gradually gaining the support and respect of the dwarfs, and confidence in himself. Hard to put down.
For some reason, I grew up assuming I read this book, so I never actually picked it up. I read TLOTR books before the movies came out, and I was so glad I did. I didn't do the same with The Hobbit movies, because I always thought I read this book as a kid. So now I'm finally reading this. Very enjoyable story. I'm listening to the audio (at 1.25x normal speed) and reading the text together... the last three books I've read with this method, it makes it a fun, immersive experience. I like the narrator's voices and I like his singing.
Jen wrote: "For some reason, I grew up assuming I read this book, so I never actually picked it up. I read TLOTR books before the movies came out, and I was so glad I did. I didn't do the same with The Hobbit ..."I listened to the book and thought the reading was great (especially once the narrator got by some of the early overdone character voices.) I think I commented elsewhere that Tolkien's ability to stage and dramatize the great battles was very impressive, as was the way he built the quest story. And then there was the wonderful story device of focusing on the Hobbet who was the least up to the adventure of anyone, except for that little strain of ancestry that made him crave adventure.
