EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club discussion
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The Hobbit, or There and Back Again - *SPOILERS*
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What a wonderful wonderful tale. I so enjoyed this one and couldn't help smiling at little Bilbo Baggins and his longings for home comforts during the adventure.To answer you there Betsy, I believe Gandalf was referring to old prophecies that lead to the success of Bilbo's adventure. That the success and prosperity that has come to the Mountain is not just Bilbo's luck but has been written in the stars from ages past. He wants to impress on Bilbo that "you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all."
Tolkein was really a master story teller and I really can't say enough good things about this book! A real pleasure to behold!
Interesting, Thomas, that makes a lot of sense. You explained exactly what the book left me feeling - that we are important but there's a whole lot going on in the world around us that we cannot even begin to comprehend. Although Bilbo is not technically representative of hobbits, I too laughed at his home comforts cravings.
Now that I think about it, that was probably why Gandalf wanted to send Bilbo on the adventure in the first place.
Hy. I also thoght that Gandalf had sent Bilbo on the trip, because the Dwarfes where in need of some fresh air for there problem. It's like in real life. If you've got a problem to solve and there will be no sollution, just step one or two meters left or right, and try another view. Here in the Hobbit, Bilbo was this different view to a common problem. The dwarfes where allways fighting. But Bilbo had a differnent view. Talking the Orks into the morining light for instance.
Indeed, Bilbo's 'diverse' perspective leads to the success of the mission. So we have many many peoples working together, contributing their own strengths to the quest. Elves, Eagles, etc. etc. Even a human, Bard. And of course the thrush, and the ravens, and the ponies (oh the poor ponies).I wonder if Tolkien, a British academic, coming up with this story while the Empire was still strong, was conscious of his 'Multicultural' theme.
So this time through I kept getting distracted by practicalities. The time on the quest doesn't seem to match the calendar, unless their year is more like 500 days long. And what did they drink while in the goblins cave for so long? And what did Smaug eat after he devastated the land 'round the mountain?I also noticed a lot of lovely & clever uses of language. I was reading in bed and so only managed to note one example, but Tolkien's use of language is why I like his shorter works, and his obsession with world-building & quests is why I don't like LotR. But consider: "Never laugh at live dragons!" First Bilbo literally admonishes himself thus, and eventually it becomes a proverb... because meme.
Ok, yes, it lived up to 'expectations' that it would be enjoyable, because I liked it so much as a youngster and always assumed that I'd reread it someday. I would recommend it to everyone who has watched any Tolkien movie, everyone who likes Quest or Sword&Sorcery fantasy, and every 10-13 yo child. I don't normally like fantasy, esp. quests or sword & sorcery, have never seen any movie, but this is an enjoyable easy read and was a big influence on many writers. I think the word is "seminal."
Cheryl wrote: "Indeed, Bilbo's 'diverse' perspective leads to the success of the mission. So we have many many peoples working together, contributing their own strengths to the quest. Elves, Eagles, etc. etc. Eve..."Hello Cheryl, I think multicultural was a big part of the British Empire. Many of the people who where part of the empire lived in London an made the city what she is. A mixture of many cultures. Therefor I think Tolkiens work is a mirror also of this mixture and his wish to find a history for this mixture like the Beowulf is for the Danes.
In 1930 London was a multicultural Moloch. Many political migrants came to the city. London was in 1900 the biggest city in the world with up 7 Million people living there. Tolkien wanted to write a history of Britain.
Ok. I guess I really need to study. I knew the city was 'huge', but I thought Imperialism was outward until later, after WWII and more colonies were gaining independence. I didn't realize that significant numbers of other 'races' were coming inward.Ok, research says that most of England outside London is still very white, and this article https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/stati... is the best that I can find atm, and reveals not a very high level of diversity in Tolkien's youth.
My point is that, if indeed Tolkien was aware that he was writing about themes relating to ethnic & cultural diversity, he gets bonus points from me. George Orwell was doing some of that, too, of course... which is part of the reason we still read his works. But "a history of Britain?" Certainly no Imperialism, no "Sun Never Sets on the British Empire," no "East Indian Trading Company" enforcing direct rule over India, in *The Hobbit.* Is there something like the British raj (https://www.britannica.com/event/Brit...) in LotR?
This has been my first experience reading any Tolkien novel, shocking I know - hence why I’m in this group! But of course I’ve seen all the movies, and have seen how big the LOTR books are, so I was sort of surprised that The Hobbit read so easily, it’s writing more carefree than I imagined it would be. I guess from what others have said, this is intentionally “lighter” than the LOTR series which is a more mature writing style? Regardless, I have enjoyed the adventure of Bilbo and the dwarves. I found the writing to contain so much imagery that I felt like I was in that goblin cave, or Beorn’s cabin right alongside their motley crew
Yes, the scenes and settings came alive... I sure do appreciate that about Tolkien. Glad to hear you liked it!
At the end of the book, Gandalf makes the following comment: "You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit?" If "mere luck" is not responsible for Bilbo’s success, what is?