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The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
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ARCHIVE - BOTM discussions > The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - May 2020

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message 1: by Kristie, Moderator (Retired) (new) - added it

Kristie | 5928 comments Our winning group read for May is The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien. Please discuss here and remember to use spoiler tags as needed, as everyone may start at different times and reads at different speeds.

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien

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.

Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001). Unforgettable!


Chelsey Keathley-Jones (keathleyc) | 172 comments It's been over 10 years since I read this. I loved it then and loved the movies! Excited to re read.


Chelsey Keathley-Jones (keathleyc) | 172 comments As far as the movies I don't think it matters but I haven't read LOTR just the Hobbit


message 4: by Kristie, Moderator (Retired) (new) - added it

Kristie | 5928 comments Fei wrote: "I haven't seen/read LOTR and I heard it's better to read the Hobbit afterwards. What do y'all think, people who've read/seen both?"

I heard just the opposite. The Hobbit is more of an introduction to the world and takes place before The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is also a "lighter" version because he wrote it for his kids.

I haven't read any of them yet, but saw all the movies a long time ago. I plan to read them all eventually, then watch the movies again.


message 5: by Kristie, Moderator (Retired) (last edited Apr 17, 2020 08:24PM) (new) - added it

Kristie | 5928 comments Fei wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Fei wrote: "I haven't seen/read LOTR and I heard it's better to read the Hobbit afterwards. What do y'all think, people who've read/seen both?"

I heard just the opposite. The Hobbi..."


Oh, gotcha! It's so funny how different people have different preferences for which to read first. It's kind of like do you read the book or watch the movie first? There's really no right way, but people have strong opinions about it.


message 6: by Betty1997 (new)

Betty1997 | 4 comments Over the years Ii have started this about three times and never managerd to keep going! I have downloaded a nice illustrated edition so hope that i can stick to it this time! You can hold me accountable...!!!


message 7: by Kristie, Moderator (Retired) (new) - added it

Kristie | 5928 comments Betty1997 wrote: "Over the years Ii have started this about three times and never managerd to keep going! I have downloaded a nice illustrated edition so hope that i can stick to it this time! You can hold me accountable...!!!"

Haha! Welcome, Betty! I started it once before and put it aside also. I'm hoping having the group chatting will help.


Ashley Fink Funny, I just re-read this book a year and a half ago! Maybe I’ll give it another go this month with y’all. 😁


Tony DeHaan | 8 comments Kristie wrote: "Fei wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Fei wrote: "I haven't seen/read LOTR and I heard it's better to read the Hobbit afterwards. What do y'all think, people who've read/seen both?"

I heard just the opposit..."


Please read the book and noting but the book, and forget about the Hobbit movies!


message 10: by Tony (new) - rated it 5 stars

Tony DeHaan | 8 comments I've read this a few times now, and it's still a delight!


message 11: by Kristie, Moderator (Retired) (new) - added it

Kristie | 5928 comments Tony wrote: "Please read the book and noting but the book, and forget about the Hobbit movies!"

That's easy to do. I saw them when they first came out and not since. Pretty sure I already forgot them. lol


Ilona Ciller | 6 comments Tony wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Fei wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Fei wrote: "I haven't seen/read LOTR and I heard it's better to read the Hobbit afterwards. What do y'all think, people who've read/seen both?"

I heard ..."


I'd go along with the opposite too, the movie made little sense to me until I read the book.


message 13: by Betty1997 (new)

Betty1997 | 4 comments Making in-roads and up to chapter 7 which is the furthest I've got before.
I was watching UK news and there was a feature where Andy Serkis (Gollum) announced that he is doing a full readathon of The Hobbit in one sitting, around 12 hours!!! It begins on Friday 8th May at 10am GMT I believe it is on the GoFundMe website, raising money for the NHS. Don't know if it is available internationally but if anyone is struggling to read it this may help!


Karen Kristie wrote: "Fei wrote: "I haven't seen/read LOTR and I heard it's better to read the Hobbit afterwards. What do y'all think, people who've read/seen both?"

I heard just the opposite. The Hobbit is more of an ..."


I have read both and started with The Hobbit. I definitely liked reading it this way as The Hobbit lays a foundation for LOTR. You will be introduced to the ring and some of the central characters. I could feel my excitement building to read LOTR as I read The Hobbit. :)


Nat's Bookshelf  (natssbookshelf) it was my first time reading with you guys and it was my first time reading The Hobbit. As much as I love LOTR I've never read it or watched any of the hobbit movies. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a great story. Honestly, I think I may start reading a chapter a night to my kids


message 16: by Tony (new) - rated it 5 stars

Tony DeHaan | 8 comments It is, after all, written for children.


message 17: by Edward (new)

Edward (edreadsbooks) | 3 comments Gosh - it has been well over 30 years since I read The Hobbit! I remember I really enjoyed it at the time and I then started on LOTR... but I didn't get too far! Perhaps this re-read of The Hobbit will lead to a more succesfull reading of LOTR!


Madita I read this book for the first time, but sadly i have to say, it did not catch my interest really. I liked reading it but I never had the Feeling that I could not put it down and do something else. I did put it down at 93% to end it on the next day, and that says a lot in my case. But I'm still very happy that I read it at least ones. It is after all a fantasy classic.


Rachel | 3 comments Love this book! It was one of the books I remember my Dad reading to me and my brother for our bed time story.


Jenny Forsström | 11 comments Loved the story but not the style of writing. But that is how I usually feel about Tolkien. Will absolutely not see the Hobbit movies - but I do question myself "How on earth did they manage to make three movies out of this book?" I have read LOTR and feel the same, great story, exhausting style. Those movies, however, I have seen and enjoyed :-)


message 21: by Betty1997 (new)

Betty1997 | 4 comments Glad to have finally finished it and it wasn't too bad. I am a little tempted to try Lord of the Rings to see how the writing compares. One thing which somewhat puts me off though is the lack of female characters and the long battle sections. I love the fantasy elements and the exploration/journey. It reflects my experience with RPG games such as Skyrim, I love walking around and shopping in the little towns and inns but not so keen on the fights! Lol


shi ❦ (bloomingsouls) | 21 comments I read this two months ago and I had already watched the movie two times before that (I'm usually adamant on reading a book first, though) and what struck me was that there were three movies for one book haha, not necessary but typically Hollywood I suppose!


Renee (elenarenee) | 149 comments I read this when i was in High School. It was a magical experience. It was the first time i became truly lost in a book. It was one of the books that started y love of reading. I have reread it many times. I think it will always remain a favorite.


message 24: by Meghan (new)

Meghan (meghanology) I just got LOTR in the mail the other day (ThriftBooks) - never read that or The Hobbit


Katherine Vick | 11 comments I reread The Hobbit for the first time since university recently and, while I did enjoy it, I couldn't escape the suspicion most of the best action was happening off the page where we couldn't see it! I also felt like I understood why the films were so much fleshed out, there was an awful lot of action that was told of rather than shown.


Sophrosyne | 5 comments Jenny wrote: "Loved the story but not the style of writing. But that is how I usually feel about Tolkien. Will absolutely not see the Hobbit movies - but I do question myself "How on earth did they manage to mak..."

because they added new characters to the story unnecessarily.


message 27: by Kristie, Moderator (Retired) (new) - added it

Kristie | 5928 comments Katherine wrote: "I reread The Hobbit for the first time since university recently and, while I did enjoy it, I couldn't escape the suspicion most of the best action was happening off the page where we couldn't see ..."

Oh, that's interesting. So, the movies added the 'off the page' action as well? That makes sense.


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