Fantasy Book Club discussion
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The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
2009 Group Read Discussions
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11/09-12/09: The Hobbit/ The Happiness of Hobbits
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I think I like Beorn the best. He was a tough, self-sufficient man who was kind to everyone, except those that didn't deserve it & then he was deadly. I liked his life style, too.
Aside from Bilbo, who gets most of the focus in this book, my next favorite character was Bard, the man from Laketown.
My favourite is definitely Bilbo, a funny character in the way he handles unusual situations.Two scenes come to my mind (among others).
First, the unexpected party at the beginning, when the dwarves come one or two at a time (and they play the same trick to Beorn later) and impose on poor Bilbo (the song about broken dishes is comical).
Then there's the thieving job at the end of their journey, as Bilbo steals a single cup from the huge dragon's hoard, and later try to out-smart Smaug in a riddled conversation.
My favorite character is probably Gandalf. My favorite scenes, ironically, don't contain him.
The argument of the three trolls always amuses me.
And I remember trying, and failing, to guess the riddles Bilbo and Gollum posed to eachother beneath the mountain.
I forgot to mention my favorite scene - Bilbo hiding the dwarves in the barrels to escape from the wood Elves.
My favorite character is Gollum. Since I read LOTR before this, I finally figured out in The Hobbit that Gollum was actually referring to himself as "precious", I always thought that was his name for the ring.My favorite scene was the game of riddles between Bilbo and Gollum. I could just feel Gollum's frustration! I loved pausing after each riddle and trying to figure each one out myself.
Gollum is my favorite. You don't really get a sense for who he is or what he is really until LOTR of course. Just as a underdwelling creature lurking around in dark caves. That's also my favorite scene too with the riddles and then of course Bilbo managing to outsmart him.
My favourite character also is Gollum. Somehow i felt great pity for this lonely creature who was once a Hobbit. He had condemned himself to this fate by his jealousy for the ring. Gollum killing his relative Deagol seemed very much like a reflection of the tale of Cain and Abel.
My favorite scene is also with the riddles, especially how the last riddle was only from words that Bilbo had whispered to himself. This was not a genuine riddle according to ancient law as only Bilbo could know the answer, but he played along knowing this.
If you loved the riddles, then you may enjoy hearing J.R.R. Tolkien reciting some of these riddles. You will understand how exciting it would have been for his children to hear him tell this story.
J.R.R. Tolkien reads from 'The Hobbit: Riddles in the Dark'
My favorite scene is also with the riddles, especially how the last riddle was only from words that Bilbo had whispered to himself. This was not a genuine riddle according to ancient law as only Bilbo could know the answer, but he played along knowing this.
If you loved the riddles, then you may enjoy hearing J.R.R. Tolkien reciting some of these riddles. You will understand how exciting it would have been for his children to hear him tell this story.
J.R.R. Tolkien reads from 'The Hobbit: Riddles in the Dark'
I just started re-reading The Hobbit after 10 years or so, and the first chapter is making me chuckle all over again. I love how Gandalf (my favourite character) and Bilbo are introduced, and the contrast between the two never fails to make me laugh: poor Bilbo sitting in front of his cosy hobbit home (feet neatly brushed) trying to hold on to his dignity and respectability, and wheedle out of Gandalfs adventure while trying not to offend him, "because wizards are after all, wizards." The subsequent visit of the dwarves, where Bilbo is upset even more, while still trying to be a good host (how British is that) must be one of my favourite scenes. I skipped nearly all of the songs in LOTR, but I really enjoy the dwarves' washing up song! Break the plates!
I really like when Bilbo and the dwarves visit the elves. I can't help but compare this visit to the relationship the elves and dwarves have in LOTR. In the Hobbit, there is such a great animosity between the two races. I love how Bilbo sneaks the food away from the elves, and then frees the dwarves all without being discovered by the elves. As an interesting note, in the Hobbit we read about Legolas and Gimli's parents (I can't remember their names), and then in LOTR we see this great friendship develop between an elf and a dwarf. Knowing what goes on in this earlier story makes the friendship so much better in LOTR.
I have to go with Bilbo saving the swarves from the elves as well. To me this seemed like the first time that he truly acted like the hero of the story.
I think he was rather heroic earlier in the story. He's certainly more courageous than the dwarves, who send him ahead at every occasion, like when they encountered the trolls at the beginning.But I understand what you mean, David: he showed yet more skills when he planed the escape from the elves, it was cunning.
For me, it is the spiders in Mirkwood and the moment Bilbo kills the great spider. This may seems strange, but given the time and place that the novel was written (England 1930s), the inclusion of giant spiders is beautifully gruesome – imagine the children wide-eyed with terror! As a self-confessed arachnophobic, the idea of giant talking (and therefore, Intelligent) spiders, weaving massive webs to catch the unsuspecting, whom they want to exsanguinate, is downright creepy.
Given my loathing for our eight legged friends, Bilbo’s heroic dispatching of the great spider left me quietly cheering. Not so much for the critter’s death (although…:D) but because this is the first time Bilbo steps forward and reveals his courage, determination and potential as a leader. This is a turning point in Bilbo’s journey and in the tone of the novel – from here on the joviality of the narrative gradually shifts, taking a more serious tone that reflects Tolkien’s shift to deeper thematic issues.