The Hobbit by J.R.R. TolkienMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Far over the Misty Mountains cold…..to dungeons deep and caverns old….
And thus you are transported into a land of goblins, dwarves, elves, wargs, eagles and hobbits!
“The Hobbit” by J.R.R Tolkien was originally a bedtime story for his children and the published version continues the same feel and writing style as a children’s book. It tells the story of a hobbit, which is a creature similar to humans but short like dwarves and with really hairy feet! Needless to say, hobbits became much more familiar to the world, when Peter Jackson made the Lord of the Rings trilogy into blockbuster movies that are sequels to the events in “The Hobbit”
"The Hobbit" has a few familiar characters for those like me who read the more popular “Lord of the Rings” series first. It begins with Gandalf the Grey visiting the quiet hobbit, Bilbo Baggins in his cozy little hobbit hole with the promise of an adventure, that’ll quite change his life forever. And he’s not alone…
Enter twelve dwarves Oin, Gloin (yes, Gimli’s father!), Fili, Kili, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Nori, Dori, Dwalin, Balin (the future lord of Moria) and the leader of their company, Thorin Oakenshield. These feisty dwarves are off to the Lonely Mountain, to reclaim their stolen treasure from a dreadful dragon named Smaug. So where does Gandalf think a small peaceful hobbit like Bilbo would fit in? Well, Gandalf thinks Bilbo being small and sneaky will eventually reveal his true purpose in the quest, which he does much to the dwarves’ amazement.
You’ll also be introduced to Gollum and the innocuous looking “one ring”, the story behind Bilbo’s sword’s name, and how he comes to possess his remarkable coat of mithril. It is interesting how these events that were narrated so casually in this book, went on to become the epic that is the Lord of the Rings.
The book is narrated in a playful way with plenty of typical Tolkienish songs, and is a book that will appeal to the pre-teen/teen reader who is not yet corrupted by the plethora of poorly written YA books available these days, and those of us adults who are ardent fans of Tolkien’s fabulous Middle earth.
If you are feeling ambitious enough, try a “The Silmarillion”, “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” reading marathon! This long flight home is almost tempting me to attempt it!
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