Rating: 
Summary: Slow but Moving
Review: Tolkein's now classic fairy tale of the land of Middle Earth and its inhabitants, the Hobbits, is an enchanting and mythical story of the underdog hero Bilbo. The so-called prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy is actually a splice or intersection of the Ring in which Bilbo discovers the ring in Golem's cave. The story of Bilbo and his adventures is classic lore of slaying the dragon to win the pot of gold. With his band of misfits and hungry tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum gnomes, there is a comic ambiance to the story that helps the reader through some of the slow scenes. While this is not a must read to understand the Ring Trilogy, it certainly is a worth while read unto itself without the burden of two more books to complete the journey. Tolkein's writing is fun and witty while asking the reader to understand a few new words in his created language. There are times as well that the story slows down either for narrative purposes where the writing speaks to you, the reader, or for the group to sing a song to celebrate their happiness in the style of medieval celtic literature. While the book is reccomended and in some cases manditory, it's an overall enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: Before Frodo, there was Bilbo...
Review: The face of literature changed forever with the publication of "The Hobbit," the prequel novel to the epic fantasy "Lord of the Rings." With the release of three blockbuster films based on that trilogy, new attention is also being paid to "The Hobbit." While not the deepest or most epic of Tolkien's creations, this tale is enchantingly and expertly written, with a thoroughly sympathetic cast of characters and a delightful plot that intertwines deeply with "Lord of the Rings."Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit, a member of a race of small, large-eating, peaceful creatures, very much like humans, with hairy feet and a distrust of adventures. But Bilbo's life is unexpectedly turned upside-down by the arrival of the wizard Gandalf, with thirteen dwarves in tow. They eat Bilbo's food, take over his cozy hobbit-hole (a subterranean dwelling -- "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"), and generally make life difficult for him. But Bilbo soon finds out why: these dwarves are on a mission to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug, who slaughtered its inhabitants and stole their treasure. Now, led by Thorin Oakenshield, the dwarves intend to take back what is theirs -- and Gandalf wants Bilbo to come along. Bilbo doesn't particularly want to go, but the adventure appeals to a quirky, adventurous side of him. Before he knows what has happened, he is on a rollicking adventure filled with malevolent goblins, a degenerated creature with a magical Ring, Elves both friendly and unfriendly, enormous eagles, savage wolves (also called wargs), and giant carnivorous spiders. But even if Bilbo can get past these dangers, he must still deal with the malevolent Smaug in his mountain fortress. Many people have fond memories of reading "The Hobbit" as children (including part of the LOTR movie cast). This is definitely a children's book in some ways, but most children can't pick up on the subtle character developments and the nuanced foreshadowing. "The Hobbit" is not merely an entertaining story or a delightful prequel, but also a masterful piece of fiction. If nephew Frodo Baggins is the ultimate "little guy" hero, then Bilbo is the ultimate reluctant hero. Bilbo is almost perfectly happy in his respectably dull life, but his very small yearning for adventure is evident from the very beginning. Though he is not the sort of person that you would classify as being a hero, Bilbo grows gradually and subtlely in courage and ingenuity. Only on the very last pages does the reader realize just how much Bilbo has changed. Gandalf is a more nebulous figure in this book than he is in LOTR, and displays much of the "crotchety gray wizard" archetype that he formed in fantasy literature. Thorin Oakenshield displays the endearing and annoying traits of dwarves, dating back to the Prose Edda: He's proud and sometimes a little obnoxious, but also fiercely loyal, honorable and extremely brave. The other dwarves are not featured as much individually (after all, there are twelve) but retain individual characteristics that never become jumbled or confused. Tolkien's writing style is somewhat in keeping with a bedtime story (which this once was) and a children's story. He had apparently mastered a very rare gift, that of being able to address the reader without sounding cutesy or smug. The descriptions are very evocative, especially when he describes action scenes. The dialogue is enchantingly written, managing to be fairly realistic while never being boringly so. Like "Lord of the Rings," "The Hobbit" is influenced by mythology and a previous work of fiction. The goblins (later orcs) are somewhat reminicent of George MacDonald's goblins; as Tolkien read and enjoyed some of MacDonald's works, this is unsurprising. Additionally, the names of Gandalf and almost all the dwarves can be found in Norse legends. The impact is subtler than that in LOTR, presumably since Tolkien's children were too young to appreciate any influences. "The Hobbit" remains a classic that can be read and enjoyed by children and adults alike, possibly even more enjoyable now than when it was first written. Before you read "Lord of the Rings," be sure to check out its enchanting prequel.
Rating:
Summary: The New World
Review: In J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit, Tolkien does a magnificent job creating a world of characters in using indirect characterization. Tolkien also uses vivid imagery to give us an idea of what this world is like. Also, Tolkien use of foil through Thorin and Bilbo helps readers further understand characters. The Hobbit is strengthened through the use of the indirect characterization, the vivid imagery, and the use of foil. The best example of the characterization is when we first meet Bilbo, and when Bilbo is described to us in the end of the book. In the beginning Bilbo is described as quiet and reticent. But by the end of the book, we see through Bilbo's actions what he is really like, which is courageous, brave, and does what always is right. Tolkien also helps readers further understand the characters by using foil through Bilbo and Thorin. The characteristics of the two are completely opposite, Thorin being brave, doing what he likes, and confrontational, while Bilbo is timid, reticent, and taciturn. Tolkien helps readers imagine what the world is like by telling us what each land is like when the dwarfs and Bilbo crossed the mountains. Tolkien basically paints out the entire scene for the readers making them feel like they were just a few feet away from the other characters. All three of this literary devices together help strengthen the story. So that the reader doesn't feel like they are just reading, but that they are there in the book and know exactly what the characters are like.
Rating:
Summary: A return to childhood imagination
Review: The Hobbit written by JRR Tolkien is an adventure fantasy novel in which contains a profusion of courage, adventure and Imagination. These three qualities unite, and create one of the finest adventure novels of all time. Tolkien keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat begging to turn the page by delivering climax after climax in this famous fantasy novel.
Tolkien initially grabs the reader with his in depth descriptive writing. His words describe the adventures of Bilbo Baggins so vividly that the reader becomes overwhelmed and begins to believe that he/she is indeed the protagonist. Although Tolkien intended The Hobbit to be a children's novel, the writing is still relevant for all ages. The Hobbit can take any average overscheduled adult away from his/her everyday stresses and return them back to their untainted childhood imaginations. This getaway is created on behalf of Tolkien's fantastically vivid descriptions of landscapes, feelings and characters. Even though the story is completely unbelievable, Tolkien describes everything in such incredible detail that the reader starts to believe that Hobbiton is a real place and being Bilbo Baggins is not fictional anymore.
The Hobbit is also a great read because of the never-ending climaxes throughout the book. Tolkien grabs the reader and keeps them captive for an entire novel. It becomes hard to put down the book because you are dawning on another expedition right after you just finished one. One could argue that Tolkien attempted to create a tie between the reader and the protagonist. Tolkien creates this tie through the comparison of Bilbo's sleeping patterns and that of the readers' patterns. Whenever Bilbo has had a long stretch without sleep the reader has not put down the book, however when Bilbo goes to sleep it is in a recession in the story's peaks. For example after Bilbo had left home he had slept very little until he went to Beorns house. This patterning style gives the reader an opportunity to take a rest. This use of literacy makes The Hobbit a very entertaining read.
In this novel we meet many different characters, enemy or friend. All of which seemed to be relevant except for the thirteen dwarves Bilbo travelled with. It would seem as though Tolkien added these characters just to aggravate the reader. During the novel these thirteen dwarves who were supposed to be running the show did nothing accept slow the process down by either passing out, getting lost or being captured; with the exception of Elrond, who is able to translate the moon-runes, and Bard, who is able to understand the language of the bird, Roac. Therefore leaving only two practical dwarves. Throughout the novel the reader continuously ask himself or herself 'why doesn't Bilbo just leave these idiots and do it himself?' This question remains unanswered at the end of the novel, in turn leaving the reader irritated. This is indeed a small blunder created by the author, however if he did indeed make these dwarves relevant it would have enhanced the story.
All things considered, The Hobbit is a fantastic adventure novel for all ages. It constantly brings the reader out of the frying pan and into the fire. It is truly unbelievable how imaginative Tolkien was. His literary intelligence gives every reader of The Hobbit a reminiscent taste of what it was like as a child with a wild imagination. The novel truly tickles the minds imagination, leaving us believing that everyone should have a little Bilbo Baggins in them.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining
Review: It is very exciting to follow up to half of the book, but eventually becomes kind of boring. Maybe I should have read it at 13. But it is amusing.
Rating:
Summary: furry little feet
Review: i remember watching the cartoon of this with my dad on sunday afternoons when i was little, it thrilled me, just thrilled me. I think this is the best book Tolkien ever wrote. I was never a fan of the Trillogy, but i loved this book. You cant go wrong with this book.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing.
Review: This book, The Hobbit, unlike The Lord of the Rings, can be read by just about anyone, young and old. It's about a peace-loving Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is his name, who lives in a little Hobbit-hole, like all normal hobbits. What's a hobbit, you ask? A hobbit is (or was) a quiet, peace-loving creature who usaully lived on hills and disliked normal human, or, as they say, "the big people." They didn't believe in modern technology and got most of their resources from nature. Well, on day, when Mr. Baggins was sitting upon his rockin' chair outside his little hole, the great and mighty "Gandalf the Gray" came and forced him to come upon his journey. Forced. From the on, the book features giant spiders, goblins, GOLLUM (what other reason do you need???) and many other mysterious creatures, but, sadly, no Black Riders. Anway, this is one of the best books I have ever read and I highly recommend this to _______ _______ (your name here.)
Rating:
Summary: Kyra's Review
Review: I really enjoyed this novel from beginning to end. The beginning was a little hard to read because there was a lot of description, but after that it jumps right into the adventure of the plot. The action is very suspensful, and a lot of diverse characters are met throughout the adventure. The book really created a variety of vast images and I was able to stay enticed from beginning to end. The main character Bilbo is easily comparable to a regular person. If you are into fantasy adventure then The Hobbit is a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: avoid the graphic novel version
Review: Unfortunately Amazon has mashed together all the Hobbit reviews. But the comic/graphic novel version is different enough to warrant it's own review pool. I bought this expecting to love reliving the Hobbit in a visual format. But that didn't happen. This adaption is just flat and missing so much of the magic Tolkien created. I suppose that's a given when you replace so much of his expertly crafted words with pictures. If nothing else, read the standard version of the Hobbit first before trying this. Reading this first will just spoil what a great book the Hobbit is.
Rating:
Summary: The Hobbit
Review: The Hobbit is a very exciting book. It has wierd and interesting creatures that were unique and not your average fairytale copy cats. It makes the reader feel as if he/she is traveling and starving and tired and scared along with the rest of the characters. I also like how the author describes the scenery so vividly. He paints a picure in your mind that of all the places bilbo and his company of dwarves visit.
Gandalf the wizard is my favorite character. He always seems to know what's going on, even when he isn't around. He is smart and uses his cleveness and magic to help the group out of tough situations. Sometimes he tricks people in a harmless and friendly way. He makes friends with the alot of people through out the novel. He has human , dwarf, hobbit, elf and magical friends that can transform into animals.
I liked the plot in this book alot. It kept my attention and made me want to keep reading until I found out what would happen next. The best part was when bilbo tricked Gollum in the Goblin caves. Even though the plot was complex it was not too hard to understand and was very interesting.
This is an interseting book that will keep your attention until the end. It is fun and exciting and describes everything in great detail. It is so good that I can't wait to begin Tolkien's other books.
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