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Summary: The Hobbit by: J.R.R. Tolkien
Review: Call me crazy, but I didn't think that this book was that great. I had to read this book over the summer for an English class, and I have to say, I had my doubts before I even bought it. I'm not too big into the fantasy genre--I still haven't read the Harry Potter books, and I stopped with Tolkien's works after I read The Hobbit. As I began to read the book, I felt myself drifting off and not thinking about the book. I just could not get into it. By the middle, I was forcing myself to pay attention, but still, I was unsuccessful. I finally managed to finish the book, and all I could think of, was that I was glad it was over with. I don't enjoy reading books that I have to force myself to finish, so if you are a not a fan of the fantasy books, do NOT waste your time with this book.
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Summary: A Tale of heroism, good, evil and a small person
Review: This is a tale of gold, dragon, Elves and the wonder of it all. After reading the book for the third time, I must say it is still enjoyable. The book serves as a stand-alone novel or as a prelude to, "The Lord of the Rings." (LOTR)Tolkien crafts an interesting world peopled with Dwarves, Hobbits, Men, Elves and others. The Hobbits are a race of comfort-loving people about 2-4 feet in height. If there is one thing they like it is peace, quiet and good food. Adventure and travel to far-off places is something they would really rather avoid if they can. Bilbo Baggins is one such Hobbit and he had lived 50 years in good comfort and does not wish to change that. Then, Gandalf (a wizard) arrives and invites him on an adventure with a company of Dwarves. Bilbo is initially fearful and dismissive of the whole affair and then gradually become a leader of sorts of the company. The style is easy to follow and the story is straightforward with some twists. Of the two books, I must state my preference for LOTR. The complexity of the world in which the novels are placed (Middle-Earth) that is merely hinted at in, "The Hobbit," is much more developed in LOTR. The book is good in the old-fashioned sense of good story telling; there are no political agendas here but rather simply courage and the virtues of old. It is refreshing to read a book of battle, heroism, good and evil in our times of moral confusion and weakness. "The Hobbit," is good for children and adults; adults will probably appreciate LOTR more though.
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Summary: Unabridged Audio CD Narrated by Rob Inglis - Fantastic!
Review: I listen to a lot of audio books. Prior to The Hobbit, I heard Tim Curry read Dune: House Corrino (the last in the Dune Prequel Trilogy)...Edward Hardwicke read Sherlock Holmes...and Jim Dale read the Harry Potter books. All of the above voices are British, so I'm used to that. In fact, I prefer it. A Brit could read a telephone book and it would sound interesting to me. However, despite my penchant for the British dialect, it took a while for me to get used to narrator Rob Inglis' deep, mellifluous voice. I'm not sure why. Maybe because he seemed to read more slowly than the other narrators. Maybe it's because some of his vocalizations sounded similar. Or maybe it's because I've read the story before and I kept waiting for the next exciting thing to happen. Or maybe it was the songs J.R.R. Tolkien's characters burst into from time to time throughout the book. Inglis actually sings the songs! His singing voice is very good, but the songs seemed to last forever. (I fast forwarded through a few of them.) All of this is starting to sound as though I didn't like Inglis' reading of The Hobbit. Pish-posh. As it said, it took a while to get used to, but I quickly did so -- and hated to see the story end. A classically-trained Shakespearean actor, Inglis is a natural to read Tolkien. He has an incredibly expressive voice. Because of its baritone nature, his renderings of dwarves, dragons and goblins was dead-on. As I mentioned, I've read The Hobbit many times. I bought my first copy of it in the early '70s, in fact. But this is the first time I've ever heard it read to me. It was positively delightful! Perhaps Tolkien intended for his story to be read aloud. I don't know. But I loved listening to the adventures of Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin & Company and all the creatures they encounter in their journey to Smaug's lair. Especially by a reader with such a marvelous voice. The quality of this 10-CD set is impeccable. The voice is clear and crisp. The sound level in all CDs is perfect. I have nothing but praise for this unabridged audio book. Which is why I bought Inglis' reading of Tolkien's other (perhaps more famous) works: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and Return of the King. Collectively known as The Lord of the Rings. I have my listening cut out for me!
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Summary: enter the world of tolkien
Review: A big world of magic, fayries, dragons, dwarves, elves and other creatures has been described in this book of travels.
The way in wich Tolkien describes these characters is of an unbelievable and honoust way of writing, so pure ,so precise in detail and character,as if true, as if alive,as if these travels of Bilbo could have once be described in your primary school historybooks. Looking at the maps,seeing all the sequals of this book, all the information available, it as a truly magical book that will keep you intrigued all the way through,it certainly has got me hooked on Tolkien for life!!
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Summary: All Hail to The Hobbit
Review: Dating back to 1937, THE HOBBIT is truly a timeless classic. This wonderfully vivid fantasy stands perfectly well on its own, but also sets the stage for Tolkein's grand work, "The Lord of the Rings." Hobbits are (or were) little people, smaller than bearded dwarves, but without beards or magic. They dress brightly and are somewhat fat in the stomach. They don't need shoes and have good-natured faces. Bilbo Baggins is a very well-to-do hobbit. When Gandalf the Wizard comes calling on Bilbo, offering a great adventure, Bilbo graciously declines. However, Bilbo is cleverly tricked into joining, or rather leading, 13 dwarves on a long and dangerous quest for a long lost golden treasure. The Hobbit captures the hearts of young adults and adults alike; a classic to be read over and over again.
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Summary: Adventuring we will go
Review: Bilbo Baggins was perfectly content with his life. The last thing he wanted was to be involved in an adventure. But when the wizard Gandalf invites a group of dwarves over, he find himself drawn into their quest to reclaim their mountain and fortune that a dragon stole from them years ago. Now Bilbo will have to adjust to new situations daily as they encounter wolves, goblins, giant eagles and spiders, and other creatures just to get to the mountain. Once they get there, they have to face the fierce dragon. Can they survive? This is a fun adventure. It's very easy to feel for Bilbo as they face one obstacle after another. "He thought of his home, not for the last time." I smiled every time I saw that line. My biggest complaint about the book is that it is a bit episodic in nature. Their many adventures don't seem that interrelated for most of the book. This is a minor issue, however, and it's very hard not to like the characters and root them on in their quest to reclaim their rightful place. I've read this book twice, and hope to get to the Lord of the Rings soon. The fun story and likeable characters make it easy to see why there are so many fans of these books
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Summary: The Hobbit is an excellent book
Review: The Hobbit is J.R.R. Toliken's book about a young hobbit whose name is Bilbo, goes on an exciting adventure that raises his love for exploration and adventure. Bilbo is someone who hates adventure and trips. He never has liked any excitement in his life other than peace and tranquility. He is also a perfectionist and never likes a mess. But deep down inside of him, he has an uncovered facet that is awakened when he goes on an exciting adventure that will completely change his life.
Bilbo unexpectedly ecounters twelve dwarves that are embarking on a journey to reclaim their lost treasure from the evil dragon Smog, who lives in the Desolation of Smog on the other side of the land. On his journey Bilbo encounters dangerous goblins, elves, giants, and demons. He also encouners friendly bears and eagles that help him and his dwarf friends along the way. Use your imagination to solve riddles and find out what will happen next in the suspenseful story like Bilbo and his friends did. To find out more about this book, I suggest you read it. There are many mysterious characters in this wonderful story. Such characters are Gollum who is a scary fish monster who lives in a secluded cave in the mountain of the evil goblins. Gollum is always hungry and wants to eat Bilbo at first sight. But to save his skin, Bilbo pleads for his life and must answer five challenging riddles. With much luck and brain power, Bilbo solves them and makes a great escape from Gollum and from the dangerous goblins.
I also would like to recommend this book to anyone who likes to read. It is full of suspense and adventure. It is fun and interesting and full magic. You won't want to put the book down until you read your quota of the day.
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Summary: Tolkien's Hobbit: A Page-Turning Classic
Review: In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, Tolkien captivates the human imagination with the fantastical tale of a Hobbit, who wanted nothing more than to stay in his hole sipping tea, when a wizard and thirteen dwarves recruit them for their journey and steal back their stolen treasure. Bilbo, the hobbit, represents what the majority of western population is like, fat, lazy, and unwilling for adventures, yet somehow the wizard, Gandalf, stirs his longings for adventures that are buried deep inside of Bilbo, the side which he calls "the Tookish part of him." Tolkien is much like Gandalf, he finds us sitting in our homes, eating cake, drinking beer, and smoking our pipes, and even though we might not think we want to go on a journey, Tolkien rouses us up to come on a journey, go places you've never been, and meet people you never knew. Bilbo's journey is a page turning classic that is the prelude to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
Tolkien uses incredible characterization in his vast list of characters. The dwarves each have there own unique characteristics and hilarious names such as Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, and Ori. The dwarves mainly have one thing on their mind, and that is to steal back the treasure that was taken from them long ago. In fact they don't even like Bilbo, but only bring him along, so as to not have an unlucky number in the party. Gandalf is a favorite character in the story, he is wise beyond years, and yet so much of him is a mystery.
On Bilbo's journey he runs into trolls, a host of goblins, warves(wolves), and slinks away from them all, with the help of Gandalf and the dwarves, and a certain ring that makes the wearer invisible, which he just happened to win, by pure luck, in a riddle-competition, with a strange creature. The Hobbit is a page-turning classic that takes us in to the world of Middle-Earth and onto an unforgettable journey.
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Summary: The Best Book
Review: This book is a good one.Bilbo don't want to get to adventure but Gandalf let him join.He went on the journey to the misty mountains and met many difficulties.Grab one book now and read about this fantastic book!!!
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Summary: An unexpected surprise
Review: As I was planning to read "The Lord of the Rings", I found it essential to read "The Hobbit". Kind of like a background preparation. I was instantly captivated and brought right along with Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf and the dwarves as they made their journey to the treasure. I could not put this book down until I was through with it. (That is actually true). As the first fantasy book I read I recommend it to anyone considering joining the world of dragons, trolls, dwarves, elves, etc as this was a wonderful start to MY fantasy reading.
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