Rating: 
Summary: a great book
Review: The Hobbit is a magical tale of hobbits, elves, dwarves, magicians, and many other amazing characters. This book is wonderfully well written by one of the best writers of all time. JRR Tolkien makes you feel as if you are in the story watching the characters' journey and experiencing it with them. It is a fabulous book of tales of wonder and courage. Tolkien really makes you understand the characters and their feelings. It is a fantastic tale for anyone who enjoys a well written and inspiring story. The Price of Immortality by C.M. Whitlock rate up there with Tolkein and George R. R. Martin
Rating:
Summary: Fun, imaginative and inventive
Review: This is one of the most wonderfully developed stories that i have ever read. It has great humor and an incredible theme: anyone can make a difference if they put their mind to it. A lovely book for all ages and all readers.
Rating: 
Summary: BORING
Review: Yes, I had to read this book in school. It was very very boring. It was about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. He went on a big andventure with a bunch of dwarves and a wizard. I would not recommend this book to anyone. I didn't read this collector's edition, but I don't think there is much difference.
Rating:
Summary: Great binding, good presentation.
Review: This is the nicest presentation of the Hobbit that I have seen. The slipcase is a nice touch. You can not find a better binding for this Tolkien masterpiece on the market. Good quality paper inside. This is a volume to treasure.
Rating:
Summary: One of John R R Tolkien's best!
Review: This book would help people who have watched Lord of the Rings, or read it, understand Middle Earth a bit more. The _ONLY_ flaw, which isn't really a flaw, is that he makes Mirkwood a gloomy and spooky place, and he makes the wood elves complete idiots (I LIKE ELVES!). Well, if you want to know exactly how, and who, brought the ring out of Smeagol (Also known as Gollum)'s hand, you will find out in this book. The main character in this book is Bilbo Baggins, who is also half Took; he gets confused, and two sides of him speak about adventure, since the Took side was born for adventure, and the Baggins side just wants to drink hot tea in front of a fire-place. None of the fellowship is mentioned EVER in the Hobbit, though I would say this book is better than the Lord of the Rings series (in my opp.), so I would suggest you read all four books. Me? I'm obsessed with trying to figure out Elvish, so if you find out about a book that explains Middle Earth Elvish (or anything!) PLZ PLZ PLZ E-MAIL ME!!!!! THX!
Rating:
Summary: Great book in great edition
Review: I won't bother to add much on the excellence of this book, especially for younger readers who may not be quite ready for the Lord of the Rings. But I wanted to point out that this hardcover edition, a recreation of the first, is very handsome (the dust jacket uses Tolkien's own art work) and a bargain to boot. If only the publishers would release a comparable edition of the trilogy!
Rating:
Summary: Tolkien's Enchanting Prelude
Review: Tolkien orginally wrote the Hobbit for his children and it is lucky that we get to share in on this red blooded action adventure story. The Hobbit, being the prelude to the Lord of the Rings, is mostly the story of how Bilbo Baggins aquires the Ring of Power from the mistake of the murderous Gollum. But there is another "main" story. This book recounts the adventure of Bilbo, in the service of Gandalf and 13 dwarves, in which he must kill Smaug the dragon and steal back his hoard. Read this wonderful story, which is Tolkien's best work.
Rating:
Summary: A very good book
Review: The Hobbit is the best book i have ever read!
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.
|
