Rating: 
Summary: The Best Book
Review: The Hobbit is an adventurous prelude to Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The story is about a quiet hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who leads a relaxed life in his hole. That is until the visit from the thirteen dwarves and Gandalf the Wizard. They take Bilbo on an exciting journey to get their gold back from the evil dragon Smaug. About half way through the journey the life saving wizard must leave on important matters. This is when they really start heading into troubles. Bilbo must take charge and be the thief that Gandalf told the dwarfs he was. Bilbo manages to save his friends many times and even discover something magical. Quiet no more, Mr. Baggins earns the respect of the dwarfs and learns that life isn't as easy as he once thought.
I really liked this book because it is action packed. It is a story that would keep you up reading until you are done. The characters are very well developed. The setting is described fantastically. This book takes place in a fantasy world. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to sit down and read a great book.
Rating:
Summary: A true classic
Review: Once upon a time, there were few true fantasy novels, but among the few, Tolkien was the best. Now, there are lots of fantasy novels and still, Tolkien is the best.While The Lord of the Rings may be Tolkien's greatest and most influential work, the Hobbit cannot be lightly dismissed and is no less a classic than his trilogy. Although essentially a children's story, it has an appeal to all ages (it is similar to the more recent Harry Potter stories in this respect). This is because it has a depth that is unusual in a story aimed for kids.
This story has humor and great characters and fantastic descriptions...it is simply put, great.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing!
Review: When I was in sixth grade, my teacher told me of a book called The Hobbit. At once, I knew I'd hate that book! Who'd want to read about a midget who lives in a dirty hole? When I was in ninth grade, I decided to read it anyway. I discovered how wrong I was about hobbits! Hobbits are people just like you and me, only they're plumper and about two to four feet tall. Most have curly brown hair on their heads, and on the leathery soles of their feet to match! They live in the Shire, which is in Middle Earth, in little tunnels (which DON'T slope down, merely just go right into the heart of their hill) all panneled and decorated to look cozy and inviting. Their town is a very pretty place full of flowers and rolling green hills. Bilbo Baggins, a fairly young hobbit, is strangely greeted by Gandalf, an old wizard clad in blue-ish grey and a whole bunch of dwarves! Unexpectedly, Bilbo joins them on a journey to steal the gold back from the dragon who sits on the Lonely Mountain far, far away rich with all the dwarve's gold and jewels. But it is a long, perilous road they must take. They meet elves, trolls, goblins, and many other unlikely creatures along the way. You feel like you're one among them. Just imagine: You're captured by a tall, gruff troll in the middle of the night and stuffed into a dirty, smelly sack with twelve others and listen to the trolls quarrels of whether they should roast or mince you after they squash you . . .
Rating:
Summary: Overshadowed by the Shadow
Review: When placed neatly beside The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hobbit is usually given the precursor of "Introduction", as if it served no more purpose then to introduce us to critical characters of the upcoming trilogy as well as Middle-Earth itself. When film versions are made of Tolkein's masterpiece, The Hobbit is usually looked over in lieu of a brief summary during the prologue, feeling the only necessary element involved with The Hobbit is the meeting of Bilbo and Gollum and the eventual acquisition of The Ring of Power. This is a sad reality indeed for one of the single greatest fantasy stories ever written. The Hobbit: Or There And Back Again, takes place in the wonderful land of Middle-Earth, created in the imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien doesn't just create a world, but a history, a culture, and an entire new society and existence. Behind every rock lays a story one hundred years old, and the summits of every mountain are steeped in histroy and myth. The story itself begins with the meeting of Bilbo Baggins and the great wizard Gandalf Stormcrow (The Grey). Bilbo is a Hobbit, halflings with hairy feet, great appetites, and wonderful natures, completely against adventuring of any kind. Gandalf, one of the most powerful wizards in all of Middle-Earth, knows quite a deal about Hobbits and has an underlying belief that the creatures will play some role in the unraveling story of Middle-Earth, though he doesn't say as much here. He chooses Bilbo, much to the Hobbit's protest, to accompany a group of Dwarves on a mission to steal back some of their gold, which has been gaurded by the dreadful claws of Smaug, a deadly Dragon who slew their kin and destroyed their home years before. Though Bilbo finds himself in quite an amount of trouble early on, he eventually confirms Gandalf's belief in not only him, but the importance that Hobbits will have in the future as is seen in the terrific "Riddles In The Dark", where Bilbo meets Gollum and acquires The Ring. Though many dismiss The Hobbit as simply an introduction to The Lord of the Rings, don't allow yourself to fall into that trap. The Hobbit is an absolutely magical story of adventure, hope, and dreams which winds from the quiet hills of the shire, through the dark foliage of Mirkwood, all the way to the haunted ruins of Lonely Mountain and an encounter with Smaug and a war to end all wars. It is a must read for anyone who wishes to call themself a fantasy fan.
Rating: 
Summary: Bilbo's Whimsical Adventure
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 novel, "The Hobbit: or There and Back Again" is the starting point for what became "The Lord of the Rings". It is a whimsical adventure, introducing us to hobbits, dwarves, elves, dragons, and a host of other fantastic creatures. However, this is not just a tale of quest-adventure, or a simple morality play. Tolkien's own introduction to the first edition notes the "glimpses into the history and politics" of Bilbo's world that the novel provides. Indeed, "The Hobbit" is a journey from innocence to experience, but the lessons learned are fraught with contradictions and complicated political messages. "The Hobbit" begins abruptly, as Bilbo Baggins, a 50 year old hobbit, living a comfortable, sedate life, is intruded upon by the wizard Gandalf and a company of 13 dwarves. Against his better judgement, Bilbo is swept into accompanying this band in a quest to recover the treasure and birthright of Thorin Oakenshield, the dwarf leader. For countless years, the Lonely Mountain, ancestral home of Thorin's people, has been inhabited by the powerful usurping dragon, Smaug. At Gandalf's insistence, the dwarves, believing Bilbo to be an accomplished burglar, recruit the hobbit to assist their quest. The quest, which takes the adventurers halfway across their world, is beset by trials and tribulations, as they must face dangerous goblins, spiders, the dragon, and the commercial civilization of Men. These are trials of mental and physical strength, and they test the dwarves, but more importantly, Bilbo. Bilbo's encounter with Gollum and the adventure of the Ring is the centerpiece of the novel. Bilbo's characterization as a burglar by Gandalf and the dwarves at the novel's beginning casts a shadow over the ethical decisions Bilbo is faced with throughout the rest of the tale. There are many points of interest in a novel like this, which could be seen as a fairly straightforward Marxist fable. Tolkien's distrust of money as a locus of desire is most apparent in the development of Thorin's character, but also in his anxiety over the Master of Lake-Town, and in the fat and complacent Smaug, whose flesh has become embedded with jewels from ages of sitting atop his treasure hoard. Contrasting this with Bilbo, whose primary interest is in food and good cheer, is problematic. His experiences with Gollum and the Ring and his later relationship with Thorin call into serious question Bilbo's own priorities. In fact, one of the things that is so amazing about "The Hobbit" is that there seems to be no one character that represents the center of morality in a novel so concerned with honorable action and fair dealing. The action of "The Hobbit" is fast-paced, and Tolkien for the most part is content to sacrifice character development to plot. That said, the most interesting characters in the novel for me were Gandalf, Bilbo, the "skin-changer" Beorn, and Thorin. They provide a complicated variety of perspectives on inter-cultural relations and politics, value systems, and justice. Tolkien's achievement in "The Hobbit" is the way that he disguises what is problematic in the society he presents in what appears to be, and is at heart, a fun and enjoyable adventure.
Rating:
Summary: The Hobbit
Review: The Hobbit is an excellent prelude to the Lord of the Rings. Bilbo Baggins sets out on an adventure with Gandalf the Grey and a band of homeless Dwarves, to the Lonely Mountains to retake the dwarves' home and confront Smaug (a dragon). Bilbo had to fight evil orcs, salvage wolves, giant spiders, and gollum. He found a ring that could make him invisible. When they got to the lonely Mountains Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves could find the entrance to the Dwarves home. Then after days of camping out they Bilbo saw the little tiny keyhole of the door. Bilbo went in alone and he talked to Smaug. Bilbo ran out because Smaug was trying to chase him. Smaug came out of the shaft and the dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf went in, but the key was outside. They had to get out through the front entrance. After days of walking in the place they came to the front entrance. The people of Laketown saw a small flicker of light. It was Smaug. The people cut the bridges to the town. Bilbo told a bird to tell an archer at Laketown to shoot at Smaug's left breast because it was open. The archer shot his best arrow and it went through Smaug. That was the end of Smaug. The elves and men learned of Smaug's death. They came to the Lonely Mountains to take the treasure, but the Goblins came also. The elves, men, and dwarves allied to fight the Goblins. A stone that hit his head knocked out Bilbo. When Bilbo wakes up he finds out that they have won, but some of the dwarves were wounded. Thorin, the leader of the dwarves was wounded and later died. Bilbo returned to his home and told the other hobbits about his adventure. I recommend this book for others to read because it is an interesting, adventurous, and great book to read. A moral from the story is to never give up and face your enemies. It also teaches you courage. Once you start reading this book you will probably keep reading to the end. My favorite part of this book is when the Laketown people were fighting Smaug. That's my favorite part because it has a lot of action. It tells how fierce a dragon could be.
Rating:
Summary: Oh,how I love this book.
Review: I received my copy of The Hobbit from my ex, Lee. He and I were in the process of running off together when I decided that maybe it wasn't that great of an idea. What I got out of the relationship were some good life lessons and his old copy of his favorite book. I've been asked why I didn't give it back to him. I cannot fathom why he would give me this book. It's The Hobbit! His own, personal, old, favorite, copy of his favorite book! Well, I have no idea where he is now and I'm not giving it back.
I read it while we were dating, in 1999, and again when I heard about the movies. I wanted to brush up on my Tolkien so I could be an educated viewer. Yes, I'm one of those annoying people who sat in the theatre and cringed when you could see the Moon-letters on Bilbo's map in the background (Moon-letters should only be seen when held up to moonlight...they were on a mat board. But I digress.)
Oh, how I love this book. I carried it with me everywhere. I read it while trying to drive. I sat on the grass and read it when I couldn't stand it anymore and just stopped where I stood. I brought it to restaurants and ignored the person I was with. It's engaging. It's beautiful. It is the quintisential story of good versus evil. It is incredibly satisfying. I fell in love with Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarves. (Especially the fat, sleepy one...Bombur?) Any child of mine is getting this book when they are capable of reading it. I made Annie read it. I actually lent her MY copy...the one with Lee's inscription in the front. When I put the book down, I immediately gave it to Annie and picked up The Fellowship of the Ring.
Rating:
Summary: A curious little book
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien does a great job at grabbing you and pulling you into the Hobbit. If you like books like the Never Ending Story or Narnia books then you would probably like this one. It sent a good message across, and that you have to stay together even when you don't like your colleagues. It is about a little hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who goes on an adventure, which hobbits don't often do, with Gandalf (a wizard) and his company. He finds many curious things along the way, and learns some valuable lessons. Overall I liked this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to let their imagination wander.
Rating: 
Summary: To Much Detail.
Review: This book dragged on and on going from one scene to the next in a boring and tedious manner. The writing wasnt great and the main charactor angeredme ! Bilbo just sort of wanders around during the whole book. All and all highly over rated , very tedious, and not a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Even Dragons Have Their Ending!
Review: It is well documented that J.R.R. Tolkien despised allegory. Yet "The Hobbit" contains one of the greatest allegorical phrases ever: "the unexpected party." Yes, life is a journey, a quest if you will--but it is also (when lived to the full) an unexpected party. And so it is that Bilbo Baggins is spurred on to leave his warm Hobbit hole to go on one of the most exciting and entertaining journeys in all of literature. Tolkien never thought this book would even be successful, much less attain its almost mythic status. In part, he was trying to write a story for children (and it is problematic even in this respect). No one however, can deny what a strange, original creation it is. The story takes place in a fully formed world (Middle Earth) of Tolkien's own imagining. It rings with the sound of ancient music and poetry. The elves, the dwarves, and men have all kinds of history behind them to give them depth. Only after finishing the Hobbit did Tolkien envision the importance of the Ring. What "The Hobbit" is--more than just being a prelude to the tale of the One Ring--is a great adventure story. An ancient people goes seeking to reclaim its home, a Hobbit discovers that he has more in him than even he ever expected, a people are freed from darkness at great cost, and something is found that was lost...all under the supervision of a mysterious wizard. This is a tale of good's triumph over many evils. A story about a seemingly forgettable little creature and his impact upon great events--a realization that: "So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their ending!" I give "The Hobbit" my highest recommendation.
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