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Summary: Oh My! What a fanastic book!
Review: With 667 reviews and pending ~~ I better keep mine short and sweet so the reader won't get overwhelmed!I tried reading J.R.R. Tolkien back in high school but just couldn't get into his writing style then. I was awfully immature then ~~ because when I picked up the Hobbit on my honeymoon ~~ I couldn't believe how wonderfully written and how rich the descriptions of Tolkien's Hobbit world. It's a fanastic read ~~ one that I would highly recommend to everyone! And how can anyone not fall in love with Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit that left the Shire to answer the call that Gandalf put out? The adventures he set upon ~~ both externally and internally ~~ made a real Hobbit out of Baggins. If you're going to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy ~~ I highly recommend people to start with the Hobbit first ~~ it is a lighter read and wonderfully written as well ~~ and so entertaining! Mere words can't describe its wonder well enough! Just pick this book up and get lost in Tolkien's magical world! 1-17-02
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Summary: HOBTACULAR
Review: The Hobbit is, by far, the best book I've read...period. It begins with Bilbo Baggins, as we all know, enjoying his little home in the side of a hill. Shortly after though, the great Gandalf himself comes tapping on his door followed by his Dwarven Companions. "Hobbit's are NOT adventurers" all the Hobbits say, though Bilbo pays them no mind as he marches out of his home with his friends on an adventure he wont ever forget. They encounter many dangers like Orcs and Goblins, but nothing compares to the being they will encounter near the end of their journey... The Hobbit is one of Tolkiens best works. Being the prequel, it is essential that he gets everything done right...and he does with a vengeance! Everything about this book is perfect, from the descriptive battles to the cute jokes hidden in the story along the way. Tolkien appeals to both the strong Fantasy readers and even those that are just beginning. If you are wanting to get into the Fantasy world, this is the book to begin with. It is very easy to read to any age, and would be a perfect bedtime story for the little ones. Hobbit should be read by those young and old, and receives my rating of 5 stars without any problems.
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Summary: The Hobbit: A Masterpiece
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien really captures the imagination that a young child has. The Hobbit shows you a whole new side of the world. Whether you're sitting on your couch or flying in the claws of an eagle, you can't help but love the adventure that Bilbo Baggins is experiancing. You begin to have a real fear of the goblins, and to admire Gandolf for his wisdom. The Hobbit truly brings out the inner child in any adult.
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Summary: From a Teen's Perspective.....
Review: I just finished reading The Hobbit and I thought it was Great! It really kept my attention and the vocabulary was at a pretty easy level for me. I also liked how you could tie christianity into the book. J.R.R. Tolkien's book, The Hobbit, is a big book about the adventures of Bilbo (the hobbit), dwarves, and many other fascinating creatures that you meet along the way. Now when I say big, I mean big. This 272 page book is filled with page turning fantasy that will keep you reading for hours.
Hobbits are creatures that don't like to leave the comfort of their home, and especially don't like to go on adventures. One day Gandalf the Wizard comes to Bilbo's hobbit hole and asks him to join him on a gigantic excursion to get the dwarfs' gold back. One day latter about one dozen dwarves come to Bilbo's house encouraging him to come. Bilbo finally gives in even after being warned that the journey will be long, hard, and dangerous. This book is about their tough times. I definaily think that the theme of this book is about how adventure can change a person.
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Summary: Sting strikes for the first time
Review: I enjoyed this book a lot, It is a book that in my opinion every fan of fantasy should read. Being the prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy it explains a lot of story elements that might otherwise be difficult to understand. This is one of my favorite books it ranks right up there with the books in the trilogy. Tolkien is a master of descriptive writing, but at times he gets almost too in depth and the story loses some of its edge and excitement hence the rating of 4. The characters are all very well developed in this book. It was this style of writing that made it much easier for the people to make the lord of the rings of movie
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Summary: A classic in its own right...but ONLY in its own right!
Review: "First published in the United States more than sixty years ago, J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' has become one of the best-loved books of all time. Tolkien's fantasy was then adapted into a fully painted graphic novel, which became a classic in its own right..." These words are found on the back of the graphic novel's cover, and I'm glad that's all they say about the possible quality of the book. Thankfully, the graphic novel isn't praised to be as equally good as the actual book, because while it is indeed good, it doesn't compare to Tolkien's early literary masterpiece. I'm not familiar with American graphic novels (Japanese manga is more my trade), so I can't fairly compare this graphic novel to other graphic novels. However, I can say that this book does make use of the term "graphic novel": it runs somewhat like a comic book, using pictures, and is occasionally filled with excerpts of storytelling from the original book. So it's not really a comic book, and it's definately not a novel, so it most likely really is a graphic novel, but I really can't say for sure. The artwork of "The Hobbit" graphic novel is like everything else that's been used with the Middle-Earth licence: some will like it, some will hate it. The color scheme reminds me of an oil painting and the character designs appear somewhat "old-school," although some people won't have any trouble with that style. To my knowledge, all of the story of "The Hobbit" is in the graphic novel, but expect some scenes to be condensed. The pacing can be a little off, and sometimes things just happen out of the blue. Still, the execution of the entire graphic novel is very well done and, and it does manage to capture quite a bit of the believability of Tolkien's world of Middle-Earth. This is where the biggest problem arises. The graphic novel is good, but it is no substitute for the actual book. To read this graphic novel as a substitute for the book is like reading Cliff Notes in place of an enjoyable literary classic. It's interesting to read after reading the book, but that's it. Reading the graphic novel before the book and expecting to get the exact same experiece takes away a lot of the magic Tolkien created. All in all, this graphic novel is good, but it's nothing compared to the real deal. I recommend only reading this after reading the original book; to do otherwise would be denying to yourself the beauty and magic of Tolkien's early masterwork. It's a classic graphic novel, but nothing more.
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Summary: A great journey for dad and son
Review: I refer to the Folio Edition version of this novel. I read this book with my eight year-old son just after reading the third of the Harry Potter books (I had read 'The Hobbit' many years before). With the immanent release of the movie version of 'Lord of the Rings' following the release of 'The Philosopher's Stone' I wondered if my son was ready for 'The Lord of the Rings'. I had read 'The Lord of the Rings' several times many years ago and my memory of it was that it was a bit gruelling for a young boy to appreciate. 'The Hobbit' seemed to be a more gentle approach to the mythology of Tolkien. I was also interested in how the older book compared with Harry Potter. I have no doubt that it is much superior despite the fact that some aspects of 'The Hobbit' have dated and are a bit local in their English feel. My son was quite engrossed and had no trouble refreshing the story each evening before we set off on a new chapter. We finished reading the novel at our holiday house by the beach over the Christmas break, and this meant that our younger son was exposed to the end of the story too (he's just 5). But he appreciated the story and both boys took to weaving Middle Earth stories about the adventures of their holiday. This is a great story for sharing.
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Summary: One Book to Rule Them all
Review: There isn't much to say about a book that has a great story, magical yet believable characters, and a magical world full many a creature. The only thing is to say read this for yourself. For it is: The One Book that rules them all
The One Book to find them
The One Book to bring them all
And in the darkness bind them
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Summary: The prelude to greatness
Review: I have an affection for the Hobbit that I don't have for the other volumes in the series, likely due to seeing the cartoon in childhood and enjoying the comic book adaption. (see paperback edition highly recommended!) It is rightly described as a prelude to greatness. We see how it all began when the most inoffensive of creatures Bilbo Baggins enjoying a day of smoke rings and the ordinary life he leads is drawn by fate (or Gandalf) into a great adventure with 13 Dwarfs, Elves, Spiders, Gobblins, Eagles, and of course a dragon. It is an adventure where he finds out more about himself than he himself knows. Unlike the later volumes the songs are of a higher quality (or so I think) but that again could be because I have actually heard them sung in the old cartoon. The story is both exciting and calm and easy. Not even the climatic battle near the end seems to take the focus off the Hobbit. The book seems to keep the calm and relaxed pace that a Hobbit likes in his life. In my opinion it adds to rather than takes away from the telling. Lots of time for more adventure in the next series. I think the pace of the book more than anything else makes it. It doesn't thrust itself upon you. It seems to say; to paraphrase the words of Bilbo: "It is a fine day for smoke rings, come blow some with me." It is an invitation worth taking
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Summary: Read THE HOBBIT aloud to your Children
Review: A father with his middle school son asked me recently what I thought of "The Lord of the Rings" movie. I gave my two thumbs up and asked if they have ever read Tolkein. They hadn't. Our local church library had copies of "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Hobbit". I encouraged them to read "The Hobbit" aloud before entering "The Fellowship of the Ring". I have read most of Tolkein's fiction aloud to my sons, including our own hardback 50th Anniversary edition of "The Hobbit", the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "The Simarillion", and several other works as well. Tolkein reads well. Several years ago, we unplugged our TV and started regularly reading to our kids. This has been one of the best parenting decisions we've ever made! Turn off the TV this week and read aloud to your kids. If you've taken them to see "The Fellowship of the Rings" (I would advise children over the age of 10), then read Tolkein to them. Your children's imagination sparked by Tolkein's genius descriptive writing will create an even more detailed and wonderful Middle Earth than the blockbuster movie was able to create. Encourage their imagination to fill the big screen of their minds with Tolkein's epic tale, beginning with "The Hobbit". This marvelous tale has always been my favorite adventure story. For two books with many more creative ideas for parents, look into "The Family Cloister" and "The Christian Family Toolbox", both by David Robinson and available on Amazon.com.
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