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Summary: Fun & Inspiring Read
Review: The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, is a character most of us can relate to. He likes to eat and is a bit overweight. Bilbo desires adventure, but he would prefer to stay home and enjoy a quiet life. He prefers the familiar to the unknown. But once in a while something bigger than us gets in the way.The Hobbit's adventure begins when he is chosen by the wizard Gandalf to be part of a team that travels across Middle Earth to restore the dwarf kingdom of Thorin Oakenshield. The group must travel over the mountains, through a treacherous forest, up another mountain that is inhabited by a terrible dragon, sleigh the dragon, recover the treasure, and restore the kingdom. This book is the story of how a little Hobbit rises to the occasion, and takes on the challenge. I highly recommend reading this book.
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Summary: I couldn't put it down
Review: I read this book in two weeks, for me that is pretty fast. I loved everything about this book, the adventures, the ending, everything. I can't wait to read the next one Lord of The Rings!!
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Summary: Wonderfully Different from Lord of the Rings
Review: The Hobbit, first published in the mid-1930's, is a wonderfully inventive story. If you're expecting it to be the same style and intensity as Lord of the Rings you may be disappointed. This story, while having it's dramatic moments, is more mellow and tongue-in-cheek than LOTR. In reading this you get the impression that Tolkein was enjoying himself as much as we have enjoyed reading it. I must have read this book at least 15 times between 1975 and 1990. It has been years though, and with the new release of the movie I decided to re-introduce myself to an old friend. The Hobbit is a tale about Bilbo Baggins (a relatively minor character in LOTR) and his adventures with 13 dwarfs to reclaim their treasure. Initially led by the wizard Gandalf the troop encounter trolls, goblins, elves, giant spiders, and of course THE DRAGON. What I liked the most about the story is that Tolkien really uses his sense of humor throughout, something missing in LOTR. Of course we get to meet two characters who play important roles in LOTR: Elrond, the Elf Lord, and Gollum. The story follow the group from the beginning of their journey in the Shire, their trek across the wilderness where they are waylaid by trolls, and over (and under) the misty mountains where they are captured by goblins. It is here that Bilbo finds 'The Ring' and his life changes forever. After their escape they make their way through mirkwood, where they are first ensnared by spiders and then imprisoned by elves. In both cases Bilbo is able to rescue them. And of course to the journey's end at the Lonely Mountain and their confrontation with Smaug the dragon. The tale ends on a sad yet uplifing note of redemption. Although you can read Lord of the Rings, or even watch the movie, without reading The Hobbit first why would you want to?It's just much more fun to read this beforehand. I would also recommend "The Simarillon", Tolkien's mythology of middle earth. This book gives you the complete history of the elves and the first two ages, leading up to the events told here.
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Summary: jrr tolkien`s the hobbit
Review: this is a great book. i say *is* because i havn`t finished it yet. but what i have read is great.descriptions of the scenery are remarkably vivid, and you get to know the character`s personality traits. if you want to read an excellent fantasy/adventure story, buy the book!
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Summary: Thrilling, and Exciting!!!
Review: I really liked this book. It was filled with action and excitement, and it makes you want to contenuiosly read. It inspiered me to read the rest of the series witch was the Lord of the Rings.
I think that everyone should experience this journey that the book takes you on. it takes you through dark forests, caves, and you meet goblins, trolls, and elves. But in order to find out what Bilbos adventure is, you have to read it yourself.
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Summary: A Classic Novel of Epic Preportions.
Review: This is J.R.R. Tolkein's first book he made, this is the offical prequel to The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This tells the story of a small Furry-Footed yet friendly Hobbit named " Bilbo Baggins" who meets a powerful Wizard named " Gandolf" and his Dwarves then agrees with them to go on a dangerous quest to seek a treasure from the Dragon " Smaug" but on his quest, he faces many dangers such as " Goblins", " Gollum", " Spiders", " Waurgs" ( Wolf-like creatures), " The Elven King" and more. This is a highly recommended Book for those interested in the world of the Lord of the Rings.
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Summary: An excellent forerunner of the Lord of the Rings!
Review: Long before Frodo gained possession of the One Ring, before the great council in Rivendell or the terrors of the mines of Moria, there was another hobbit, Bilbo Baggins by name, who had his own adventure. This book relates that adventure.
Though it explains various parts of the Lord of the Rings series (such as how Bilbo got the Ring), this is truly a tale independent of the well-known trilogy. Very little of the journey actually deals with the finding of the Ring, and the focus rests on Bilbo and his journey with Gandalf and a troop of dwarves.
The story, as it is told, is of Bilbo's part in a quest to defeat the dragon Smaug and recover lost treasure and land of his dwarven companions'. The tale abounds in adventures, encounters with mystical creatures, hardships, and every other element for which Tolkien's stories are famous.
This book was written for children (the reading being much easier than Tolkien's other works), but is a timeless classic which can doubtless be enjoyed by young and old alike.
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Summary: An Expected Party
Review: What a joy to read, again, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. It was read aloud to me in school when I was in Grade Five and it still has the same power to entrance now that I older. In fact, there is a new appreciation for this book as it takes me away from my stuffy adult self, much like Mr. Baggins at the beginning, content in my little hole with my daily routine. I completely forgot that dragons are real, dwarves are surly, goblins are not to be trusted, magic is common, and a ring can begin an adventure. This volume does not have the scope of the trilogy (except in the last chapters) and can fell ever so slightly twee at times but it has enough charm to take one to a magical place. And that, after all, is the joy of reading.
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Summary: Insanely Good!!!!!
Review: I first read this book in seventh grade because I had heard great things about it from relatives and friends. I didn't think I would read it all in about two days. I couldn't put it down I stopped on the first day at a part where Bilbo Baggins of Hobbiton was saving all of his dwarf friends from giant spiders in the mirkwood. The next day I woke up at about six o'clock just to finish the book. When I was finished and just about the same second that I was finished I begged my Mom to take me to the book store to get The Fellowship of the Ring. I highly recomend this book to people of all ages.
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Summary: The one that started it all... Yes its a bit 'kiddy'
Review: Perhaps THE BEST little adventure story every written. Written for kids but certainly enjoyed by all. It has trolls, dragons, a kindly but strange wizard, dwarves, and of course Hobbits. It's really a story of bravery and strong friendships in the face of mishaps and evil things. What stands out in this book and The Lord of the Rings is that the world Tolkien creates sucks you in hopelessly. It only takes a few sentances and you really feel like you are along for the journey.
Tolkien creates a world with a huge history full of peoples and monsters and dwarves, with nature playing a large role in all of his books. The history part is small in The Hobbit since its focused on the journey and characters. The Hobbit is meant to be a lead-in to The Lord of the Rings, which has much more history and nature and more characters than the Hobbit. 'Rings is a darker tale and much more serious. Its harder to read, much longer, and I think the best adventure story ever written. In response to Chris Fletcher, you have some valid criticisms of Tolkien. His writing style is a bit, well, sticky. When you think things should be moving faster and faster and the action is coming, you instead get "and then the big troll (or whatever) was killed. On to the next adventure." However, the upside to this is you really feel like you are reading a kind of history book found in Middle Earth. I think Tolkien was a bit nuts and that's why his stuff was so good. He half-believed he really was writing and living in the world of his own making. He created entire languages, maps, unforgetable characters and mostly sad but gripping tales of adventure. Some people can't get through Tolkien's sticky prose when reading the lengthy The Lord of the Rings and I understand why, but stick with it! After reading the whole thing you will be glad you did. Remember no one can tell you how to read a book. If you come accross a paragraph about Bilbo's half-sister and all her family and the history of her cat, just skip it if you want. Tolkien really does go out on a limb sometimes escpecially with all the names and family trees and fictional history.
However, this same strange Tolkien style allows for re-reading and getting much more information, and a sense of depth and life to Middle Earth that is truely amazing. I have read the series, both the Hobbit and LOTR twice and I got much more the second time through. I read it slower and tried to keep the characters and places in my head. You can buy a nice map book which lays out all of tolkiens worlds in detail including battles and paths that the characters follow. Its by Karen Wynn Fonstad and has a lot of detail. Careful though, some plot happenings are given away in the tracking of characters and the battle maps :D
If you really want to get background info you have to start with the Silmarillion. And that beast can drive you crazy. Parts of it are amazing to read however and it explains some of the history that was confusing in LOTR. Where did Galadriel come from? What or who exactly is Gandalf? What's a wizard? What are the counterparts to Sauron and other evil in middle earth? Surely there must be some good gods or angel like beings? So, Silmarillion: very difficult, for tolkein fans mostly. Its long, hundreds of names, not a continuous story. It does explain a great deal about the gods and formation of Middle Earth and many things and people and places that show up later in the Hobbit and LOTR. Hobbit: very easy fun read, not a whole lot of depth, short, great characters, great adventure. The Lord of the Rings: medium difficulty, lots of depth, some history, lots of names, some difficult and confusing paragraphs, but a truely great tale. The kind of book where you find yourself kinda stunned after reading the last sentance. (The movie is not bad, but messed things up a bit, read the book! Notice that Tolkien's name is not on the movie. The family took their name off it because of the Hollywood treatment.)
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