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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.
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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.
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Summary: A very good book
Review: The Hobbit is the best book i have ever read!
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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.
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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.
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Summary: The New World
Review: In J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit, Tolkien does a magnificent job creating a world of characters in using indirect characterization. Tolkien also uses vivid imagery to give us an idea of what this world is like. Also, Tolkien use of foil through Thorin and Bilbo helps readers further understand characters. The Hobbit is strengthened through the use of the indirect characterization, the vivid imagery, and the use of foil. The best example of the characterization is when we first meet Bilbo, and when Bilbo is described to us in the end of the book. In the beginning Bilbo is described as quiet and reticent. But by the end of the book, we see through Bilbo's actions what he is really like, which is courageous, brave, and does what always is right. Tolkien also helps readers further understand the characters by using foil through Bilbo and Thorin. The characteristics of the two are completely opposite, Thorin being brave, doing what he likes, and confrontational, while Bilbo is timid, reticent, and taciturn. Tolkien helps readers imagine what the world is like by telling us what each land is like when the dwarfs and Bilbo crossed the mountains. Tolkien basically paints out the entire scene for the readers making them feel like they were just a few feet away from the other characters. All three of this literary devices together help strengthen the story. So that the reader doesn't feel like they are just reading, but that they are there in the book and know exactly what the characters are like.
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Summary: A return to childhood imagination
Review: The Hobbit written by JRR Tolkien is an adventure fantasy novel in which contains a profusion of courage, adventure and Imagination. These three qualities unite, and create one of the finest adventure novels of all time. Tolkien keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat begging to turn the page by delivering climax after climax in this famous fantasy novel.
Tolkien initially grabs the reader with his in depth descriptive writing. His words describe the adventures of Bilbo Baggins so vividly that the reader becomes overwhelmed and begins to believe that he/she is indeed the protagonist. Although Tolkien intended The Hobbit to be a children's novel, the writing is still relevant for all ages. The Hobbit can take any average overscheduled adult away from his/her everyday stresses and return them back to their untainted childhood imaginations. This getaway is created on behalf of Tolkien's fantastically vivid descriptions of landscapes, feelings and characters. Even though the story is completely unbelievable, Tolkien describes everything in such incredible detail that the reader starts to believe that Hobbiton is a real place and being Bilbo Baggins is not fictional anymore.
The Hobbit is also a great read because of the never-ending climaxes throughout the book. Tolkien grabs the reader and keeps them captive for an entire novel. It becomes hard to put down the book because you are dawning on another expedition right after you just finished one. One could argue that Tolkien attempted to create a tie between the reader and the protagonist. Tolkien creates this tie through the comparison of Bilbo's sleeping patterns and that of the readers' patterns. Whenever Bilbo has had a long stretch without sleep the reader has not put down the book, however when Bilbo goes to sleep it is in a recession in the story's peaks. For example after Bilbo had left home he had slept very little until he went to Beorns house. This patterning style gives the reader an opportunity to take a rest. This use of literacy makes The Hobbit a very entertaining read.
In this novel we meet many different characters, enemy or friend. All of which seemed to be relevant except for the thirteen dwarves Bilbo travelled with. It would seem as though Tolkien added these characters just to aggravate the reader. During the novel these thirteen dwarves who were supposed to be running the show did nothing accept slow the process down by either passing out, getting lost or being captured; with the exception of Elrond, who is able to translate the moon-runes, and Bard, who is able to understand the language of the bird, Roac. Therefore leaving only two practical dwarves. Throughout the novel the reader continuously ask himself or herself 'why doesn't Bilbo just leave these idiots and do it himself?' This question remains unanswered at the end of the novel, in turn leaving the reader irritated. This is indeed a small blunder created by the author, however if he did indeed make these dwarves relevant it would have enhanced the story.
All things considered, The Hobbit is a fantastic adventure novel for all ages. It constantly brings the reader out of the frying pan and into the fire. It is truly unbelievable how imaginative Tolkien was. His literary intelligence gives every reader of The Hobbit a reminiscent taste of what it was like as a child with a wild imagination. The novel truly tickles the minds imagination, leaving us believing that everyone should have a little Bilbo Baggins in them.
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