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Summary: Excellent story as usual, but rather medicore illustrations
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien's great galaxy of hobbits, wizards, dwarves, elves, goblins, and dragons that he so deftly invented all by himself is quite vastly celebrated throughout the 20th century. In fact, his unique vision is so immensely popular that anything tasting of mystic whimsicality is at once labelled "Tolkienesque". And over the years, his very first story, "Hobbit" had been getting its share of artwork from many different artists. Some are brilliantly colorful and others are just plain drab. Here in this 60th-anniversary book with the title in gold, Alan Lee created very gray watercolor paintings for its illustrations. Unfortunately, I find them quite dry and lifeless though he does have a good hand at drawing characters, trees, and mountainous passes. Instead, I would have preferred brilliant, deeply detailed fantasy art dramatically showing every emotion, every conflict, and every magic-working either in full colors or in very dark, gloomy tones. But with a very deep depth rather than those rather transparent watercolors.
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Summary: My favorite little burglar
Review: This is the book that started it all. Tolkien tells an enchanting and magical tale about the journey's of one Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo gets into all kinds of trouble with the band of 13 dwarves he must accompany. There are elves, dragons, goblins, and wizards in this book; everything that makes fantasy great. This is an excellent book to read if you are just starting to read the fantasy genre. It really has everything. I made the mistake of stopping after the first 50 or so pages. A few months later, I picked it up again and it blew me away. I read the last 100+ pages in only two days. It turns into a real page turner towards the end. Please pick up this book and you will be whisked away to the enchanting land Tolkien creates. It's a great escape from the day-to-day drone we are used to.
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Summary: A hobbits holiday indeed!
Review: When I was but a child, having seen no more than eight years my mother read to my siblings and I this most beloved of tales. Amazing in both its simplicity and its scope Tolkien's Hobbit is a delight to readers of any age, and should-as others have proposed-be read over and again, at different stages of one's life. It is in this humble reviewer's opinion that it remains a jewel in the crown of fantasy literature, timeless in its appeal and its applicability.I am now in my twenties, and have only recently re-read "The Hobbit", and while I am more critical of the book now than I was when I was eight, I cannot in any way belittle or take away from its effect. While I read it, I fought against the constant exclaiming of the characters, more often than not a sentence ends in "!". However, once I understood the simple, cheery, and kindhearted nature from which our vantage point sprang, I embraced it. "The Hobbit" or "There and Back Again: a Hobbits Holiday" draws the reader into the first adventure of the honorable Mr. Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit. We are privy to his journey, along with a band of Dwarves as they venture off across the Wilderlands in search of treasure and nothing more than vengeance against the venerable and most feared Smaug the Dragon. No doubt, the story is familiar to you, but if not, I will not be the one to ruin any of the suspense or wonder you will behold. This wonderful story is necessary for every respectable reader, and I whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone of any age without remorse. And I'll always take one thing away from it with me, best summed up in these words: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." Indeed, I believe old Tolkien hit the proverbial nail on the head.
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Summary: The Journey Down The Road
Review: This was a very exciting book about Dwarves, and Elves, and Dragons, and so on. Even if you don't like those kinds of books (like me), you may still fell that it keeps you wanting to read more. I am currently reading The Lord of The Rings, but while it's not bad itself, I believe that The Hobbit was much better. Follow Bilbo, Gandalf, and Thorin Oakenshield as they travel down the road towards the infamous dragon that devoured many of Thorin's friends and family.
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Summary: One of the BEST books I ever read.
Review: This book has an excellent plot, excellent characters, excellent everything!
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Summary: A Grand Adventure
Review: 'The Hobbit' never gets boring. In fact, it gets better with each time you read it. It's a light hearted fantasy and is, in my opinion, one of the best books ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This book is great for people of all ages. I was read it as a bed-time story and am still reading it 10 years later. Biblo Baggins- an unassuming hobbit- finds himself mixed up in the affairs of dwarves and wizards(which can be very dangerous)--while fighting off wargs and singing with elves. A truly great book I definitely recommend it!
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Summary: The Hobbit
Review: If you are into hardcore, realistic, real-life stories perhaps you should check out the non-fiction section. However, if you enjoy letting your mind go on a mystical adventure, with no concern for reality this is the book for you. This tells the story of a peaceful, passive young hobbit who, by fate, embarks on a journey with some dwarves who wish to regain their stollen treasure. Tolkien's writing pulls the reader into the story, as he describes the mountains, you actually feel as though you are carefully making your way through the steep, violent mountains. Once again if you are looking to escape reality, and find pure enjoyment and adventure read this book.
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Summary: An Adventure for the Ages
Review: An small, unimposing creature - a Hobbit - is roused from his comfortable life in an unassuming home and pushed into a fantastic adventure. Accompanied by dwarves, wizards, beasts, and men, the Hobbit becomes the key figure in a quest for lost gold and lost glory. This story, the brilliant prequel to Tolkien's _Rings_ trilogy, lives up to the accolades surrounding the stories. The characters have depth, and the perils - as fantastic as they are - have a vivid air of urgency. While the _Rings_ epic may be faulted by some for including too much "superfluous" expository information, the Hobbit sticks to the story at hand. It is a wonderful introduction to adult fantasy books for any child, and one that would work well read out loud. Young readers can easily identify with Bilbo, the diminutive protagonist. Small in stature and initially lacking in confidence, the others in the expedition doubt his worth. However, eventually he proves himself to be invaluable to the cause and the most rational of the party. Isn't this the dream of many children? To leave the humdrum everyday life, and be part of an adventure in which your abilities prove to be the key to success? Read this book as a child. Read it again as a teen, and again as an adult. The story is exciting, impressive, and just plain fun.
Rating:
Summary: Bilbo Baggins's Adventure
Review: This book is great! It, and "The Lord Of The Rings," are so fantastic! There is no other book about Middle Earth better then these four. READ IT! YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!
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