The Hobbit
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
Summary:
On an assuming and beautiful day, Bilbo Baggins was seated outside by his front door. On the horizon, he spots Gandalf, a wizard, approaching him. Politely, he wishes him good morning, and the wizard stops for a chat. Bilbo recognizes this wizard and starts pleasant conversation with him. Eventually, Gandalf overstays his welcome, and Bilbo, annoyed, invites him for tea later. Unbeknownst to him, this interaction leads to Bilbo being recruited into an adventure with thirteen dwarves.
The following day, Bilbo welcomes thirteen dwarves and one wizard into his home for tea. Thorin, leader of the dwarven company explains his plight. Thirteen being an unlucky number, Gandalf recommends Bilbo to be the fourteenth member on this journey. Initially, Bilbo refuses, wishing to live a peaceful life in his hobbit hole away from all adventure, however, he is eventually dragged into this adventure filled with goblins, trolls, elves, dragons, and magic.
Characters:
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit, a creature of small size and big feet. Usually, hobbits live quiet lives in their hobbit holes, avoiding all sources of adventure. Bilbo, however, was different. Born of the Took, an adventurous line of hobbits, as well as the Baggins, a sedentary line of hobbits, Bilbo’s blood conflicts with each other. Before his adventure, the Baggins part of him overpowers his Took end, which results in Bilbo living at home in safety. When the dwarves arrive and Bilbo gets a taste of adventure, his Took blood is awakened, and leads Bilbo to accept the invitation for adventure.
Sebastian: 9.0/10
For me, The Hobbit is one of those books that I have loved since the first time I read it. The characters and the world have always fascinated me which could be in part due to my first reading being in preparation for the at the time upcoming film. While this is still not as detailed as the Lord of the Rings J. R.R. Tolkien still crafted a world filled with different creatures and species but he made it all feel real and it had a magical sense to it especially in The Hobbit. Whether we are talking about the coziness of the Shire, the creepiness of Mirkwood, or the grandeur of Erebor and the lonely mountain. The book creates an atmosphere that makes the world feel lived in as it has a large history and many stories could be told. There are so many iconic characters such as the reluctant hobbit himself Bilbo Baggins whose time on his adventure causes him to grow and change in ways he could have never imagined through some cleverness and the help of a magic ring. Gandalf will always be remembered for his bravery and wise words that he has throughout the novel as he guides Bilbo on his adventure. Even the dwarves in the story each have fun personalities that are entertaining to watch play off each other with Thorin being the most memorable. The story is simple and straightforward with the characters trying to reach the Lonely Mountain so the dwarves can reclaim their kingdom from the evil dragon Smaug. There are so many memorable scenes in this novel that will always be remembered from Bilbo’s dinner party in the shire, the talk between Bilbo and Smaug, and my favourite the “riddles in the dark” scene/chapter where we meet Gollum who has a bigger role to play in another famous story.
All in all, this is one of my favourites. I love the characters, the story, and all the little hints about the larger world of Middle-Earth. I highly recommend this book to first-time readers and to those just looking to revisit a classic.
Austin: 8.9/10
The Hobbit is a really solid book, with such an incredible level of detail. So much so that they were able to make 3 movies out of a 300ish page novel. J.R.R Tolkien has crafted an immersive and magical world for us to enjoy, but this is a heavy read.
The plot of The Hobbit is great, with constant action and things going on. It flows nearly seamlessly and there aren’t very many, if any, points where events don’t make sense. The only downfall of having such an intense plot is that it becomes a lot tougher to read. The in-depth descriptions of different battles and other events make it quite easy to visualize, but it makes it harder to handle all at once. The constant assault of information paired with a higher level of vocabulary makes this a great book for a skilled reader, but one a younger audience make struggles with.
As per The Lord of The Rings trilogy, The Hobbit has a very large cast of characters. From our 13 dwarves and Bilbo to the insane amount of side-characters we meet along the way, there is a lot of character information. Personally, I love that because we really get to know a lot of J.R.R. Tolkien’s characters quite well, and it makes for a more logical plotline. Once again, this amount of info can make this a more taxing read but don’t confuse that for a boring one.
The Hobbit is a very interesting novel filled with adventure. The plot is great, the characters better, and the details put into even the mundane things make this a great read. The only downside is with an incredibly detailed novel is we get a pretty heavy read, and more likely than not you will not be reading this in 1 or 2 sittings, even though it is only 300ish pages. If you are looking to snag a copy of this classic, hit that button above!
Nathanyal: 8.7/10
The greatest aspect of this novel is the plot and world building. Set in the same world as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit houses rich details and backstories of all the characters and locations. Due to the descriptive detail, the reader is easily drawn into this world and makes it believable. Another strength comes from the plot. Each chapter is like a small story, and each story is part of a greater whole. This way, the story flows naturally, while also remaining interesting to the reader. The characters in this novel are also very likeable and deep, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and backstories.
The only downside of this novel is the difficulty. This novel was written for readers of an older or more mature audience. The language and the detail are more complicated and would prove difficult for younger or inexperienced readers.
All in all, this novel was an enjoyable, but more difficult read. For those who wish to be immersed into a world or look for a challenge, then this is the right novel for that.
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