Saturday, December 28, 2013

Book Review: 'The Hobbit' by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Released: 1937

SUMMARY:


In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. 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.Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children,The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.


REVIEW:


For several years now I have had The Hobbit on my TBR list and finally it has been taken off of it. I very much enjoyed reading this book just as much as watching the movies so far. Let me go ahead and tell you all that the book is quite different in many ways from the films, but I think that it is quite alright. One of the many things I enjoyed in the book is that it is from Bilbo Baggins' perspective. He  is such a clever and strong character and I really connected with him while reading it. Thorin is not as angry as he is in the movies and it took me a little while to get used to his book personality, but I loved him all the same. The characters that were much the same as in the films were the rest of the dwarves and Gandalf the Grey. The elves were a nice treat as always and I really enjoyed all of the time Thorin and Company spent in Rivendell with them, but not so much in Mirkwood as they were all prisoners except for Bilbo. Onto Beorn and I have to say that I liked his character so much in the book, that I wish his character was more like the book version in the film, so that everyone would understand how awesome his character is. We don't really get a whole lot of time with the Elven King Thranduil, but he is still a very intense character as in the films. A very big difference between the book and the films is that there is no ancient grudge between the Elves of Mirkwood and the Dwarves of Erebor as there is in the films. I do not think it makes a change in the conclusion of the story, but it is an interesting difference. Bard the Bowman is not as serious in the book as in the films, but he was still great all the same. I do not want to give all of the story away, so I will leave you all with some advice...READ THIS BOOK! Seriously, it is such a treat and I plan on reading it again.

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