Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
One Sentence Description:
JRR Tolkien narrates a tale of a hobbit, an unexpected company of dwarves, and a wizard retaking lost treasure.
⛰ What It’s About
Bilbo Baggins was living very comfortably in his hobbit hole until he meets the wizard, Gandalf. The next night, unexpectedly a dwarf knocks on Bilbo’s door and pledges his services to Bilbo. This process continues throughout the night until all 13 dwarves and Gandalf have arrived for supper. After some hearty songs, the dwarves finally explain the meaning of all of this to a frazzled Bilbo. Their intentions are for him to join them as a burglar to help the dwarves reclaim the gold, silver, and jewels from Smaug, a formidable dragon. In return, he gets his equal share of the spoils, but Bilbo is unsure if he will commit to the adventure to the Lonely Mountain.
🔍 How I Discovered It
I had initially discovered The Hobbit from my elementary school librarian who recommended it to my class. I read it over 7 years ago and I decided to revisit it because it reappeared when browsing the Kindle book store.
🧠 Thoughts
My esteem for the book is most likely increased by the nostalgia of reading the book when I was younger, but I do truly love Tolkien’s ability to build an entire world out of just a simple tale. The book’s accessibility and how easy-reading and fun it is make it a joy to read each time. I think some of the supporting characters in The Hobbit are under-developed, but I don’t mind it as much due to the joy of just being immersed in the tale.
Although this book does chronologically precede The Lord of the Rings series, this book is great by itself.
What I Liked About It
I loved the world that Tolkien built within the book in a relatively short space. I also really liked the pace of the action mixed with suspenseful parts, especially during the middle of the novel.
What I Didn’t Like About It
I thought the end of the book concluded a little too quickly and without enough description. Otherwise, I don’t have any major qualms with the book.
The movie on the other hand…
🥰 Who Would Like It?
I would recommend this book to anyone that likes fiction, especially fantasy books. This book is for all ages and I think that any reader would likely enjoy it.
📚 Related Books
Other books by J.R.R. Tolkien that are set in Middle Earth (the fictional world of The Hobbit) include The Lord of the Rings series, The Silmarillion, and some other posthumously-published works.
Similar books in the same genre would include George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series and C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia.