An Unlikely Hero, And The Start Of An Epic (The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien)

Member Name: sandemp

Product:	The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
Date:	19/05/05 (103 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Introduction To Middle Earth For Children And Adults Alike

Disadvantages: Some Characters Are Not As Well Developed As They Could Be

I guess I was pretty lucky as a child, I had parents that actively encouraged my love of reading and regularly bought me books that would stretch my abilities. One of the first "adult" books that was given to me was The Hobbit*, which was one of my first forays into the realms of fantasy and a book that I still love and read regularly today. In fact I love this book so much there are three copies in the house, one an colour-illustrated hardback which was a special edition and bought for me along with The Lord of The Rings nearly fifteen years ago and is safely stored away until my children have grown up and there's no chance of it getting damaged. The children also have their own copy (it used to be mine but was starting to get a little dog-eared), and I have an almost brand new paperback that currently resides on my bookshelf along with the matching Lord Of The Rings box set.

*At the age of 8 it really did seem a grown up book, especially as my Dad also enjoyed reading it

So perhaps I should tell you a little about the book that changed the way I read :

---The World of The Hobbit---

The Hobbit is set in a fantasy realm known as Middle Earth, which is a land of Elves, Trolls, Wizards, Orcs and monsters as well as Men and Hobbits. Throughout the land we read about majestic mountain ranges, dark and frightening forests as well as glorious country side. One thing that does not appear in the book is any true technology being used, in fact it seems that the people have a very similar lifestyle to that which would have existed in the time before the industrial revolution.

---The Pint-Sized Hero---

The unlikely hero of the book is Bilbo Baggins, a well-to-do, respectable hobbit* who lives a quiet unimposing life in the Shire. A seemly timid character, Bilbo finds himself dragged into adventures which not only test his bravery, but also discovers hidden depths.

* Hobbits are a small peaceful race about half the size of men and smaller than dwarves. Due to their love of food, they tend to be a little round in the belly and although they have no magic to speak of they are excellent at keeping themselves hidden from big blundering idiots such as you and I (no offence intended).

For Hobbits, respectability is everything, and to be respectable means to be predictable. A respectable Hobbit, would no more go off on an adventure or do something out of the ordinary than he would cut off his nose. Ok, that's enough background onto…

---The Journey of Discovery---

Many years ago the Dwarves lived in the Lonely Mountain, and due to their skill at working precious metals and stones they had become very wealthy and powerful. At the peak of their power a particularly large and vicious dragon, Smaug, got wind of the hoard kept within the mountain and came to take possession of the gold and gems for himself (killing all the previous inhabitants in the process).

The years have passed and our mini hero finds himself called into service as the lucky fourteenth member of a party of adventurers* as they journey to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs. What follows is an exciting adventure as the party travels though Middle Earth, meets many of it's inhabitants (good and bad) and attempts to survive the many perils that they have to face. It is also a journey of self-discovery as Bilbo discovers that he not all that he thought he was.

*The remaining members being Dwarvish survivors of the original attack

---My Opinion On…---

I'll now give my experience on various aspects of the book…

--The Cover--

The paperback I have next too me has a very different cover to the picture shown. It is mainly black and has a stylised picture of a red dragon on the front. I actually prefer this cover to all the other versions that I've seen, and it looks very nice next to my copy of The Lord of The rings.

---The Characters---

While Bilbo's character is well developed and we see many insights into his hidden strengths, I don't think the other characters are actually as developed as they could have been. However, this was probably intentional, as the book is actually intended for children rather than adults and there is probably just the right level of detail for children to be able to empathise with the characters.

I will warn though that some of the characters are a little too scary for younger children, especially the Orcs.

---The Storyline---

The story is fast-paced with plenty of excitement on every page with the tension building right up until the final chapter. There's plenty of adventure to keep any child involved, there are underlying messages for adults to discover.

---The Illustrations---

There are several illustrations throughout the book, which while simple are atmospheric. The best of these is the map at the front of the book, which happens to be the very same one that the Dwarves have in their possession.

---The Writing Style---

Even as a child I found this an easy enough read (although there are occasional "difficult" words), there is just the right level of description which when teamed up with a fast paced storyline makes for an excellent read. What I especially liked (and still do) were the various songs throughout, which sound wonderful when spoken out loud. I would say that any competent reader would be engaged and enthralled by the writing style.

--The Mythology--

I read this book before I read The Lord Of The Rings and I really do feel that it was the perfect introduction to Middle Earth and prepared me for the longer and more in depth read that followed. Many characters are introduced that while they only have a fairly small role in this book, go on to have very important roles in the later books, and of course the whole of The Lord Of The Rings would not have happened if not for events in The Hobbit.

--Re-readability--

Although I have re-read this book many times, due to the fact it is quite short I do normally need to leave about a year between readings. My children have however short memories and they read it at shorter intervals.

---My Overall Opinion---

This is a brilliant children's book, that can also be enjoyed by adults. I therefore recommend this not only for the parent who wants to introduce their child to more adult reading material or the world of fantasy, but also to those who are keen to read The Lord of The Rings (or already have done) and want to learn a little of the rings background.

---Technical Bits---

Available from Amazon for £5.59.

ISBN : 0261102214
No. Pages : 320

Summary: