Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1997
(Classic) Fantasy
A familiar story to some, Tolkien's novel starts with Bilbo Baggins, a comfortable hobbit. Hobbits do not travel and definitely do not go on adventures: they do live simple lives. When the wizard Gandalf unexpectedly visits Bilbo, everything changes in a blink. Bilbo resists the idea of traveling, but when a large group of dwarves takes over his home, he can't help but be intrigued. Following at last, Bilbo joins the company and takes off on a journey to defeat the dragon Smaug and take back the dwarves' home. He meets many dangerous creatures along the way and even finds a magical ring.
Tolkien takes us on a journey through his made-up land of Middle-earth. Filled with magic, dwarves, trolls, dragons, and wizards, The Hobbit lets us relive the fantasy of our childhood when we wished magic was real. The sweeping landscape starts with the small Hobbit village and continues through forests, caves, and more. The descriptions paint the picture of a fantastical place. If you like adventure and magic wrapped into one story, then this book will be good for you. I read it when I was much younger, but I often revisit it because the adventure never ends in my mind. The Hobbit: There and Back Again...and Again and Again. You won't want it to stop. Good news is that it doesn't end there because Tolkien continued this story in The Lord of the Rings. I don't know about you, but I love getting to keep characters for more than one book :)
Tolkien takes us on a journey through his made-up land of Middle-earth. Filled with magic, dwarves, trolls, dragons, and wizards, The Hobbit lets us relive the fantasy of our childhood when we wished magic was real. The sweeping landscape starts with the small Hobbit village and continues through forests, caves, and more. The descriptions paint the picture of a fantastical place. If you like adventure and magic wrapped into one story, then this book will be good for you. I read it when I was much younger, but I often revisit it because the adventure never ends in my mind. The Hobbit: There and Back Again...and Again and Again. You won't want it to stop. Good news is that it doesn't end there because Tolkien continued this story in The Lord of the Rings. I don't know about you, but I love getting to keep characters for more than one book :)
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Bantam; 1997
Ace; 1987
Laurel Leaf; 2003
I still like the Hobbit better than the Lord of the Rings. The Lord of the Rings has a different feel than The Hobbit; it seems darker, perhaps. Also, there are several sections of the Lord of the Rings that move rather slowly. The Hobbit is not as grand, but quite likeable.
ReplyDeleteI agree Keith. I loved the Lord of the Rings movies but could not get past the first book. However, I really liked The Hobbit and found it quite easy to read. I have heard great things about the Game of Thrones series but have not had a chance to read it yet.
ReplyDeleteI love all of the Tolkien books, but I agree that The Hobbit has a different feel. It seems lighter and more adventurous. Lord of the Rings definitely goes dark, but I love learning more about my characters and setting, so the series fulfilled that need.
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