Wanderlust Books: Review: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien
Series: Middle Earth Universe
Published: September 21, 1937
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Pages: 275

If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable Western world, over the edge of the Wild, and home again, and can take an interest in a humble hero (blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage and considerable good luck), here is a record of such a journey and such a traveler. The period is the ancient time between the age of Faerie and the dominion of men, when the famous forest of Mirkwood was still standing, and the mountains were full of danger. In following the path of this humble adventurer, you will learn by the way (as he did) - if you do not already know all about these things - much about trolls, goblins, dwarves, and elves, and get some glimpses into the history and politics of a neglected but important period.
For Mr. Bilbo Baggins visited various notable persons; conversed with the dragon, Smaug the Magnificent; and was present, rather unwillingly, at the Battle of the Five Armies. This is all the more remarkable, since he was a hobbit. Hobbits have hitherto been passed over in history and legend, perhaps because they as a rule preferred comfort to excitement. But this account, based on his personal memoirs, of the one exciting year in the otherwise quiet life of Mr. Baggins will give you a fair idea of the estimable people now (it is said) becoming rather rare. They do not like noise.

I read this (along with all other Tolkien collected works) about five years ago, right before I entered high school. I’ve now decided to embark on a journey of re-reading all books, and will update all the posts with my final scores for each book.

First time reading this, I throughly enjoyed the book, but thought the beginning lagged. The only reason I got through it was because I’d picked the book to read for school. I honestly think that was because this was only the second older/more-adult/classic book I’d read at the time. I’ve now re-read it for the movie (yes, review is a month late, sorry!) Here’s what perspective makes you realize:

The Hobbit is in fact one fo the most whimsical books I’ve ever read, and I say that as the highest compliment. It’s a children’s book. It’s an adventure. It’s funny. It’s daring. It’s tragic.

Part of it’s captivation comes from the narrator (not Bilbo). The narrator is to tell us things about Thorin or Mirkwood that Bilbo would simply not know. It’s not the reader following Bilbo that we see this world, but rather, the reader following Tolkien following Bilbo. And Tolkien shows us that Thorin and Company are not quite steady, shows us that Bilbo years for the comfort of the West.

It’s very hard not to fall in love with Middle Earth. Very few other books have the ability to make the reader want to tell everyone that elves are not short, toy-making creatures, but tall, elegant guardians of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. That dragons are not dumb and blundering, but cunning and destructive. That doors should be round rather than rectangular. That thirteen is a bad number to travel with. It’s a book that wish you wrote. That’s powerful.

This book makes me happy. I mean the, sitting in the corner, with knees pulled to chest, rolling on the ground kind of happiness. It’s so darn cute, and it’s so darn meaningful. A cute book that teaches important moral lessons of human nature? Yes please!

And if none of that convinced you, read this book to understand all the drama behind this: