The Hobbit

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien, David Wyatt To be honest, I'm not sure where to begin in reviewing The Hobbit. It's one of those classics that's been analyzed and discussed extensively, so I guess I'll just keep it simple. I really enjoyed The Hobbit, even though as always with Tolkien, it takes me a while, in the beginning to get used his highly descriptive style of writing (especially when it comes to scenery). Once Bilbo sets off on his quest, captured my attention and I started to like it more than I had even expected. Having read the LOTR books a first, I wondered if I would enjoy a story with Bilbo as the main protagonist. I found the style of writing more youthful and more 'magical' than the LOTR series, and I enjoyed that. The dragons and treasures and humor, but without the darkness and despair common to the LOTR series. Don't get me wrong, I probably prefer the LOTR series to this one,simply because of the sheer epicness of the Lord of the Rings, but the Hobbit is a close behind.

Tolkien's style of writing here is more poetic, and has some really touching quotes, but I think what I enjoyed more is getting the know Bilbo and what makes him a hero. He enjoys the simple things in life, and is content with good food, good company and a warm bed (''If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world''), but he also has an appetite for adventure, and is quick witted when he needs to be. I find his character is more developed than Frodo in LOTR, and I enjoyed knowing more about him. Of course, Gandalf is one of the highlights throughout I liked that there were plenty of occasions for him to save the day and display his magical abilities. The ending surprised me a bit but not in a bad way, (Smaug's faith and who played a part in dealing it) but it made sense for the story as a whole. A very enjoyable read.