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What are readers saying about The Hobbit, Or, There and Back Again?
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Larry posted a review at 2011-11-21 09:46:42.
(Language: English)
 
The Hobbit is the prelude to the Lord of the Rings. Bilbo Baggins finds the one ring that rules them all in a big cave or tunnel. He has many adventures & close calls. A great book that is nothing like the movie ( cartoon) that was shown on the movie screen. The Lord of the Ring takes up where the Hobbit ends. But it is also a story in itself. However go ahead and read the Lord of the Rings,it is even better.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-08-13 06:05:14.
(Language: English)
I read this before I read "Lord of the Rings" as "Fellowship of the Ring" was checked out when I wanted to read it (this was around the time the first Peter Jackson movie was released). I like it a lot. It does serve as a good prequel (or "prelude") to "Lord of the Rings," and readers of LOTR will remember that Bilbo's book in that series was entitled "There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale" (similar to the full title of this book "The Hobbit or, There and Back Again"). But it also stands well on its own. Overall, a good book.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-07-15 08:33:08.
(Language: English)
Having read The Lord of the Rings first, I was a bit dismayed by the idea of no Aragorn, hardly any Elves, no Rohan, and just a pack of dwarves and old little Bilbo marching through Mirkwood. Upon reading The Hobbit, however, I found it to be just as grand as its successor, albeit told in a more simple tone. Its style seemed somewhat of Tolkein meets Lewis... but this was not a bad thing, simply something to get used to. All in all a very good read... I can see why it is considered a classic.
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Kay posted a review at 2009-03-31 11:06:33.
(Language: English)
well definately different for me. Did a bit of a daft thing at Xmas and bought Kevin (hubby) the dvd and game of the trilogy of the lord of the rings trivial pursuit. Cause i can't partisipate in the game as yet i have not read any of the books or seen the dvds. Me being me don't like losing, now has to find out all about it before i play the game. What have i let myself in for. Don't really read mythical or sci-fi books but i have to say i did enjoy the hobbit even though i lost a couple of the characters now and again in as who was who and who belonged where. I have just started the Fellowship of the Ring today. I took it to work today and had to sit in the car at lunch time to try and keep up with it once again who was who and who belongs where. It will be a while before i get to play this game me thinks as i have 2 more books after this one wish me luck
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Christopher posted a review at 2010-06-04 08:40:07.
(Language: English)
Ah, the classic work of Tolkien's that started it all. While most LOTR fans may only be interested in this book because of the finding of the One Ring, there are many elements in here that make this stand apart from "The Lord of the Rings." This is, very much, a classic treasure hunt tale and a good example of the hero's journey, the hero in this case being Bilbo Baggins. It also has a better view of dwarf and hobbit culture than "The Lord of the Rings," if you don't includes the prologue and appendices from that novel. And it is far more accessible to the average reader than LOTR due to it's smaller size and somewhat playful tone. However, that playful tone is one of the drawbacks, in my opinion, about this book. Having just finished "The Silmarillion" and "The Children of Hurin," with it's distinctly epic tone and scale, it is quite jarring to go from that to the childlike tone of "The Hobbit." Not only that, but due to the fact that this was the first book to be published (ca. 1937), it didn't seem to benefit from Tolkien's extended revisions of his mythology that were published later. In fact, though he tries to put "The Hobbit" into his mythology, it seems clear that Tolkien didn't have it all fleshed out as he later did in LOTR or even "The Silamrillion." Regardless, this is an enjoyable book and a necessary prelude to "The Lord of the Rings."
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-11-25 08:27:47.
(Language: English)
I'd never read The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. So, when I saw them this summer at a garage sale in like-new condition, I knew what the kids and I would be reading during our read-alouds this year. (Or at least for part of them!) I can't say I fell in love with the book. I can't say I didn't fall in love with the book. It was okay. Maybe if I had read it a bit faster (read-alouds take longer), I would have enjoyed it a bit more. The kids sure got into "Bilbo Baggy Buns," as we affectionately renamed him. I may reread this one on my own someday. But for now I understand the plot enough to participate in a conversation about it.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-03-07 10:04:54.
(Language: English)
Possibly one of the very best books I have ever read! I loved the adventure, the loyalty and the 'fairytale' atmosphere. I love children's books - although I often suspect that these books are very far above the perceptions of children. Understood on an adult level, it holds a magic which begs to have it read many times! Mankind, and his aspirations - very intelligently understood by an author, who knows how to hold your attention, and tell a spellbinding story. (As well as teach a life- lesson!) You have to read it - to understand the experience!
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-12-27 09:18:13.
(Language: English)
The classic prelude to the greater story of The Lord of The Rings. The first time I read this book, it had been suggested to me by my mother when I was young. I read it, but found it to be somewhat boring. Granted, it was taken out of context because I had never heard of or read The Lord of The Rings and associated it with that. Years later, I reacquainted myself with the books and particularly The Hobbit when the first movie came out. Once I started seeing the scope of the epic battle between good and evil that was The Lord of The Rings, I wasnted to know all there was about it. I read The Hobbit and had the better understanding. I then went on to The Silmarillion. That's some advanced reading. The Hobbit is a great story, and it you're just reading it alone, go on to read the rest of the story and you'll have a greater appreciation of this one in the end.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-09-24 10:30:21.
(Language: English)
Why I had never read this book until the first Lord of the Rings movie came out, I will never know. You'd think that as a fan of the Dungeons and Dragons game when I was a teen (yeah, I know. I was a geek) that I would have found this and its sequel. It was a very good book though. It was a very quick read, but highly entertaining. It sets the stage for its well know sequel, Lord of the Rings. Someone told me that before I could read LOTR, I had to read The Hobbit. Not knowing any better, I followed the advice, and after reading both, I concur. If you want to read LOTR, you have to read this one first. For kids who are into fantasy, I would recommend this book. It really shouldn't be challenging for kids who are 8 or older, I think.
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A Reader posted a review at 2012-06-21 04:36:46.
(Language: English)
Remember doing a paper on J.R.R. Tolkien in my advanced CP English Class in High School. This was the first book I read in prep.
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Prarabdh posted a review at 2012-08-24 10:19:14.
(Language: English)
Nice
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-12-29 02:19:08.
(Language: Spanish)
La obra que abre la puerta a la obra maestra del maestro Tolkien. Sin el Hobbit, difícil es comprender a esos seres tímidos, ingenuos, alegres, suspicaces, desconfiados, valientes y tan de provincia inglesa, como los medianos hobbits, a través del más huraño de todos, Bilbo, quién de su cómoda y ociosa estadía en su confortable casa, es arrancado y arrastrado a la más temeraria de las aventuras en su tiempo, acompañado de magos, enanos, elfos, criaturas de la noche, hombres, arañas y un sublime dragón guardando el codiciado tesoro. Es aquí en donde se cruzan los caminos de los hobbits con el Anilloa y con Golum, por supuesto.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-06-24 01:02:46.
(Language: English)
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-09-24 10:41:28.
(Language: English)
Hi, all! Just sitting here doing something I'm really good at because I get so much practice, killing time. So how's everybody doing? I'm doing okay. Just re-reading, for the umpteenth time, J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit." What a wonderful book! The edition I'm reading is the revised and expanded edition of "The Annotated Hobbit," annotated by Douglas A. Anderson. It's providing marvelous insights into J.R.R.'s (That's John Ronald Reuel to you and me.) mindset and sources for this work. I'm at the chapter, "Riddles in the Dark," right now. Ooh! What fun! This book is an absolute delight.What I love about his works is how everything seems so real. All the place names, the people names, the things. All live and breath on the page and in my mind. None of this seems made up. Even reading how the elvish tongue comes from Finnish and the sagas are remarkably similar to Norse or Icelandic sagas. It just gives them extra verisimilitude. Unlike some other recent fantasies. *cough* Harry Potter. *cough* Which just take familiar things and give them new names, and not very imaginative ones at that. It takes a real philologist to bring that to the page. Simply marvelous.If this is killing time then this time met a wonderful end. Or, perhaps, I should put it another way:This thing all things devours:Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;Gnaws iron, bites steel;Grinds hard stones to meal;Slays king, ruins town,And beats high mountain down.Lovely use of semi-colons, too.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-02-14 05:51:48.
(Language: English)
I'm ashamed to say I have never read the Lord of the Ring series before (I may have started one once but didn't like it and put it back down) and even after seeing the movies, which I did enjoy, I still didn't dive into Tolkien's world. Well I decided to remedy that and picked up the Hobbit, the prequel of sorts to the Lord of the Rings series. I have to say I wasn't all that impressed. It was an inventive story for sure, and Tolkien had a lot of imagination, but there were a lot of flaws in this book in my opinion. We are introduced to Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit that likes to make sure meals are regular and a comfy chair exists in his hole in the ground. He is surprised one day by the wizard Gandalf who brings thirteen dwarves to meet his acquaintance. They tell him he is to come on a journey and help the dwarves so that they may regain their homeland and treasure from a dragon who has stolen it all. Nothing is ever as easy as it seems though and they encounter many hardships and perils on the road. Not a lot of people seem to like this merry band of travelers and they are constantly fighting for their lives and freedom. But some other things do happen, and a lot changes when Bilbo finds a very mysterious ring. The characters in this novel are well developed. I was glad to see Gollum as he is my favorite character in the movies and he was well written in these pages. Bilbo was also done splendidly and you were able to get a good sense of what Hobbits are like from him. Even the dwarves, as many as there were, had distinct personalities. The writing is where I found some faults. This book is extremely rushed! It seems like they were no sooner getting into trouble than they were out of it and into some different sort of trouble. Because of this, there didn't seem to be any suspense to the novel and it would have been nice if Tolkien had settled on a few instances and described them well, then had many that hardly got any description at all. He seemed to repeat himself too with our heroes getting captured at least four times, although I stopped counting after awhile. That being said, even the violence in this novel was tame and nothing was offensive that I could find so it is appropriate for all readers. I wish I would have enjoyed the book more. I do hear that this is the weakest out of the series so I will continue on. I just hope they get a little better as right now I'm not sure what all the hype is about. The Hobbit Copyright 1937 306 pages Review by M. Reynard 2011
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-03-28 04:58:11.
(Language: English)
This book was a very fun read. I didn't realize when I started reading it that it's actually a prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It features Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond, Gollum, and a lot of other characters that are mentioned in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This has always been considered a kids book, but I believe that people of all ages would enjoy this story and especially fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I heard that a movie version is supposed to be coming out in a couple of years. There are rumors that Ian Holmes has agreed to return as Bilbo and that Ian Mclellan is supposed to return as Gandalf. Viggo Mortenson also said in an article I read that he would very much like to be involved and featured in the film. I will search the Internet to see if I can find any updated news on the movie
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-03-01 08:01:24.
(Language: English)
Since the greatly expanded sequel to this book became one of the great masterpieces in literature, ‘The Hobbit’ feels like a more-or-less comic prelude to its peerless successor. But it’s none the less enjoyable and imaginative for all that. Now that I’m steeped in the history of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, the hints in this book of the wider world it’s set in, such as Elrond and Rivendell, Sauron, the White Council, and of course Gollum and the Ring, are enticing. But although it has its share of darkness, this is a less serious and more playful book – and great fun! I could do without the three trolls, perhaps, but everything else is terrific, and Smaug is a memorable dragon indeed. ‘The Hobbit’ shares with LOTR its sense of a journey of self-discovery, and Bilbo deepens in seriousness, courage and strength throughout the book – very much a predecessor of his nephew Frodo. From Beorn the man/bear to the wonderful and powerful eagles, this book is full of wonders and, like all great childrens’ books, is deeply loved by adults who haven’t lost the child still alive in themselves. An indispensable classic!
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-12-29 03:16:39.
(Language: English)
The nice thing about this book, is that it's a much easier read than The Lord of the Rings, and thus it gets a person interested in the world and its inhabitants before they try reading the much longer and more difficult epic. It's a pretty simple read really, with a good story that moves rather quickly once the adventure actually starts. It bogged down a bit in places for me, but all in all it is a very enjoyable book. I particularly enjoyed Bilbo Baggins, with his love of good food and simple things. I think that is the kind of thing that always drew me to the hobbits rather than the other races. He's drawn into this adventure and yet always longs for hearth and home. He's an easy character to get to know and to like, and thus you want to see where his travels end up taking him. The one problem I did have with it is that there are simply too many dwarves to keep track of, and thus we never really get to know any of them very well outside of Thorin and perhaps Balin. It makes it rather hard for me to be invested in any of them all that much. A good story and well worth reading, especially if you plan on tackling the epic that follows. Favorite quotes/passages: After some time he felt for his pipe. It was not broken, and that was something. Then he felt for his pouch, and there was some tobacco in it, and that was something more. Then he felt for his matches and could not find any at all, and that shattered his hopes completely... ...A sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart: a glimpse of endless unmarked days without hope of light or betterment, hard stone, cold fish, sneaking and whispering... ...If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world...
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-06-18 09:39:12.
(Language: English)
I first discovered Tolkien when I was 10 years old. I started with The Hobbit and quicky moved on to the LOTR trilogy. I loved them then and I love them now. I reread the series every so often - it's like visiting with old friends. What I loved most about the books was the idea that anyone, no matter how small and unimportant, could make a difference in the world. Though I agree with other reviewers that the descriptions can get a bit tedious at times, the sheer complexity of the world (not to mention the many languages) that Tolkien created is awe-inspiring. The Hobbit is one of my all-time favorite books. Bilbo is such a great character. At first, all he wants out of life is comfort - to sit by the fire, eating and drinking and enjoying the company of good friends. Eventually, he discovers that he is stronger and more resourceful than he ever imagined. And, of course, once he gets a taste of adventure, his comfortable old life never quite seems to fit in the same way.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-08-07 08:52:34.
(Language: English)
An incredible book. Though it's an individual book it's inseparable from the 'Lord of the Rings' as it involves the discovery of the 'One Ring’. The PLOT-Bilbo Baggins, a peace loving ‘Hobbit’ who enjoys his food and drink is forced to accompany Gandalf the grey and a company of dwarfs on adventure to the ‘Lonely Mountain’ as they attempt to recover their chiefs lost inheritance from the savage Dragon ‘Smaug’ on their journey they encounter trolls, forest elf’s, doubt, madness, a hellishly pathetic creature called, Gollum and most horrifying (to Baggins) hunger! the book climaxes with Bilbo unexpectedly becoming the hero to the ‘Battle of the Five –Armies’.Finaly Bilbo returns to his home*in the shire with impressive loads of wealth that arouses the suspicion of the other hobbits, and continues to the Lord of the rings-fellowship of the ring that explain the importance of the One Ring. (*Hence the title ‘There and Back again’)
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-08-27 09:02:07.
(Language: English)
As the Prequel to the thrilling Lord of the Rings trilogy, this work is a bit less than thrilling. As a chronicle of a certain part of the history of Middle Earth, it is an enormous success. As a story about finding oneself and finding out about one's world, it is a stunning masterpiece of English literature. The author makes the English language sing like one of the golden harps our heros find amid Smaug's treasure hord. The subject matter at first is light, initially the journey of Bilbo, the thirteen dwarves and Gandalf seems like the sort of scheme Tom Sawyer might cook up, dangerous but not deadly, fantastical, and half-baked. Then they enter Mirkwood, where giant spiders spin deadly webs for non-insect prey, and the elvenking is not exactly dwarf-friendly. However Bilbo manages to save the day twice, and our heros survive, barely. After that the book is suddenly serious, more akin to the darkly epic tone the author takes in LoTR. It is that rare thing, a finely crafted work for children by one of the greatest masters of the English language, light enough for the young, serious enough for the young at heart. This is a book to read over and over again. Recommended for children 10 and up.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-10-24 10:56:14.
(Language: English)
So as it is called...really is a legendary work..n masterpiece in the category of adventure tales... When the Tookish part (genes fm the motherside) of Bilbo Baggins....dominates his thought process...he sets out a tremendously adventurous journey to Smaug-The Dragon....n in between accidently finds The Ring.....making this book an excellent prelude to the classic "Lord of the Rings. Recommended for everyone who wishes to start Lord of the Rings....Pl read The Hobbit first before u set your journey with Lord of the Rings series...
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-31 07:07:34.
(Language: English)
The biggest problem with this novel is perception. Tolkien wrote this story for children; to be more specific, this was written for HIS children. There were several stories like this, but it was this, The Hobbit, that was his master achievement in children's literature.The Lord of the Rings ( a single epic, NOT a trilogy) was written to cash in on The Hobbit's success. Tolkien wanted to get on with the more serious work of his mythology, and ultimately that is what happened with The Lord of the Rings. It became attached to his mythology, and became as important to him as The Silmarillion.So delineation is required if you want to read this. Do not go in with the thought that The Hobbit is a "precursor" or any such nonsense to The Lord of the Rings. Think of it like you would think of any other children's classics: children's classics. If you take it on The L. R.'s terms, this is a failure, primary because it is not written to be like that. But, on the flipside, The L. R. is as much a failure in children's fiction. It is not children's fiction, it is epic fantasy, and one should not equate it with children's fiction. That is EXACTLY what people try to do with The Hobbit. They try to put it in the same type of genre or playing field as The L. R. They are both masterpieces, and I love them both dearly. But one is for children, the other with adults.Of course, Tolkien is part of the problem. How many books do you know that is a children's book and has an adult sequel? Not very many. The Hobbit, scarcely 300 pages, was written and published in the children's market. He then talked to his publishers, and they wanted a sequel. So he began "the new Hobbit", as C. S. (Jack) Lewis so aptly put it. He was preoccupied with his mythology, and the sequel was drawn into it. So we have two works, spanning two different genres, and as far as surface connections go its little more than prequel/sequel. Instead of looking at The Hobbit as a prequel, a precursor to his ADULT masterpiece, an inferiour version, think of as his CHILDREN'S masterpiece. The Hobbit is top of the class in children's fiction, one of the few contenders against such other great children's works as Narnia and Wrinkle in Time. The Lord of the Rings, likewise, is THE crowning masterpiece of the fantasy genre, of which its influence is incalculable to that fantasy market. Both are as important as the other, just in different fields.I haven't talked about The Silmarillion much. I have already reviewed it, so I won't go real in-depth here. But the same thing happened with it. People, expecting another Lord of the Rings, were inevitably disappointed with the Biblical style of the published version. If Tolkien wrote that book out in narrative form as he did Lord of the Rings, it would be ten times longer than Lord of the Rings. The biggest problem with Tolkien is people have to many preconceptions that are incorrect.So, basically, in conclusion, think of it like this:1. The Hobbit - Children's masterpiece. He scores big with this one.2. The Lord of the Rings - a single fantasy, not a trilogy. (Tolkien was always quick to point that out). The Crowning achievement of modern fantasy.3. The Silmarillion - the Bible of Middle-earth. Much more for students of his work than the causal reader.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-19 03:18:33.
(Language: English)
Re-reading this for the nth time, probably at least 25 years since the first time it was read to me by my father, I was surprised by how much I still enjoy this book. Part of The Hobbit's charm, I suspect, comes from the sense of wonder and discovery Tolkien manages to slip into the text. Every river crossed, every hilltop reached, every winding path brings something new and unknown - not necessarily magical or threatening, just unfamiliar. In that, I think Tolkien really touches on something essential in the realms of fantasy, something which astonishingly few other books really manage to convey. The narrative voice is interesting, occasionally switching into kindly-if-a-bit-patronising-uncle mode, although this can actually contribute to the fun rather than detracting from it. This device also manages not to be too intrusive. While the narrative's pace does slacken occasionally, The Hobbit manages to be a very enjoyable read for children of all ages, seven to seventy-seven.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-09-10 03:20:11.
(Language: English)
This was my favourite book when I was six and my dad would read it to me in installments (I hated that!) and I forced him to sing all of the songs (which he in turn hated). This book is the ultimate childrens fantasy tale, with an almost beleivable tale of a comfortable, middleaged Hobbit who is spirited away on a grand adventure by a group of presumptuos dwarves and one all knowing wizard. What this book manages to accomplish, considering it's not overly long, is quite a feat spanning the map Tolkein created and is generally printed somewhere inside the book. There is even a line on the map detailing the groups journey from Bagend all the way to the Dragon infested cave of the Lonely Mountain. The detail and dedication Tolkein lavished upon all of his works shines through in theis perfect little fairytale for people of all ages.
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