Book Review — The Hobbit
For the first time in many years, I returned to J.R.R Tolkien’s Middle Earth and have reread The Hobbit, a book that really is a prelude to his magnum opus, The Lord of the Rings. I don’t know how I can give any more praise to one of the greatest tales of all time. The author introduces the readers to ancient world, a truly invented myth of elves, dwarfs, men and of course the three-foot-high people, Hobbits. Yet, Middle Earth is a dark world goblins or orcs, trolls, intelligent wolves and dragons.
The Hobbit, a reluctant traveller who Gandalf, a wizard who chose to be a “burglar” to help Thorin Oakenshield and his band of twelve dwarf’s Dwalin, Balin, Kili, Fili, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Bofur and Bombur to reclaim the Lonely Mountains, which was one time ruled by Thorin’s family long ago, and to get back their treasure, guarded by a dreaded red dragon, Smaug. It is a wonderful, imaginative tale, that for those who are unaware I don’t really want to give away. Yet, I need to say one thing; when Bilbo gets separated from his friends, when escaping a goblin cave, he is totally alone in the dark. By chance, he comes across a gold ring, which he will later discover gives the power of invisibility. He then encounters Gollum, a mysterious creature. Bilbo ends up game of riddles for his every life. What seems a incidental story with Gollum and finding the ring, becomes hugely significant for Lord of the Rings.
This would be one of the books if I had children, I would love to read before going they went to bed. It is the perfect story that could be read, a chapter at a time as a nightly serial. It was refreshing to read it again in at least fourteen or more years. It is the best of tales, and laid the foundations for Tolkien who wanted to create a myth for Britain; with its own beginnings of creation, how all the peoples and creatures came into the world and much more. Amazingly of all, he created, high and low Elven language. The stories of Bilbo Baggins and the companies of dwarf’s, with Gandalf’s helping hand and all their adventures I am sure will live of many generations, young and old alike.
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Minimum Age: 12+
Type of Book: Fiction/Fantasy
Book Length: Folio edition 245
Published: 1937
Note: This book review is from Carl Strehlow, a valued member of Coffin Nation. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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