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esdeecarlson's review
5.0
5 stars
Rateliff is a star. This extensive bindup of what was originally two volumes, cataloguing and commentating upon the known composition history, inspiration for, and rewrite journey of Tolkien’s classic title The Hobbit, is absolutely fascinating from start to finish. Following the early manuscript, as a reader intimately familiar with the published text, is a delight, narrowly but delightfully beaten out by Rateliff’s own commentary essays on such wide-ranging topics as British Dragon myth, Switzerland hiking excursions, and spider anatomy. This wide-ranging work of scholarship is just so much fun to sift through, with such a helpful structure (typically, a chapter from manuscript or typescript, followed by textual notes, followed by original essays with their own explanatory footnotes). My nerdy little heart devoured everything, and I was able to note down several referenced titles (on Tolkien and related topics) that I would like to consult next.
If you know anyone in your life who is deeply invested in Tolkien lore, looking to become a children’s fiction or general fantasy author, or is a nerd about all things mythological and fantastical, this would be an excellent present. The single-volume hardcopy is absolutely beautiful in person, and held up with admirable fortitude through my heavy-use cover-to-cover reading.
Rateliff is a star. This extensive bindup of what was originally two volumes, cataloguing and commentating upon the known composition history, inspiration for, and rewrite journey of Tolkien’s classic title The Hobbit, is absolutely fascinating from start to finish. Following the early manuscript, as a reader intimately familiar with the published text, is a delight, narrowly but delightfully beaten out by Rateliff’s own commentary essays on such wide-ranging topics as British Dragon myth, Switzerland hiking excursions, and spider anatomy. This wide-ranging work of scholarship is just so much fun to sift through, with such a helpful structure (typically, a chapter from manuscript or typescript, followed by textual notes, followed by original essays with their own explanatory footnotes). My nerdy little heart devoured everything, and I was able to note down several referenced titles (on Tolkien and related topics) that I would like to consult next.
If you know anyone in your life who is deeply invested in Tolkien lore, looking to become a children’s fiction or general fantasy author, or is a nerd about all things mythological and fantastical, this would be an excellent present. The single-volume hardcopy is absolutely beautiful in person, and held up with admirable fortitude through my heavy-use cover-to-cover reading.
fallingletters's review against another edition
5.0
Oh. my. gosh. What an incredible book. The amount of work that must have gone into this enormous volume is staggering. There is just so much information packed into this book, on every single topic you could want to know more about and many more you might never have considered (such as what kind of thrush Bilbo would have encountered at Erebor). At times I felt the book was a bit heavy on aspects such as related story inspirations or historical information, but really, if you're not interested in such things they are easily skimmed. Even more rarely, the book strayed more into Tolkien's mythology than seems related to The Hobbit (for example, a lengthy passage on Thingol) but these segments of course will be enjoyed by strong Tolkien fans and again, easily skimmed over by those only interested in The Hobbit. To be able to see so precisely how The Hobbit developed, and to read such insightful commentary on that development, is a very great treat for any Tolkien or Hobbit fan. Highly recommended!
slferg's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Interesting and informative read on the development of The Hobbit - the different phases of its writing and the changes made with some reasons given. Tolkien was careful in his choice of words and phrases to give the right inflection. He was, after all, a philologist and words were his job and hobby.
kwims's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ladyvictoriadiana's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5 stars
An incredibly thorough and interesting at The Hobbit and its development over the years. Despite the fact that the book is rather long, I positively devoured it (as seen by my reading speed) and enjoyed reading not only the original manuscripts of the novel but also Rateliff's annotations, notes, and explanations. Rateliff's additions were also very well done as they are not only detailed and well researched, but also do not disturb the reading of the manuscript text itself but are rather added at the end of each chapter. To see the changes in Tolkien's writing and (to some extent) his mythology was incredible as it truly shows how Middle- Earth changed in the mind of its creator. To compare these changes to the finished Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's other Middle-Earth works is very fascinating. The history of The Hobbit is a very interesting read for every Tolkien fan and I can only recommend the book!
An incredibly thorough and interesting at The Hobbit and its development over the years. Despite the fact that the book is rather long, I positively devoured it (as seen by my reading speed) and enjoyed reading not only the original manuscripts of the novel but also Rateliff's annotations, notes, and explanations. Rateliff's additions were also very well done as they are not only detailed and well researched, but also do not disturb the reading of the manuscript text itself but are rather added at the end of each chapter. To see the changes in Tolkien's writing and (to some extent) his mythology was incredible as it truly shows how Middle- Earth changed in the mind of its creator. To compare these changes to the finished Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's other Middle-Earth works is very fascinating. The history of The Hobbit is a very interesting read for every Tolkien fan and I can only recommend the book!
maggil's review against another edition
5.0
Well, it took 3 months, but I have finished! Completely worth it and I am filled with knowledge about and love for JRRT like never before.
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