Reviews

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

stellalalilu's review against another edition

4.0

I love this book- a beautifully written story, although I would be lying if I said that it was gripping to the point of not being able to put it down. There were certain sequences that seemed to drag on, particularly landscape descriptions, and sometimes I did kind of have to force myself to continue a chapter because it was a little tedious. Nonetheless, there were a lot of really beautiful descriptions as well and I am still amazed at how Tolkien was able to conjure up this magical world. As a whole, The Hobbit definitely deserves at least four stars (five stars if it weren't for those monotonous parts) and it is worth pushing through to the end.

stealthymonkey1's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

Finished half as audio book

nachosandcheese's review against another edition

5.0

it's a classic and i always fare terribly when i try to rate them because nostalgia plays a big role in it and i can't help but give this 5 stars.

I won't lie and say that I didn't skip the poems or the painstaking descriptions of the surroundings, but hey, that's what makes this book what it is

g_oldpetals's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

isobelle's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

readsbymoonlight's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

daniel1201's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

jorgelnjunior's review against another edition

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

lia_argo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

flowerhatprincess's review against another edition

5.0

I flew through this book, it was fast, fun, and adventurous every other page Bilbo and the Dwarves were getting themselves into some sort of mess. The narration style reads like an old fairy Grimms fairy tale, it's descriptive and smooth like a fine liner. Not once did I find myself struggling with the language no matter how Elvish it became, and it was surprisingly light on action and very family-friendly.

I loved that Tolkien didn't overly rely on Gandolf, in-fact he even removes him from the situation right when the action starts heating up, forcing the characters to rely on their wits, skills, and/or luck to overcome monsters and other obstacles in their way. Each character felt like their own person, no one blurred together for me, and I believe most characters had a scene dedicated to them- though some Dwarves were obviously more important than others. I found myself really appreciating Bombur, he was a comedic side character that was loyal and faithful to Bilbo throughout and he was a bigger fellow that was often picked on in a loving way and I could personally relate to this, especially when that weight became a hindrance for him and not just a description of his person.

I also listened to the audiobook with the narrator being the same person who voiced Gollum in the movies, Andy Serkis. I have to say, the performance was spectacular- each character had their own unique voice, and his voice as a narrator was so seductive I listened for hours on end. And hearing Gollum come to life on the page again really brought the world out of the page and into my mind. Listening to him narrate this for me honestly made this experience just that much more enjoyable.

If you liked this series I highly recommend "The Witcher" series by Andrzej Sapkowski because they both have a similar story structure, both have fantasy settings, strong characters, and nonstop adventure.

Can't believe I waited until I was 25 to read the Hobbit (lol).