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A review by fications_clari
The Hobbit: or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
At long last, I've finally gotten around to reading the Hobbit--and it was not what I expected it to be. I was expecting adventure, lovable characters, the ring (of course), and a magical, light-hearted introduction to Middle Earth. I got all of this except the last one.
This is not a bad thing! There is part of me that's still kind of trying to wrap my head around it.
I didn't expect it to be so...nuanced, is maybe the word I'm looking for. Not all the antagonists are villains. Perhaps the real villains are the sins buried in the hearts of our friends in the journey. Perhaps the biggest battles are the ones you fight alone in the dark. All these are messages in what I was continuously told is a children's novel, and it IS a children's novel (a wonderful one, and the best ones always have a little bit of darkness in them) except--
I think maybe CS Lewis set my expectations little. I remember when reading this that it was so reminiscent of me reading Narnia as a kid for the first time, and because of that a false sense of security wrapped itself around me. In the Narnia books, nothing truly terrible happens during adventures. Terrible things do in the in-between (of the adventures, of the things Lewis chooses not to expand on) and yes, arguably, in the end, but for the most part you know the heroes will emerge whole and victorious.
Here's the thing about the Hobbit. You believe that the entire adventure story is over, that it's starting to wrap up and head towards the falling action, and then it doesn't. It whiplashes into something darker, with more terrible consequences, and yes, something arguably more profound, but it's a shock. And I don't feel like Tolkien really dealt with it. A happy ending is just attached in the end, but there was heartbreak that was never stared fully in the face. Maybe that really is what it was, considering Tolkien's background. Either way, it hurt my heart without truly showing me a way to fix it, and that, in particular, was just not what I was expecting when I finished this novel.
Other small things that bothered me: 1) Considering the antagonists-are-not-always-villains thing Tolkien laid down, there was part of me that felt kinda sad for the trolls? They just weren't as convincingly evil as the goblins were, and come to think of it I'm sure there's a lens of analysis I can put on that would make me feel sympathetic towards the goblins and wargs and Smaug, too. At the same time, I get it, these aren't meant to be 'full' characters but representations of evil. Still! Many characters who I thought would just be outlines became far more complex than I thought they would be, and it was kind of strange that on one hand an entire race of creatures are dismissed as complete monsters because they hinder our main cast, and then the elves, for as example, characterized as 'generally good people' even though they lock them up for weeks. I think it's the generalization that bothers me. 2) Bilbo increases in guile and daring throughout the story which I found awesome, but I don't think there's getting around that much of this begins with an act of violence (him killing). I guess I've just gotten less fond of what feels like justified violence in children's stories. I am glad (and maybe Tolkien intended this to be a counterpoint) that Bilbo spends the rest of the novel trying to be a peacemaker for the most part.
Make no mistake, though: I recommend this book to anyone willing to bear both the light and dark of this story. It was lovely. Above all, I loved Bilbo's willingness and longing to be brave, which was paired with his adoration and joy of being home. I loved how those desires fought and coalesced. It was both fascinating and beautiful, and did, in a childlike imitative way, made my homebody self feel like I can yearn for adventure too without denying any part of me. I can go out there, live my stories, and sigh continuously for my airy, sun-filled living room. Doing this doesn't make anyone less of a hero. It may at times me be just the thing that helps them save others.
This is not a bad thing! There is part of me that's still kind of trying to wrap my head around it.
I didn't expect it to be so...nuanced, is maybe the word I'm looking for. Not all the antagonists are villains. Perhaps the real villains are the sins buried in the hearts of our friends in the journey. Perhaps the biggest battles are the ones you fight alone in the dark. All these are messages in what I was continuously told is a children's novel, and it IS a children's novel (a wonderful one, and the best ones always have a little bit of darkness in them) except--
I think maybe CS Lewis set my expectations little. I remember when reading this that it was so reminiscent of me reading Narnia as a kid for the first time, and because of that a false sense of security wrapped itself around me. In the Narnia books, nothing truly terrible happens during adventures. Terrible things do in the in-between (of the adventures, of the things Lewis chooses not to expand on) and yes, arguably, in the end, but for the most part you know the heroes will emerge whole and victorious.
Here's the thing about the Hobbit. You believe that the entire adventure story is over, that it's starting to wrap up and head towards the falling action, and then it doesn't. It whiplashes into something darker, with more terrible consequences, and yes, something arguably more profound, but it's a shock. And I don't feel like Tolkien really dealt with it. A happy ending is just attached in the end, but there was heartbreak that was never stared fully in the face. Maybe that really is what it was, considering Tolkien's background. Either way, it hurt my heart without truly showing me a way to fix it, and that, in particular, was just not what I was expecting when I finished this novel.
Other small things that bothered me: 1) Considering the antagonists-are-not-always-villains thing Tolkien laid down, there was part of me that felt kinda sad for the trolls? They just weren't as convincingly evil as the goblins were, and come to think of it I'm sure there's a lens of analysis I can put on that would make me feel sympathetic towards the goblins and wargs and Smaug, too. At the same time, I get it, these aren't meant to be 'full' characters but representations of evil. Still! Many characters who I thought would just be outlines became far more complex than I thought they would be, and it was kind of strange that on one hand an entire race of creatures are dismissed as complete monsters because they hinder our main cast, and then the elves, for as example, characterized as 'generally good people' even though they lock them up for weeks. I think it's the generalization that bothers me. 2) Bilbo increases in guile and daring throughout the story which I found awesome, but I don't think there's getting around that much of this begins with an act of violence (him killing). I guess I've just gotten less fond of what feels like justified violence in children's stories. I am glad (and maybe Tolkien intended this to be a counterpoint) that Bilbo spends the rest of the novel trying to be a peacemaker for the most part.
Make no mistake, though: I recommend this book to anyone willing to bear both the light and dark of this story. It was lovely. Above all, I loved Bilbo's willingness and longing to be brave, which was paired with his adoration and joy of being home. I loved how those desires fought and coalesced. It was both fascinating and beautiful, and did, in a childlike imitative way, made my homebody self feel like I can yearn for adventure too without denying any part of me. I can go out there, live my stories, and sigh continuously for my airy, sun-filled living room. Doing this doesn't make anyone less of a hero. It may at times me be just the thing that helps them save others.
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia
There is a character that does low-key get continuously fatshamed. It was an unpleasant surprise, though not a very big aspect of the story.