A review by ceallaighsbooks
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad 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

5.0

“Somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else, made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach, as he wiped his sword on the grass and put it back into its sheath. ‘I will give you a name,’ he said to it, ‘and I shall call you Sting.’”

TITLE—The Hobbit
AUTHOR—JRR Tolkien
PUBLISHED—orig. 1937; read ed. 2014
PUBLISHER—orig. George Allen & Unwin; read ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

GENRE—fantasy
SETTING—Middle-earth
MAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—adventures, friendship, dwarves, hobbits, wizards, elves, goblins, & dragons, fantasy worldbuilding, whimsical writing style & lighthearted narrative voice, the evil of gold & greed, the great heroism of small deeds and smaller folk

WRITING STYLE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CHARACTERS—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STORY/PLOT—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
BONUS ELEMENT/S—Reading this with a group for the first time was so much fun!
PHILOSOPHY—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“‘Bother burgling and everything to do with it! I wish I was at home in my nice hole by the fire, with the kettle just beginning to sing!’ It was not the last time that he wished that!”

My thoughts:
This is my umpteenth reread of my favorite of Tolkien’s works and this time I got to read it in community with a great group of Tolkien fans of all ages, worldwide!

I think on this reread my favorite parts were Bilbo’s time with the elves in Rivendell and in Mirkwood. After recently rereading both THE SILMARILLION and UNFINISHED TALES, and gaining a refreshed understand of and appreciation for Tolkien’s elven peoples, it was fun to experience their roles in this most lighthearted of Tokien’s Middle-earth-set books with their intricate, dramatic, and extensive history fresh in my mind.

I would recommend this book to everyone! It’s fun! This book is best enjoyed, as is any adventure, in the company of friends. 🥰

Final note: I’m looking forward to reading THE FALL OF GONDOLIN with the bookclub next!

“There are no safe paths in this part of the world. Remember you are over the Edge of the Wild now, and in for all sorts of fun wherever you go.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Further Reading—
In order:
  • THE LORD OF THE RINGS, by JRR Tolkien
  • THE SILMARILLION
  • UNFINISHED TALES
  • BEREN AND LÚTHIEN
  • THE CHILDREN OF HÚRIN
  • THE FALL OF GONDOLIN
  • THE FALL OF NÚMENÓR