The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, is set in the magical world of Middle Earth, where giants roam, Orcs pillage and terrorize, and many other mythical creatures exist. Bilbo Baggins was visited by his old friend Gandalf, along with 12 dwarves, to Bilbo's surprise. The dwarves tell him of their quest to slay the great Smaug and take back their kingdom under the mountain, and that they need his help. After reluctantly agreeing, they embark on an epic adventure across Middle Earth, encountering all the dangers possible, from giant spiders to hungry giants looking for something to eat.
The Hobbit is one of my favorite books I've read. I love how the author describes the elements of the mythical world around the characters. I also like the mix of action and drama which makes the group’s journey harder. I very strongly recommend reading this book. If you like stories with magic and mythical beings this is the story for you.
Reviewed by Charles B., Grade 9
Montrose Library
6 comments:
The Hobbit was written by J.R.R Tolkien and is about Bilbo who is the Hobbit, a small race , about half the size of human beings, that has furry body. The book is written in 1937; the book is very popular and remains the best in teens section. The Hobbit is about this Bilbo Baggins , the creature gains wisdom and maturity . In the novel, the dwarves are after their treasure from dragon Smaug, and Bilbo acts as their burglar. The dwarves leave Bilbo behind in the passage of the mountains, and Bilbo left alone, wanders in the tunnels; he founds a strange golden ring in on the ground. He keeps the ring in his pocket, Gollum, another character in the book, who lives in a pool , wants to eat Bilbo. Anyways, Gollum wants to eat Bilbo, and he tries to locate the lost ring. But the ring is with Bilbo.
I really liked the book. I enjoyed reading it after my homework was completed. I liked the way the author wrote the plot; the characters were amazing in the plot and overall story. The book made me feel great and it got me interested in the Lord of The Rings. I will definitely recommend this book to others and my friends. I liked most of the parts in the boook.. Before the Hobbit looked strange to me, but now , as I am alder now, the book made me want to read.
All of my fears are gone now, including the nightmares. So, I will definitely recommend this book to my classmates, so they also can enjoy this great book. I wish this book was also written in my mother language, Armenian, so that , some of my relatives could enjoy it as well. Overall, I am lucky that I can read in English, so that I can talk about it to them. Thank you.
Reviewed by Zareh, Grade 9
Pacific Park Library
In a hole under the ground lived a creature known as a hobbit. His name is Bilbo Baggins. One morning, while he was sitting outside and looking at the nature, a wizard named Gandalf visited him. Bilbo couldn't really remember who he was, but Gandalf knew Bilbo well. He visited him and offered an adventure. However, knowing Hobbits, Bilbo refused the offer, but since he is a nice one, he invited him to have tea with him later. And here the story begins. When Bilbo went into his house (or you can say hobbit hole), Gandalf put a sign on his door. Later on, Bilbo heard knocks on his door, he thought it might be Gandalf visiting him for a tea, but it wasn't him, he saw Dwarves! As the time passed by, more and more Dwarves visited him and finally Gandalf did, too. They were all at his house because of their adventure. They offered him to be their burglar and he would get his share of their treasure. First, he refused it, but the next morning when they were all gone, he made up his mind and decided to join them. On their way, they experience so many adventures than any other Dwarves ever had or even hobbits. This is the story of Bilbo Baggins joining the dwarves taking back their kingdom and their treasure from the evil dragon.
J.R.R. Tolkiens's books are one of my favorites. The Hobbit is one of the best, and the main story does not only end in one book, but it continues to the three books of The Lord of The Rings. The story itself in The Hobbit, is really different from its movies. In the book, their adventures seem more real and make more sense than the movies. Anybody who has watched The Hobbit movies, really should read its book to see the differences. In addition, I liked everything about this book, but it was kind of long. This book which includes all the three movies of The Hobbit is about 305 pages. It took me four days to finish it. Moreover, anybody from any age who's interested in J.R.R. Tolkiens's style would love this book. Don't miss this book! It is one of the best.
Reviewed by Orkideh, Grade 12
Downtown Central Library
The Hobbit brings you on a journey with hobbit Bilbo Baggins as he's dragged off on a journey with a party of dwarfs and the wise wizard, Gandalf on the quest of a lifetime. They must set off on a long and dangerous journey to Mount Erebor to slay the ancient dragon, Smaug and claim his plunder. To even have a chance at such a feat they must evade the likes of wolves, cave dwelling goblins, and other terrifying creatures to even get to the mountain, let alone slay a plundering dragon of old.
The Hobbit is a great read for those who want to be whisked off into a fantastic world of dwarves, elfs, and dragons of old. The story is written in a way that makes it seem more like a true telling of something that happened in a world rather than a simple fairy tail. There is a host of lovable and memorable characters and moments that will make you want to visit their world again. Overall, if you're into fantasy and adventure and want a nice long story to chew in, chances are you'll love The Hobbit.
Reviewed by Wes, Grade 9
Pacific Park Library
The Hobbit follows the travels of a timid, well mannered fellow named Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is a hobbit, which is basically a short, slightly pudgy person with hair on their feet. Sound weird? Yeah, kind of. He gets swept up in a campaign to help a group of dwarves take back their stronghold from a greedy dragon, with the help of the wizard Gandalf. From leaving Bilbo's comfortable home in The Shire, to crossing mountains and being waylaid by goblins, all the way to going through Mirkwood, a dark, evil, and gloomy where they fight giant spiders and meet elves, Bilbo and the dwarves have a variety of adventures.
I myself enjoyed The Hobbit thoroughly, finding its story unbelievably creative (it was written in a time before modern thoughts and creations of fantasy figures; it IS the model fantasy story of any current stories), and I thought that its characters grew and changed very realistically and in interesting ways. There were a lot of details that created strong imagery, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. However, there were quite a few slow parts, which I didn't mind too much, but if you don't enjoy books that have long descriptions or dialogue, then maybe The Hobbit isn't for you.
Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 9
Montrose Library
The Hobbit is a fantasy novel written by J.R.R Tolkien that focuses on a meek and humble halfling (a humanoid being smaller than dwarves) named Bilbo who joins a wizard and a company of dwarves to reconquer a dwarven kingdom raided by a dragon after being driven out by it years before. He is hired as the company's burglar to sneak in and reclaim the Dwarven Kingdom. Throughout Bilbo's journey, the reader is introduced to the world of Middle-Earth filled with elves, goblins, trolls and talking eagles. It is also the prequel to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, showing Bilbo's discovery of the infamous One Ring.
I enjoyed The Hobbit's way of storytelling. The readers are first introduced to Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit (or halfling) that prefers peaceful and normal life away from danger. I like how we are introduced in detail his personality and home life. Tolkien's use of diction makes really detailed imagery and gives the readers a lot of information to paint a picture of the scene they intend. A lot like Harry Potter. Bilbo is also in the sense a the perfect protagonist for stories like this. Most fantasy stories have this cliche of the main character being the hero chosen to save the world from evil. Bilbo subverts all of that and is a protagonist who is merely shoved into the role because he was told to. It was not a duty of Bilbo's to help the dwarves retake Erebor. What also makes Bilbo a great main character is his unfamiliarity with the life outside the Shire. The readers and Bilbo are both oblivious to the journey they are about to take and both at the same time learn how the mechanics of Middle Earth works.
While this is not a criticism this is more of a caution before reading The Hobbit; it is by no means like Harry Potter. While both do share the same story beats to an extent and introduce their respective worlds similarly, Harry Potter is an easier book to read and to an extent more light hearted. The vocabulary and diction are simple yet they are enough to illustrate what the author wants the reader to see. The Hobbit has more difficult language and grimmer imagery that may turn off readers from this book. The Hobbit can get boring for those who want to get into reading and want something enjoyable. Chapters go by very slow because of how much detail the author wants to put into explaining the current setting of the characters. So if you do not enjoy reading but want to try to get into it, read something else for a while then read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I read this as a ten year-old and there were moments where I wanted to put down the book because it just seemed to never end. It was not because the book was bad, but because the language would be more unfamiliar or a part of the book drags on for too long. However people who enjoy role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons or video games similar or the premise of The Hobbit, will most likely get instantly hooked. A lot of modern fantasy works have stemmed from Tolkien's works.
Reviewed by Rafi B., Grade 11
Glendale Central Library
Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit living a simple life in the Shire, gets whisked away from his comfort zone when Gandalf the wizard sends him on a quest to defeat Smaug the Magnificent. Although Bilbo denies this request at first, he later changes his mind and cautiously joins Gandalf and 13 dwarves on the journey to the Lonely Mountain to take back what Smaug the dragon has taken from them. Throughout their journey they will encounter many struggles, such as the trolls, wolves, and elves; but also a curious magic ring...
The Hobbit is the prequel to the well-known Lord of the Rings trilogy, and I would say it is an interesting book that brings fantasy to life. I enjoyed the level of detail Tolkien put into every sentence, which can be seen from just the first couple of paragraphs of the first chapter. But the main part that brings this story to life are the illustrations. The maps and images throughout the book are the best touch to bring everything together. However, that can be a downfall. At some moments throughout the book, I felt myself zoning out when Tolkien was describing the scenery Bilbo and the dwarves were traveling through; I found it getting old after a while. One other thing to note is that the beginning of the story is quite slow, but once it picks up the pace with action and subtle jokes, it will be worth it. I would recommend The Hobbit to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre, such as the Harry Potter series. But, I would say The Hobbit is more focused on the creatures of the world rather than the magic.
Reviewed by Maya A., Grade 9
Glendale Central Library
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