Review: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Author: J.R.R Tolkien
Series: Middle-Earth Universe
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: September 15, 1999 (First published 1937)
Pages: 272
Format/Source: Paperback/Purchased
Age Group/Genre: Children, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adult/Classics, Fantasy
J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic prelude to his Lord of the Rings trilogy
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.
Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit has sold many millions of copies worldwide and established itself as a modern classic. (From Goodreads)
This review was originally posted on Pages Unbound as a part of their Tolkien Reading Event. It’s a little different than my normal reviews, simply because of the event, as well as the book at hand.
I may be one of the few readers out there that hasn’t actually read many of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works. I read The Hobbit as a teen and, even though I own all three The Lord of the Rings books, The Hobbit remains, to this day, the only Tolkien I have had the pleasure of reading. Never fear, Tolkien fans, I plan to rectify this soon!
Even though my Tolkien expertise is nonexistent, I was thrilled when Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound asked me to be a part of their Tolkien Reading Event, and I jumped at the chance to re-read The Hobbit and write a review. So bear with me – this is my first time reading The Hobbit with a critical eye, and I’m sure all of my thoughts have been said before by many Tolkien scholars who are much more eloquent.
First of all, Tolkien’s writing is so superb that it is no wonder that his stories have become classics. The Hobbit is considered by many (and perhaps was by Tolkien himself) to be a book for children, and Tolkien was obviously in agreement with many of the authors of Children’s and Young Adult books of today who believe that they should not “dumb down” their writing simply because it is aimed at a younger audience. But, as with so many authors today, his writing can be (and should be, in my opinion) read and enjoyed by people of all ages.
Tolkien’s characters and world-building are basically flawless, and with the help of a few maps and pictures, readers become the fifteenth member of the troupe of heroes as they set their backs upon Bilbo’s home in The Hill. We are there with Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves as they narrowly escape the goblins of the Misty Mountains; we, too, find ourselves lost once the party steps off the path in the Mirkwood; and we rack our brains trying to come up with a plan to escape the dungeons of the wood elves, or to outwit the dragon Smaug.
The only drawback I found, and it is a small one, is that several of the dwarves in Bilbo’s party were not thoroughly fleshed out. We got a good sense of Thorin, Bombur, Fili, Kili, and a few others, but many of them seemed to simply be there so that with Bilbo they were fourteen in number, and also to create a humorous scene in the beginning when they all show up on Bilbo’s doorstep. However, I really did enjoy the humor. It reminds me of how Douglas Adams would fabricate a situation and then explain how that caused something in our actual history. For example, Tolkien had Bilbo say “Escaping goblins to be caught by wolves,” and then Tolkien added, “and it became a proverb, though now we say ‘out of the frying-pan into the fire’ in the same sort of uncomfortable situations.” As a lover of British comedy, I enjoyed all the subtle hints of humor that Tolkien sprinkled throughout this tale.
I also enjoyed the dichotomy between Bilbo and Gandalf at the beginning. The hobbits that are most respected are those who are rich, and don’t get into any “adventures.” When Gandalf first comes upon Bilbo, Bilbo uses polite phrases such as “Good morning” and “I beg your pardon,” and Gandalf points out that these phrases have more meanings than most of us realize. Here, I believe Tolkien is commenting on how society regards politeness, and Gandalf represents a person whom some people would consider “uncivilized,” simply because he does not behave like the rest of them. Perhaps there is even more here, and Tolkien is showing the diversity of society between those who are privileged and those who aren’t, and how they each behave and believe the world should be. Or perhaps Tolkien is simply suggesting that a life not lived to its fullest is not a life lived at all.
The Hobbit is full of complex characters, interesting creatures, and such suspense that even readers who visit the tale for a second or third time may find themselves anxious for Bilbo and his companions. It is easy to see why The Hobbit continues to be loved by people of all ages, and why J.R.R. Tolkien’s works have become the very definition of Epic Fantasy. I would highly recommend this book to lovers of Fantasy, yet I would also recommend this to anyone who simply loves a good book.

Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
May 8, 2012 at 12:21 pmThis book should really go on my reading Bucket List. I've never read it either. Thanks for the great review!
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
May 9, 2012 at 2:38 amI read it in high school but it was so long ago that I didn't remember a lot of it, so I'm glad I read it again! I need to read the LotR series soon!
fakesteph
May 8, 2012 at 2:08 pmI totally want to reread this now. It has been too long!!! I'm going to have a litte mini readathon by myself one week this summer… take my tent out to the beach and read.
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
May 9, 2012 at 2:39 amOooh, that would be nice! I'd love to have a week by myself to do nothing but read! Maybe I can talk my husband into just a day…
Mackenzie @ Oh, For the Love of Books!
May 8, 2012 at 2:22 pmI can't believe I haven't read this yet!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!?!?! and I absolutely love the Lord of the Rings movies so I must read it ASAP! Perhaps I'll read it this summer before the movie comes out this winter :) Great review!
All the best ♥
Mackenzie @ Oh, For the Love of Books!
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
May 9, 2012 at 2:40 amThanks! Yeah, you should totally read it before the movie comes out! You've got plenty of time! ;)
Juju at Tales of Whimsy.com
May 8, 2012 at 8:36 pmGreat honest review. I've never read him either. I've been meaning to change that for ages.
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
May 9, 2012 at 2:41 amThanks! I read The Hobbit back in high school but I had forgotten a lot, plus I had never read it for review! But I need to read the LotR series soon!
Kate@Midnight Book Girl
May 8, 2012 at 11:41 pmI definitely need to re-read this one!
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
May 9, 2012 at 2:42 amI need to read LotR! Hmm, should I do that before #DrunkLotR? ;)
Kimberly @ On the Wings of Books
May 9, 2012 at 11:13 pmTolkien is really not my thing, but I am absolutely shocked that the books are this old? I never heard of them until shortly before the movie came out and I just assumed that they were more recent. Even thought I won't read the books I think his creativity is amazing and I'm glad you liked the book!
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
May 10, 2012 at 7:49 pmYep, they're pretty old! I loved the LoTR movies, so I really need to read those books. Thanks for stopping by! ;)
LHughes
May 15, 2012 at 2:35 amI have one big issue with this book… and that's the lack of female characters. Granted, I haven't tried reading it since I was in 8th grade, but I remember hating that there weren't any girls in the book and hating all the lengthy descriptions.
With so many other books to read… even a lovely review by you isn't gonna push this one onto my to-read list. Sorry. Please forgive me.
Lauren @ Hughes Reviews
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
May 16, 2012 at 6:59 pmYou're right – I don't think there was a single female character in this book, except that they mentioned some of Bilbo's ancestors that were female. Hmm, maybe some of the elves were female, but if they were, they were very minor characters. I didn't even think about that! And I haven't read the LotR books yet, but in the movies, it did seem like those women were kind of just there as love interests…
Oh, don't worry. I'm not upset that you don't want to read it! We all have so many books that we want to read that if you don't absolutely want to read some book, I say don't read it! ;)
Bengal Reads
May 17, 2012 at 5:07 pmI read and loved this book and am so glad you liked it too! I agree with you I can't wait to see the movie and I also think that everyone should read this :D Great Review!!!
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
May 17, 2012 at 10:01 pmThanks, Kayla! I know, the movie looks so good! And I love Martin Freeman!
jubilare
March 25, 2014 at 6:21 pmGreat stuff!