Book Review: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Likable, sympathetic hero

Cons: Episodic plot instead of overall story.

The Bottom Line:

Episodic book

And Lord of the Rings prologue

Visit Middle Earth

Adventuring We Will Go

Hobbit Bilbo Baggins was perfectly content with his life. The last thing he wanted was to be involved in an adventure. But when the wizard Gandalf invites a group of dwarves over, he find himself drawn into their quest to reclaim their mountain and fortune that a dragon stole from them years ago. Now Bilbo will have to adjust to new situations daily as they encounter wolves, goblins, giant eagles and spiders, and other creatures just to get to the mountain. Once they get there, they have to face the fierce dragon. Can they survive?

This is a fun adventure. It's very easy to feel for Bilbo who doesn't want to face any danger as they face one obstacle after another. The repeated line "He thought of his home, not for the last time." made me smile every time I read it. It so perfectly captured Bilbo's reluctance to be involved.

My biggest complaint about the book is that it is a bit episodic in nature. Their many adventures don't seem that interrelated for most of the book. This is a minor issue, however, and it's very hard not to like the characters and root them on in their quest to reclaim their rightful place.

I've read The Hobbit twice, and hope to get to the Lord of the Rings soon. The fun story and likeable characters make it easy to see why there are so many fans of these books.