The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Oh my goodness, I love Tolkien!

Okay, calming down. I admit I have read The Hobbit, as well as The Lord of the Rings, before. However, that was back in sixth grade - getting through all 4 books in two and a half months - I figured it was long enough ago that I could read it again.

And I did, and boy did it make me crave to watch everything again. I don’t mean just the movies, I’m talking about the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings, the countless hours of behind the scenes they have, the National Geographic “Beyond the Movie” DVD of the Lord of the Rings, even the Hobbit animated movie from 1977.

Anyway, the book. The copy that I read was my own personal copy published in 1996 with illustrations in it done by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. On the beginning flap of the cover slip is the description as well as the age range written for, the Hobbit id for all ages. From that I do firmly say that it is on the list of ‘Must Read Books Before You Die.’ 

Some basics. The Hobbit, the accurately dubbed a book for all. Getting though the book is quite easy and enjoyable. The longest chapters are in the middle, allowing you to be sufficiently engrossed in the book too much to really notice or care. The wording is simple, not too much though that you fell like you’re reading a child’s book, yet not wordy enough to confuse you.

On top of reading the book I also listened to the audio book - dramatized. It was quite entertaining. The audio was only 4.5 hours long, just enough time to complete a homework assignment. It was, however, not exactly word for word the book - but neither was it abridged, at least in my opinion. In my experience, abridged is when sections of the book are simply cut out all together. This version, while they did leave stuff out, shortened the cut information giving you only the necessities of it. On top of that, it was dramatized for crying out loud! It had different voices, sound effects, background music, basically a narrated movie without the visual. 

If you love Tolkien as mush as I, check it out.

I also watched the 1977 animated movie of the Hobbit. I’ve seen it before - actually I own a copy at home - but it’s been some time. It’s okay. If you watch it, remember that it’s 1977 and not Disney - so don’t expect the animation of be awesome. It’s funny the way the portray some for the characters. Elrond is okay I guess, but Gollum - why is he green? He use to be similar to a hobbit before he got the ring. Smog - why does he have hair where most illustrators would put spikes? Makes him look like a flying snake/cat thing. And finally - the wood-elves of Mirkwood. Thank goodness Peter Jackson didn’t look to this movie for ideas of the elves. Can you imagine Legolas looking like that?! (For all you who don’t get it Legolas is prince of the Mirkwood elves - thus the reason he’s there. If you didn’t know everyone is a royal - Legolas a prince, Gimli a prince, Aragorn an heir [though there to represent the rangers], Boamir son of the steward who is acting king till the throne is claimed, then we have Gandalf, Frodo, and Bilbo - but they’re special.)

Back to books. The Hobbit is a must read, the rest of the series...I understand if you can’t do it. Compared to the Hobbit it is much more wordy and the books have a lot more government/political information - even additional battles - that the movies never mention. Not that I fault them for it. The movies are amazing and the parts changed and deleted are fine with me. For instance, Saruman and Wormtong don’t die at Isengard. They escape and go to the Shire were they wage war upon the hobbits and when the four heros return from their adventure to Mordor they must lead the hobbits to regain their freedom. As I said I don’t mind that that whole thing was cut. However, the scene added in the extended addition of Return of the King during the celebration after Helms Deep when Gimli get Legolas to compete in a drinking game...WOODLAND ELVES DRINK! That is how Bilbo and the dwarfs escape, because they got drunk. Yet in the scene he acts like he’s clueless saying things like “I think it is effecting me.” Oh shut up. 

ha...ha....ha. So, um, yeah - that part annoys me.

Anyway, the’s the Hobbit - the book, audio book, and animated movie. Read it before you die, I insist. And go see the movie Peter Jackson is making when it comes out.