The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
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Web ID: 15626261A Clever Tale of Adventure and Triumph
There’s a reason classics are classics! Let me just say—I went into this read rather blind. I knew only a few facts about hobbits and had faint memories of watching The Lord of the Rings movies with my dad as a young girl. One evening, after my kids were asleep, I sat down—destined to binge the movies (which I could hardly remember) with new eyes. Nearly 30-year-old eyes, now with a growing love for fantasy novels… but I’ll admit, a slight intimidation when it came to the so-called Father of Fantasy himself. Maybe I’ll watch the movies first, then read the books? NO. I had a sudden, almost primal urge to toss the remote across the room. This is all wrong! I thought. Think of the opportunity you have here—knowing so little about this incredible world. Why waste the precious chance to experience these classics AS GOD INTENDED? Pick up the book, you idiot! So that’s what I did. Or… I picked up the audiobook on Libby. 😂 I listened to the complete tale during a solo road trip to meet author Rachel Gillig—about 10 hours of driving. But J.R.R. Tolkien transported me far from the monotony of the highway and into dark, magical forests, goblin caves, and dragon lairs. I was spellbound. There were so many moments I found myself chuckling out loud at the clever narration. I adored how Tolkien would break the fourth wall and speak directly to me—it felt so personal and playful. The story is both light-hearted and profound, full of bravery, mischief, unexpected friendships, and clever twists. It’s truly brilliant. Now… try not to judge my poor, naive soul for this—but I had no idea this was published nearly a century ago. 1937! And yet, it’s stood the test of time. I felt so connected to the story, the characters, and the timeless narration that I’ve already decided on a new tradition: every May 1st, I’ll return to this journey and set off once again with Bilbo. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate adventure. I truly went There and Back Again
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great read bu challanging
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien is a really fun and exciting adventure story, but ill be honest it can be a little challenging at times. The book is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who goes on a crazy journey with a group of dwarves and a wizard named Gandalf to get treasure from a dragon. There are lots of cool parts, like Bilbo fights spiders or talks to the dragon. But sometimes the olf fashioned language and log descriptions and be hard to follow. There are also a lot of characters and place names that can be confusing at first. I had to reread some parts to understand what was even going on. Even though it was really tricky at times, I still really liked the story and felt proud of my self for finishing it. Bilbos journey from a quiet hobbit to a brave hero was inspiring, and the magical world of Tolkien created was cool. I think if you are in middle school who likes a challenge read but also like fantasy this is the book for you.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The Hobbit Review - 5 stars!
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien is a wonderful book that I enjoyed reading a lot. It is about a home-loving hobbit named Bilbo Bagins. During the story, he teams up with the wizard Gandalf and also with the thirteen dwarves of Thorin’s Company to go on a dangerous journey to help get the dwarves their homes and treasure back from Smaug, a dragon. In my opinion, this is a great novel that practically anybody would enjoy reading. Filled with mystical creatures and suspense around every corner, The Hobbit is a prime example of a classic. Moving on from this, personally my favorite part of the novel is the riddle game that Bilbo Baggins has with Gollum. This is because of the suspense as Bilbo’s life is on the line. As the game progresses, you can feel the suspense while they riddle each other, hoping that Bilbo can make it out. Then, you feel relieved after Bilbo survives, as if Tolkien is throwing a variety of emotions at you. Throughout the story, themes of bravery are shown too. This shows the reader that anybody can basically do anything as Bilbo Baggins is just a home-loving hobbit who goes on a great adventure. The bravery that Bilbo has brings a special feel to the book that no others have which makes this book so special. This bravery also connects to the idea to take risks just like Bilbo. For example, if Bilbo had never challenged Gollum, he would never have made it out. Even at the beginning of the story when Bilbo leaves the Shire his comfort zone, it shows the importance of taking risks. Without Bilbo taking risks, he never would have made it anywhere which relates to real life. This is another prime example of why this book is so important and special because of the lessons it brings. Tolkien also uses lots of figurative language to enhance his writing for his readers' experience. This stands out to me because I can understand in detail what is going on in the story which makes it so great. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest fantasy books ever written that many people other than myself love. This will continue to inspire many people other than myself, and it will give many an adventure of their own. So, this is why I rate this book so high, because of the deep meaning behind it and the suspense.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A D&D Campaign without having to roll the dice.
The Hobbit is the grandfather of every high fantasy classic, from novels to video games to television shows. The Hobbit first came to be in the form of bedtime stories that J.R.R. Tolkien improvised and told to his children. From this unique origin, it carries an air of whimsy and a fantastical, fairy-tale viewpoint that few prior books attained. Tolkien uses his prodigious imagination to whisk readers away on a whirlwind adventure to slay an evil, fire-breathing dragon alongside the protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, his wise mentor Gandalf, and a party of 13 dwarves (I chose to use the spelling "dwarves" throughout this review because, although dwarfs is widely regarded as the singular correct spelling, Tolkien used "dwarves" to describe his characters). Towards the beginning of the story, Bilbo is thrust unceremoniously into a world of adventure and exploration, which he has been raised to view as undignified, unnecessarily dangerous, and generally to be frowned upon. You see, Mr. Baggins is a Hobbit, a small, fantastical creature dreamed up by Tolkien, with hairy feet, a hearty love of food, and a preference for the comfort of home over the uncertainty of questing. Hobbits live in cozy holes, which Tolkien describes immaculately with his detailed and specific imagery, a stark contrast to the eerie forests, perilous mountain peaks, and deadly caves the brave party must conquer. The Hobbit does a lovely job of balancing description and world-building with conflict and adventure. Although it is usually treated as quite a sizable book, there isn’t an insurmountable word count, however, the density of its content oftentimes makes it seem much longer than it is. Three hundred pages with every word specifically chosen to carry out a purpose to the greater story takes somewhat more time and concentration than some longer books where you only need to read every third word to know what the author was trying to say. Although the storytelling was immaculate and the characters interesting, not to mention the quality of the (then one-of-a-kind) fantasy setting, there was one thing that I struggled with was the sort of main character syndrome Bilbo seemed to suffer from. What I mean by that is that, despite being the least experienced adventurer, with seemingly no skills and zero enthusiasm for their goal, he is miraculously the most clever, compassionate, sneaky, and generally skilled member of their party, even gaining the respect of the dwarves and becoming a sort of leader. This isn’t a problem for younger audiences—if anything, they thrive off of a lovable and talented protagonist to see the world through. However, for myself, it was off-putting to see Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the dwarves and the King Under the Mountain of legend thrust aside in favor of a timid country hobbit without any noticeable aptitudes displayed until they suddenly appeared out of protagonist privilege halfway through the book. Regardless, I loved reading The Hobbit. In addition to being a fascinating precursor to the fantasy genre I know and love, it is a beautifully spun story in and of its own right. I have been wanting to read it since it was recommended to me by me teacher in third grade, and it was beyond rewarding to finally fulfill this dream of mine. The beginning can be a bit dense and the vocabulary a bit advanced for many young children, but I believe that it would make a lovely book for any age group, especially with an older reader to help guide children through the story. The Hobbit is an imaginative, fantastical novel and I can’t recommend it enough to any fan of a classic, magical, daring high fantasy quest.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Book That Shall Not Die
The Hobbit was a wonderful book. I admire the finesse that comes with taking such a small part of a world and spinning it into such a big part of an adventure. As the name perhaps suggests, this book is about a very important Hobbit. The way that the author represents hobbits is through the way they live. Hobbits generally live a humble life in a very comfortable place; they are represented as very hospitable creatures, and they are considered one of the most prim and proper (yet homey) kinds of people in all of Middle-Earth. J.R.R. Tolkien sets up hobbits this way, and then takes one and flips his life around. Our protagonist embarks on a great adventure and encounters many hardships, from Orcs to Dragons. The trials and tribulations that our hero -- Bilbo Baggins -- face left me sitting on the edge of my seat. I absolutely adored the slower parts of the book as well. Some very wise things were said when camping and sleeping overnight, and some of the most tender and holy moments come from times where there isn’t danger. It is masterful the way that the excitement and softness of this book are coupled and presented as one, working together in harmony to create an even greater work of art. The description of things also flows so well. Not only does he give such vivid descriptions of things, but Tolkien also leaves just enough to the imagination to make the book even more exciting to picture in your head than even the most perfect work of art too. Tolkien painted a canvas with his words, and I loved every minute of it. There were so many lessons to be learned as well, as Gandalf the Grey gave such wise words of wisdom such as his quote about how often the small things in life hold evil at bay, not to mention his "YOU SHALL NOT PASS" quote that had an astounding effect on the mood of the story, especially after he was lost from the rest of the travel party. Speaking of which, Bilbo traveled with several dwarves to keep him company and protect him as they were traveling to the castle that Smaug (the main Dragon antagonist) had now inhabited so that they could take back the throne and Thorin (a dwarf and member of the party traveling) could reclaim his rightful place on the throne as heir and could rule over the dwarf kingdom once again. Every single one of these characters added to the book in an irreplaceable way. Whatever aspect they brought forth into the book was needed and was always an incredible addition, and on top of that, all of these characters felt real, they were written in such a way that you could see how all of them have care and compassion, weak and strong sides, and you can see how all of their motivations are different, even further adding to the plot. Overall, this book was absolutely amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone. It gives life lessons on the important things, has tender moments that keep you connected to the characters, funny moments and sad moments that you can laugh and cry along with, and the endless adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Oh, and did I mention Bilbo finds a ring that makes him invisible - but at what cost? ;) It just adds another exciting element to an already amazingly crafted story. I really couldn’t ask any more from a wonderful work of art and words such as this one, and to anyone who wishes to read it, I hope you find it as amazing as I did.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Book That Shall Not Die
The Hobbit was a wonderful book. I admire the finesse that comes with taking such a small part of a world and spinning it into such a big part of an adventure. As the name perhaps suggests, this book is about a very important Hobbit. The way that the author represents hobbits is through the way they live. Hobbits generally live a humble life in a very comfortable place; they are represented as very hospitable creatures, and they are considered one of the most prim and proper (yet homey) kinds of people in all of Middle-Earth. J.R.R. Tolkien sets up hobbits this way, and then takes one and flips his life around. Our protagonist embarks on a great adventure and encounters many hardships, from Orcs to Dragons. The trials and tribulations that our hero -- Bilbo Baggins -- face left me sitting on the edge of my seat. I absolutely adored the slower parts of the book as well. Some very wise things were said when camping and sleeping overnight, and some of the most tender and holy moments come from times where there isn’t danger. It is masterful the way that the excitement and softness of this book are coupled and presented as one, working together in harmony to create an even greater work of art. The description of things also flows so well. Not only does he give such vivid descriptions of things, but Tolkien also leaves just enough to the imagination to make the book even more exciting to picture in your head than even the most perfect work of art too. Tolkien painted a canvas with his words, and I loved every minute of it. There were so many lessons to be learned as well, as Gandalf the Grey gave such wise words of wisdom such as his quote about how often the small things in life hold evil at bay, not to mention his "YOU SHALL NOT PASS" quote that had an astounding effect on the mood of the story, especially after he was lost from the rest of the travel party. Speaking of which, Bilbo traveled with several dwarves to keep him company and protect him as they were traveling to the castle that Smaug (the main Dragon antagonist) had now inhabited so that they could take back the throne and Thorin (a dwarf and member of the party traveling) could reclaim his rightful place on the throne as heir and could rule over the dwarf kingdom once again. Every single one of these characters added to the book in an irreplaceable way. Whatever aspect they brought forth into the book was needed and was always an incredible addition, and on top of that, all of these characters felt real, they were written in such a way that you could see how all of them have care and compassion, weak and strong sides, and you can see how all of their motivations are different, even further adding to the plot. Overall, this book was absolutely amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone. It gives life lessons on the important things, has tender moments that keep you connected to the characters, funny moments and sad moments that you can laugh and cry along with, and the endless adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Oh, and did I mention Bilbo finds a ring that makes him invisible - but at what cost? ;) It just adds another exciting element to an already amazingly crafted story. I really couldn’t ask any more from a wonderful work of art and words such as this one, and to anyone who wishes to read it, I hope you find it as amazing as I did.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Classic for a reason
Even after countless readings, it still has the ability to stir all the same emotions I remember from the first time I discovered this timeless piece.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Review on BNN product NOT the book itself
I bought this book in person from my local Barnes and Noble. There was a sticker on it for 17.99. It was a big thick sticker that was completely unnecessary. Upon removing the sticker that left adhesive all over, it was revealed that the book is actually priced at 16.99. Now I’m not upset at an extra dollar. I’m just confused as to why a dollar more had to be added. The sticker was so big it was also covering other details like the fact the cover image was made by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. Very poor choice by the store. Although I love the book, I regret buying it from bnn.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com