The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (4/5)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is a classic fantasy fiction novel, published in 1937. The book has been beloved by many, and is a classic that will stay in many people’s hearts for a very long time. The book follows Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit that is forced to go on a long adventure almost against his will. While he was enjoying his morning, a wizard named Gandalf knocked upon his door and told Baggins that he needed someone to go on an adventure with, but Baggins wanted no part in that and slammed the door. A few days later however thirteen dwarves knocked on his door and started to ask for snacks before Baggins could even say a word. Baggins ended up getting dragged along a long and treacherous adventure even though he would rather stay home and comfortably eat second breakfast. They encounter trolls, goblins, wargs, elves and more, and slowly Baggins learns to be more competent at fending for himself and living up to the title “burglar”. He also finds a ring with the power to make the user invisible, but also turn the holder insane and Baggins finds proof by meeting a creature named Gollum. However, on the quest to kill a dragon named Smaug and get revenge for the dwarves, many unplanned complications occur. I greatly enjoyed the book and I can definitely see why it is a classic. Even though it is a rather old book, there is still a lot of fun humor and interesting aspects. It was only around 300 pages, so it didn’t drag on too long which was very nice. I had previously thought the book was much longer, but it turns out that the novel is surprisingly compact in a good way. The style of writing is older, but is still interesting and unique. This book and the later written trilogy of The Lord of the Rings created many movies that I remember fondly today, and did a pretty good job translating the books into movies. The novel isn’t one of the best books I’ve ever read, however it is definitely worth reading and puts you in a fantastical world. My advice for reading this book would be to be sure that you have plenty of time to read it and don’t try to get through it too fast. Rather than trying to speed through it, the book can definitely be enjoyed much more if it is read over a longer period of time. Overall, The Hobbit is definitely a book worth reading, and will forever remain a classic and timeless novel.