The classic, the original fantasy novel written by the Grandfather of the Fantasy genre and a personal thorn in my side for over a decade!
I had never read the Hobbit until recently and before that I tried to read Lord of the Rings and had to give up around the Tom Bombadill parts and it has been a mark of shame for me, someone who grew up with the animated films and the audio books so it’s not like I wasn’t a fan. Anyway after spending the better part of a year convincing my wife to give it a go and watch the hobbit film I decided it was time to actually read some Tolkien and honestly I am even more ashamed that I didn’t read it sooner!
The writing is simplistic for the most part though the linguistics are complex and syntax more advanced it becomes very obvious what The Hobbit is; a children’s book. Now that isn’t a negative that is literally what it is, a story Tolkien read to his children much the same as The Princess Bride and Truckers!
But the big difference and what I feel puts it ahead of those and other classic children’s stories like Peter Rabbit and Whinnie the Pooh is simple; language!
Even compared to his major contemporary C.S. Lewis J.R.R. Tolkien (by the way what is it with English writers shortening their names to initials? I ask as my pen name is C.A.D. Mackay and waiting on my “fantasy genius” certificate to come through) refused to “dumb down” or simplify his language for children, especially his own children which is something I can fully agree with.
The problem and the reason I love his book so much is that his language is so complex and the focus of his story is still difficult to discern but readers love it when they’re in it because the focus is, as has been pointed out by so many other reviewers and critics, is the journey, not the destination and barely the characters. The roles of the Dwarves is a set piece with even the great Thorin Oakenshield is nothing more than the driving force of the plot; Gandalf the Grey, such an important character in the films, is barely there in the books as he has other business to deal with and Saruman DOES NOT appear as do many other characters.
The focus is on Bilbo and his journey literally there and back again and many readers probably think that that means it is about something else but no that is literally it. It is more like a travel journal written by a very homely and scared little man who slowly enjoys his walking holidays. This may put some readers off thinking “well I have seen the film which must be better” but I can promise you that it is not and the book will take about as long as watching the Hobbit Trilogy and will be far more enjoyable and lasting impacts where they deserve.
I look forward to making The Hobbit a regular read for my future children until they can understand more complex stories like Aesop’s fables.
Reading time: 13 hours
Reread chance: very high – I have already reread it since reading it the first time
Score: 9/10
Amazon Kindle £2.99 or Paper £4.00 or Hardback £5.99
Barons Bookshelf 