Original Title: The Hobbit
Year Published: 2001 (my edition. Originally Published in 1937)
Published by: Pan Reprint (my edition)
Number of Pages: 305
First Sentence: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."
Goodreads Rating: 4/5
Plot:
Bilbo Baggins is a reasonably typical hobbit: fond of sleeping, eating, drinking, parties and presents. However, it is his destiny to travel to the dwarflands in the east, to help slay the dragon Smaug. His quest takes him through enchanted forests, spiders' lairs, and under the Misty Mountains, where he comes across the vile Gollum, and tricks him out of his 'Precious' - a ring that makes its bearer invisible, and wields a terrible power of its own.
My thoughts:
I made the mistake of watching the movies before reading the book. That meant that I found the book quite boring since I kept comparing it to the movies. Don't do that. It will only make you sad.
I originally gave this book 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, but after sitting down and properly thinking about it I realised that it was worth one more star. It is a good book and a great story.
Sure the characters are quite shallow in their depiction, and the only one who actually has any kind of character development is Bilbo. However, it is worth remembering that this book was written as a children's book originally. Within those frames, it is a book with great depth and detail. Tolkien is a fantastic author which he showcases even in this book.
Do I recommend it?
Yes, I do, although if you've seen the movies you might find it quite dreary and slow. It is still a great story well worth reading.
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